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Rear brake failure

6K views 36 replies 17 participants last post by  garywillorr 
#1 ·
The bike was two up ,loaded with long trip stuff.
In getting to the Dragon from the Tennessee side I used the brakes quite a bit.
We were 3/4 thru the Dragon when the rear brakes got next to useless.
The aggressive ride became a Sunday driver ride, as I had only front brakes.
After about an hour at the bottom of the hill I checked the brake pedal again and I had the pressure back.

The failure most likely was caused by the high temperature of the brake fluid.
Last time the fluid was changed was about 4 years ago and I used fluid supplied by a motorcycle dealer.
Should I change the fluid in the system ?. What type?
Is it normal for the brakes to fail due to excessive usage?
TY
 
#2 ·
DOT4

but I suspect you were not running in a low enough gear to help the brakes.

You need to get used to running the engine at higher RPMs so that it can be used as the brake. I rarely use the brakes on tight twisties.... I run in 3rd or 2nd gear most of the time.

I have on one occasion used 1st gear to hold back my bike and trailer so that I was not riding the brakes.
 
#4 ·
Just an opinion here. Why would anyone ride "agressive" enough to cause brake fade? Especially in an area the speed limit is 30mph! Very dangerous to yourself and other riders.
You're are very fortunate you are still alive!
On most mountain and twisty roads I doubt if anyone does the speed limit, isn't that why you ride that type of road./
 
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#7 ·
Darn it I asked for advise and get criticized. Get a life OLD MEN.Period.
John , I ride mostly in 3rd gear in the twists But even with engine brake WHICH I UNDERSTAND you still have to use the brake to slow from 35-40 MPH to 10-15MPH in a short distance for a sharp turn.

And to all others once again get a life and leave mine alone. Ride like and old man you are on Sunday morning to church.
"Lucky to be alive" . Breaks when overheat don't fail suddenly and totally. Its a gradual thing and I had advanced warnings that's why I went the rest of the way the way you ride everyday
 
#8 ·
Peter,
That can be wrong. My friend had a beautiful 1956 Chev drag car. Made a run and had good brakes at 150 MPH. Drove back to the pit at 20 MPH and ran in the back of his trailer. No brakes. He had water (moisture in the fluid. So to answer your question about changing the fluid that would be a yes. Whet you describe is exactly what brakes will do when there is moisture present in the fluid. Of course you can't compress a liquid. Try to put a cup and a half of water in one cup. Now when the fluid boils it becomes a gas. That you can compress and then you have less or no brakes according to how much boils. Cols back down and condenses back to a liquid ann all is good. Of course mechanical failures can also cause immediate brake failure.
As for your driving style I think you are intelligent and know your own limits and risks. If it only yourself at risk it is your choice. :)
 
#11 ·
Goldwings are a,heavy Bike. They are not a sport bike. Not meant to be riden like one. Just enjoy the Beauty set the dragon has to offer places where you can pull over and enjoy the scenery that God has put on this great Earth of ours. Not criticizing you each their own. Too many accidents on that road look up the statistics. And see how many bikes they take up off that Highway each year. As far as your brakes go used. For and I don't skimp on brake fluid I use the best there is or at least what I'm told is so just make sure you're buying a well name brand. Just my opinion
 
#15 ·
The bike was two up ,loaded with long trip stuff.
In getting to the Dragon from the Tennessee side I used the brakes quite a bit.
We were 3/4 thru the Dragon when the rear brakes got next to useless.
The aggressive ride became a Sunday driver ride, as I had only front brakes.
After about an hour at the bottom of the hill I checked the brake pedal again and I had the pressure back.

The failure most likely was caused by the high temperature of the brake fluid.
Last time the fluid was changed was about 4 years ago and I used fluid supplied by a motorcycle dealer.
Should I change the fluid in the system ?. What type?
Is it normal for the brakes to fail due to excessive usage?
TY
I rode the Dragon once, realized right off that it was at best, a hyped up dangerous roadway open to the general public frequented all too often by dangerous riders wanting to play "Randy Racer" & too often in over their heads. We have better safer rides locally. Then we checked out that flea, mosquito, tick & fungus infested dank motel, and got a refund on the room, and went on to Robbinsville.

You obviously over rode the road and the bike, we call it "brake fade" when too much braking exceeds the brake's ability to kill speed by converting it to heat. Often that heat causes the fluid & any moisture in it to boil. As a result, you loose braking as the pedal turns to mush. You can loose seals too. Brand new fluid wouldn't have hurt, but I doubt that it would have helped much either. Did you use the front brake system before the loss of rear brakes, or just because of the loss? 4 years you say? You can change it anytime now.
 
