Front brake

I just purchased an 82 Maxim 650, single front brake.
Is it normal to have to pull in the front brake lever hard in order for the bike to stop? In a panic stop I have to squeze the lever with all my strength.
The pads was just recently replaced with new pads. BTW the front brake is not dragging

 

I know this is elementary but do you know if it's actually grabbing the disk?
Lifted the front tire off the ground and spun the wheel then applied the front brake, or rode slowly to verify it will slow the bike?

 

Maybe the pads aren't seated yet. Replace the brake fluid and bled the system recently?

 

the bike will stop, maybe I am just used to my Honda 750 which have 3 disc brakes instead of the 1 drum/disc on the 650
I will try bleeding the system and see what happens.
I guess having only 1 disc instead of two up front makes a big difference

 

2 discs won't be twice as good as 1. If it hasn't been done, I would be stripping out the system & replacing master & slave cylinder rubbers, maybe replace the lines with braided, if they are spongy.

 

OK, just bled the brakes, fluid was a little brown (dot 3) no bubbles, the brake lever feels solid, no spongy feeling.
The brakes still does not feel powerful, still have to squeeze hard, is this normal, I don't want to rebuild master/caliper with the same result.
Any other suggestions? besides getting SS lines.

 

Mine works great and I don't think it's hard to pull at all. I get great braking.

 

i havent rebuilt my mc but it feels fine not to hard not to soft,

 

I'd say the problem is down at the Caliper.

I'd Overhaul the Caliper.
Make sure that the all moving parts move, hinge or float as necessary.

Caliper Pistons
Remove the Piston
Remove the Rubber Seals
Clean the Channels that the Caliper Seals go in.
Right down to bare aluminum; removing all scale and buildup and anything else in there not Caliper aluminum.

Reassemble, flush and bleed.

 

OK I will try rebuilding the Caliper, will post with the results.

 

decided not to rebuilt the caliper, ask a Local Yamaha dealer, the mechanic said it is the nature of the beast, the brake system on the Maxim has always been that way, just add distance when you are following a car and stay focus.
The mechanic did mention going with S/S lines will help.

 

I replaced my Master Cylinder, new SS lines and rebuilt the caliper. I wouldn't say I can stop on a dime, but pretty close. I can slow the bike with one finger. I think I could do better if I replaced my fork seals.

 

I am amazed that your Yamaha dealer thinks the type of braking you describe is normal.

 

OK, now you guys have me wondering again, no way I can stop the bike with one finger, I need 7 fingers to do a panic stop.
Where would I find an aftermarket Master cylinder for the 650 maxim?

 

What do you need, a new MC, or 3 more fingers?

 

where do I buy an aftermarket MC ?

 

I would PM "Chacal" if he hasn't got one he will point you in the right direction. Wiz.

 

Before you spent any money, unless you just want to...
Unbolt the line at the master cylinder (mc) and squeeze the brake lever (watch out for fluid being forced out). Is it still hard to squeeze?
The mc has a slide plunger that the lever hits and forces fluid through the line. The sleeve and plunger may be gunked up causing resistance, or 1 of the two holes in the "fluid well" may be clogged. There's not much to taking apart and cleaning the mc.

 

You should go back to the Dealership and ask the guy what he'd do if he had to ride your bike every day!

My guess is there would be some Brake work getting done on that Bike of yours!

Master Cylinders aren't usually the cause of difficult Braking. If anything, the MC goes "Soft" on you and the Break Lever starts getting all too easy to pull.

The lever is difficult to pull because there is resistance to the Caliper Piston's travel.
All the Pins and Bushings on which the Caliper either Swivels, Pivots, Floats or otherwise "Moves" in any direction need to inspected, overhauled and lubed to insure the Caliper DOES have the movement it needs by design.

