Help! No pressure at my front brake lever....

Hey, my front brakes aren't working. I don't know why, the lever just has no pressure all of a sudden. I thought something might have snapped but I can't find anything that looks broken. I don't know too much about Xjs yet. Just bought my first bike a month ago. Checked my repair manual but couldn't find anything.... Any ideas?

I took a couple pictures of the lever.




Thanks guys!

-Nick

 

I hope its as simple as low fluid level.
If so you will need to bleed them out and see if you have a leak somewhere.
Have you taken the lid off the brake fluid reservoir to check the level?

 

First off. What type of bike?
From the pics it appears to be a 650 maxim.

Next check the obvious.
Fluid Level. (Low, Why?)
Cracked, Broken lines/hoses.
Leaking calipers.

By the looks of that master cylinder. Your dealing with a very neglected brake system. (badly worn plunger boot, Crumbly lid gasket)

Suggested plan of action
Start by reading over this thread. http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... ation.html

Next.
Check out XJ4ever. Link at top right of every page. (Resident Parts supplier)

Finally.
Get serious about getting that bike to stop!!
From what I can see from the pics. You should be looking at a full brake system going through.

Sorry to sound so alarming!
The truth is New rider & old neglected bike = serious trouble!!

Stay Safe.
Ghost

 

I'm with ghost on that. If the insides of the master and caliper are as nasty looking as the outside, time for a complete overhaul, Fix it right, the kits are not expensive, and the consequences of not doing so could be fatal.

 

Exactly. Stop right there. We don't dump new fluid in a snotty system and hope to live to tell the tale.

Factory-recommended lifespan for caliper and master cylinder seals was two years.

Factory-recommended lifespan of brake hoses was four years. Hoses have their date stamped in them. Bet yours are original.

You're going to need to replace the brake lines (good opportunity to upgrade to stainless for a few $$ more) and rebuild the caliper and master cylinder.

Anything less is foolishly dangerous; and it will probably take doing it all to get them back anyway.

This is not something to cut corners on.

 

Just because you have a little rust is no reason to freak out.
The lines may deteriorate a little on the inside over time but not enough to eat the lines away like gas on a styrofoam cup.

Visually look at the brake lines where they connect. If you see no cracks and they are not oozing and leaking every where, they are fine.
I would recommend a complete fluid flush. Hook up a tube to the lower bleeder valve and run it into a container. Open up the reservoir lid and feed in a little fresh fluid and pump the brake handle. It will be dirty for a little bit and run clear afterwards.

We don't change our brake lines on our cars every few years.

The manufacture recommend changing lines often because of liability reasons.
They think that UVs will eat the lines quickly but, you can tell if that is happening by looking for cracks and sever discoloration.

 

Bill, that is incorrect. Thirty year old lines like these can simply POP. The lines have a date stamped into them. If they are the original lines, they DO need to be replaced. We're not talking ten years instead of four, we're talking thiry or more.

Thirty year old original Yamaha brake lines, no matter how "nice" they may look ARE NOT SAFE. Please don't tell people they are.

 

Thanks for the responses guys. I will definitely rebuild the master and replace all the bake lines as well as the pads and shoes which are starting to crack.

I can't figure out this XJ forever parts vendor... Is it an online parts catalog? If so, how do I order parts?

Thanks!

-Nick

 

Sorry Fitz,
If all else fails us your feet to stop. LOL.

 

You want to hit the XJ logo on the right hand top portion of this page.

Scroll to XJ MAXIM, SECA, AND TURBO PARTS CATALOG.
The pages load a little slow but you will find the listings of the parts you are looking for in the table of contents.

 

Chacal is a member here.
You can pm him with your bike info (VIN. Model ID.)
He will make sure you get the correct parts for your bike.

Ghost

 

listen to them... i bought a rebuild kit off of ebay that was insured to fit my bike, and it didnt!!!! ended up going with a new mc after WEEKS of frustration!!!! these guys are great... and i trust them more than my motorcycle mechanic buddies.

 

Brake lines deteriorate from the inside out. There is a reason for replacing them. You CAN'T see the damage from an exterior visual inspection. Replace any rubber line over 10 years old, period. Most manufacturers recommend 5~7 years to cover their can true, but there is validity to the caution. And new braided stainless lines in the color of your choice, DOT approved are available from our man Chacal for a very reasonable price. An added bonus on the stainless lines is the immediate improvement in the firmness of the brake lever. Rubber lines flex.
Real simple answer, replace your lines!
And Bill, I do replace my brake lines on ALL my vehicles... Expensive but cheap compared to the cost of an accident.

 

I believe periodic replacement for motorcycle rubber brake hoses is related to the deterioration due to the sun. No sun under your car, lots if you leave your bike outside uncovered.

My neighbor had a tent trailer parked in his lane, two years and the tire facing the sun was a cracked mess, the other side still looked new.

 

If you use it a lot I am sure they need it.