#17 ·
Did you use the front brake system before the loss of rear brakes, or just because of the loss? 4 years you say? You can change it anytime now.
I use both sets most of the time, but they linked. I think the back with one in the front

In those 4 years I put about20-30 K on the bike. Im no expert but I dont think the brake fluid should be changed very often. Heck I put 200K a on a car and never change it. (relax, its not your car, for the ones that are ready to jump on my head)
Come to think of it the fluid change was done by the dealer upon the brake recall.
However Its time for all fluids change, minus antifreeze.
I change that every 250K :ROFL:
 
#19 ·
Me thinks a full service of your brakes is in the near future..."Near" meaning like now!

Sounds to me like you were over accelerating in the straightaways and having to brake excessively entering the curves. Practice makes perfect!!!
 
#23 ·
Sounds like a plan to me. lol.
 
#28 ·
I went back and looked at the beginning of Trip to Far away. All liquids were changed in 2016. (I left the maintenance log book in NJ)

I understand the recommendation and Im sure a few change their fluids every two years or closer interval.

But really what does the average rider do. ?
Sooo when did YOU -the everyday motorcyclist, last change your brake fluids?
 
#30 ·
Yesterday I took a look at the brake pads .
Last they were changed at the same time. The rear one is halfway thru while the front ones , which take 80% of the brunt is just a bit used.
As I said above I use the brakes in conjunction with each other. And as Smeden says they're linked.
Maybe just maybe my overheating problem mentioned by Smeden, for which Honda had a recall wasn't totally fixed/ ( I took the bike in there for the second recall)
And Im very light light on all my vehicles, Dave. Slow accelerating and slow decelerating. I often used to argue with my wife about her having the foot on the gas pedal even thou it was a red light far ahead. I normally coast to it unless I have someone tailgating me.
I hate sudden accelerations too. I think it takes a tall on the vehicle.

Then again I went down Mt Evans and I think Sierra Mt ( severely slopped road) with no problems after the recall.
Im going to change the pads and fluid and take it from there
 
#34 ·
I try to alternate front to rear braking so that each one has a little cool down period every 1000 feet or so. Doing this while using engine braking seems to work pretty well for me. I know that some of you will bring it up that the brakes are linked, and therefore the brakes are not actually alternating, but even though they are linked, there is more pressure going to the rear when the rear pedal is used, and vice-versa.
 
#35 ·
Late post, but I've been there. Not with the brakes issue, but enjoying the twists and turns. Gears are my natural brakes in these situations.Usually the front brakes are used as well As I understand it, the front brakes are worn much faster than than back. I also understand the speed limits. Yes, I could be pulled over and reminded. If traffic is heavy, I do not "push the envelope" as I may endanger others. If alone, I may be more aggressive. I retain a safe ride, but I am not a snail. I guess I'm saying enjoy the ride but remember your and others safety. You have to live with your actions. Prayers that you enjoy a long and enjoyable ride.
 
#36 ·
Interesting topic, but I rode The Dragon early in September so I'll give myself permission to chime in. I had been fortunate to have done a considerable amount of working on trail braking (with the front brake only) as well "delayed apex" on curves. I did not use my rear brake once on the dragon and because of the delayed apex I didn't get in a bind by running out of lane and having to cross the yellow line. Now, unless there is a real reason (wet roads, gravel, etc) that I should not use my front brakes, I NEVER use the rear brake.

Also, I only hope I have ridden half the miles that DBohrer has before I have to give up riding!
 
#37 ·
Might as well add my two cents worth.

Brake fluid absorbs water. It starts out clear, but the more moisture is absorbs, the yellower it gets.
So when you your brake fluid looks like piss, you really need to change it. Not just so that the water doesn't vaporize when the brakes get hot, but because the moisture corrodes (rust) the inside of the brake lines.
I try to change my brake fluid when it begins to have any visible color. It's not so hard with a one way valve like cyclegear.com motion-pro-hydraulic-brake-bleeder.

In addition, the brake calipers need to be able to float on the mounting pins so that they do not hold the pads against the disk when you are not using them. There are a lot of good articles about what to use to lubricate the pins so they don't hang up.

I have also had a rear brake master cylinder fail, just because they do sometimes. Had to order a kit and change the gaskets. But I have never heard of a master cylinder recovering after sitting once they fail.

The last thing I will say is that riding my gold wing two up with a luggage (or a trailer), is more like driving a semi with a maximum load. You simply cannot expect your brakes to not overheat on a hard stop, especially a hill.
 
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