The Caliper Piston Seals can be "Too tight"
Foreign Matter behind the Seals will make the Seals "Out-of-Round"
The resistance to movement increases and makes the Hydraulic Pressure needed to move the Piston increase, too ... causing the Brake Fluid to need more pressure at the Master!

Hard to pull Brake Lever!

That the Master Cylinder you have isn't leaking by and causing you a Soft Braking Problem is a good sign.

Something that needs to move ... Isn't.
Most of the "Moving Parts" ... are down at the Caliper!

 

thanks again for all the advice.
Might as well rebuilt the caliper, seems like RickCoMatic
Moderator hit the nail on the head, rebuilt kit is cheaper then hitting a car.

 

Ok, I looked at my disc brake pads, 650 maxim, I noticed the wear on the piston side is uneven, like in an angle ?? is is Normal?

 

trekrider,

What Rick said!!! What ou might do before replacing the piston seals in the caliper is to check all the slides that Rick mentioned. The caliper actually has to slide back and forth to be able to apply even pressure on the rotor. If the slides that Rick mentioned are stuck, the pads will have a tendency to wear uneven from side to side. The piston side pad will wear much quicker and your brakes will suck.
If that doesn't work, plan on rebuilding the caliper. I would say the MC is OK.
One more thing, You should not be using DOT 3 fluid. The bike should have DOT 4.

 

trekrider,

Update you profile to say what kind of bike you have and where you are at. Could be that someone near could help you out.

 

Yes; normal.
That's the way that older-styled Caliper works.

The Caliper "Pivots" on its Mount. That's why you want to be sure that the Main Mounting Bolt ... extending up through the Caliper Sleeve (Bushing) is capable of making the movement and not contaminated or otherwise oxidized causing an impediment preventing the Caliper from its "Travel".

I chuck the Threads of that Bolt into my drill and spin the Bolt while holding some 400 and 800 Finishing Paper to its surface ... renewing the smooth, friction-free surface needed on that Bolt.

 

What if his lines were so far gone that they are swelling? But I guess that would mean it would be too soft, not too hard, right?

The caliper is (or should be) EASY to take apart. I think it may be the simplest part on the entire bike. It is nothing more than a piston in a hole with a rubber seal (plus dust cover).

My pads came with an angle on them. The caliper attaches to the rotor at an angle, and the pads are angled to match. One pad should be angled one way, the other one should be angled the other way. When they are stacked they should make a square. It also make it easy to see when you need new ones.

Feel free to ignore my early afternoon ramblings...

 

Well, I am far from an expert, but I have a concern. First, does the brake lever pull all the way to the grip? If the brakes are mushy and the lever pulls all the way to the grip that's one thing. If the brakes are firm and you can't stop quickly that's something else.

In the latter case I side with RickCoMatic (I always do!) and say your calipers are hanging up and not delivering the power they should.

It is a fact that one disk and one drum on a 20 year old bike, even when new, can't match a 3 disk modern system (you didn't mention the vintage of the Honda). Describing the difference in a forum -- the perception of the difference -- is a different thing all together! Are you an experienced rider who brakes to the max all the time so you know the limits of your bike?

What you are describing doesn't sound safe, so to me it doesn't sound right. Be safe. Get this thing diagnosed and fixed!

 

I am the Originator of this thread.
Here is the information I have so far.
The brake lever is not spongy it is solid, when I pull it back during hard braking I can get it close to the bar, about 3/4" to go.
Bled the brakes and put new fluid in, used Dot 3 as recommended on the m/c cover/manual.
Checked/removed the pads and cleaned all the parts including the pin, the caliper body pivots easily side to side.
Cleaned the disc surface and pad surface with brake cleaner spray.
Checked to see if my caliper piston is frozen, it is not, it moves in/out rather easily.
Only thing I did not do is to rebuild the caliper/mc and put s/s lines.
The bike does stop, but I feel the brake is just not as powerful as my 80 Honda 750F.
BTW actually the 650 rides more comfortable as compared to the 750F.