Seca brakes, stopping would be nice.

Hello,

I have a 82 Seca XJ750 (La Bala De Plata). History is, last year and early this year the fork seals were leaking all over the front brakes and this caused them to not stop very well. This spring a friend and I re-did the fork seals and I took the brakes down and cleaned all the grease off. I soaked the pads in brake cleaner, scrubbed them, and sanded them with 200 grit to give a nice new surface. They are plenty thick. I bled the brakes two days in a row and got all the air out. The brakes work now, it seems that they should work a lot better. I mean, I should be able to lock that front wheel up if I wanted to, right? It stops the bike, and seems safe enougth, but I would like it to stop better. Do the Seca bikes have a rep for poor brakes or do I still have some problem? Any ideas? Thanks!

Z

 

According to the "official" sources, once the pads have been contaminated, they should be replaced. I have done just as you've done ($70 for my fronts) and resurfaced with no discernable loss in stopping power. I have had issues with my brakes feeling "soft" and I've chalked it up to old brake lines (the rubber should be replaced every 10 years by mfgr spec) and DOT 3 fluid. I rebuilt the calipers, installed braided stainless lines and upgraded to DOT 4. Worlds of difference, just a little expensive.

 

Don't know what to tell you Zygomatic. Mine are the same way, they stop me pretty fast when I need to, but I can't do stoppies if that's what you are getting at. :lol:

BTW welcome to the forum, post some pics of your bike in the gallery when you get to it, We'd like to see them.

 

What variety/brand of pads are you running ?

 

Injuhneer, I don't know what the brand is. They were in the bike when I got it, and the bike only had 7000 miles on it, so they are probably factory.
I did find a master cylynder rebuild kit, but I have not put it in yet. Don't know if that would help. I have not found brake caliber rebuild kits anywhere yet.

Robert, where would I go to find the braided stainless lines? Sounds like a good idea.

I wonder, do Seca bikes lose brake pressure because some of the brake pressure is going to work that goofy anti-dive setup? Just wondering if that is a possibliliy.

Z

 

here's one link to SS brake lines

http://www.paragonperformance.com/Yamaha%20XJ.html

or try here

http://www.cyclepages.com/ProductGroupD ... ID=4001163

there are other sites that have the universal lines, try a google search.

 

Galfer makes/imports just about anything you need. They are a wholesaler and won't sell to you direct but there are bunches of retailers who will. Their headquarters are located about 5 miles from my house. Google them. You can also build your own if you've the time and inclination. I've built them for cars but not bikes. It may save you a few dollars but I think the extra money is cheap compared to the mistakes and effort required to build them yourself. Saves time too. I'm not sure about your anti-dive question, never broke into the valve housing. Anyone else?

 

I need to break into my anti-dive unit, just haven't got the get up and go do it attitude yet!!! Fraid of what I may find, or parts that may go sprong.... But I will be doing it soon!

 

I just rebuilt my calipers w/ the dual kit from oldbikebarn.com: http://www.oldbikebarn.com/part.php?id=2336 So far, so good. I also put in these brake pads, though I had a hard time getting them to fit w/ the anti-rattle shims: http://www.oldbikebarn.com/part.php?id=10488

As for the anti dive, I think the effect on brake action is minimal. The brake pressure actuates a small plunger which in turn depresses the valve that interacts with the forks. Travel is 1/4" I'd say, at most. The brake circuit goes little further than that bottom bleeder valve. If you take the allen screws out you'll see the two systems are isolated. Or should be. If not - you've got problems.

BTW, when fully bled with fresh fluid, I get a solid brake lever. Which is new for me. I rode for 15k miles w/ mushy brakes not knowing any better.

 

yea i bled my brakes really good tonight and i can still mash the lever to the handle bar easy. I still get better braking from the rear brake, which is not good. Coming from cars, it doesnt matter if i bleed it with the cover on or off correct? It seems to me there would be absolutely no reason why youd need the cap on but maybe its just one of those systems...

 

You can bleed with the cover off but you will need to have it in place to get the pressure behind the piston if I remember correctly.

 

well i figure maybe its just shity master cylinder. Im getting one from a CBR 1000

 

Robert, in my experience you are correct. You can bleed w/ the cap off, but it'll stay mushy until you cap it.

 

I'm a new XJ owner, and I'm pretty sure that my calipers need a rebuild. I was thinking that if my original 24 year old rubber brake lines need to be replaced I may as well upgrade to steel brake lines as well. Is there a guide for the procedure like this? I'm not exactly a master mechanic, but I have access to a decent tool collection and I'm not afraid of brake fluid. It would be nice to have a procedure to follow, and to know what I need to buy in advance, in what lengths, sizes, etc.

1982 XJ750 Maxim is the model I own.

 

Get in touch with any reputable bike shop or online store. Galpin makes to order sizes as well as complete kits. I'm aware of most XJ's being covered. I would be inclined to purchase the aftermarket rebuild kits for the calipers because I bought the "kit" from the dealer and got only half the parts. The aftermarket kit has everything, piston, gathers, seals. Good luck to you and welcome.