6Th Gen All Brakes Dragging

[rastasafar]

Hi,

I am practically new here. And i always hate to start an intro with question. But i am "stuck" in a situation here. (pun intended) and thought some veterans here could help me.

I recently got a VFR 2007, was adviced by another VFR owner about the versatility and beauty of VFR and its V4. Got a good deal and bought it.

But the problem i am facing is, i think all brakes. Both front and back are dragging. When i spin the wheel it doesnt do a full 360 rotation.

If it was any one brake dragging i think i could blame a stuck piston etc. But this one i will lean towards a linked brake problem.

Plz advice where i should start looking and is there a drill for this like the electrical system.

I am a complete tool when it comes to handling tool, so please help with simple understandable suggestions or tricks before i dig up more dirt in there :(

[Africord]

First, the brake pads are always in constant contact with the rotor. Second, I've never tried the "test" you identified here. However, I'd change your brake fluid, unless you know for certain that the PO did so. Baselining your fluids on a "new to you" motorcycle is a good idea. An oil change and coolant change should also be on the schedule. I'd also inspect your brake pads to check for uneven wear. This would point to a frozen piston in the caliper, or a bent caliper mount, which could increase your drag. Honestly, I suspect there is nothing wrong with your bike at all. But for peace of mind, this is the path I'd take.

There are multiple approaches to carrying out maintenance. I outsource the items I think will give me grief, and take care of minor items like brake pad changes, and oil and coolant changes myself. If it all seems too daunting, you need to identify a local shop you can trust.

[rastasafar]

First, the brake pads are always in constant contact with the rotor. Second, I've never tried the "test" you identified here. However, I'd change your brake fluid, unless you know for certain that the PO did so. Baselining your fluids on a "new to you" motorcycle is a good idea. An oil change and coolant change should also be on the schedule. I'd also inspect your brake pads to check for uneven wear. This would point to a frozen piston in the caliper, or a bent caliper mount, which could increase your drag. Honestly, I suspect there is nothing wrong with your bike at all. But for peace of mind, this is the path I'd take.

There are multiple approaches to carrying out maintenance. I outsource the items I think will give me grief, and take care of minor items like brake pad changes, and oil and coolant changes myself. If it all seems too daunting, you need to identify a local shop you can trust.

Ty afri, need to go through all the guides about fluid change and all. All fluids were flushed last season. Through the glass in reservoir it looks crystal clear.

I was wondering if i messed up any thing by adjusting the lever and reservoir unit. I loosed the screws and turned the whole unit a bit to be straight with my hands. this looks like giving a pull on the tube coming out of the reservoir. Can this cause all the brakes to be activated slightly by any chance?

How much does the wheel spin normally on the VFR? for eg: if i just give a good tug on the rear wheel does it complete two rotations before halting? mine stops with barely one whole rotation. same for the front wheel

[MadScientist]

The rear wheel is going to drag considerably more than the front, given that you are also turning the chain/sprockets/transmission. If you are suspicious about the brake pads, you can take a screwdriver or a putty knife and push the brake pads in slightly. Then give the wheel a spin. Less than a full rotation on the rear seems probable, but I've never done this. I think the front wheel should finish at least 1 revolution, certainly should have less parasitic losses than the rear if you retract the pads.

And welcome to the forum!

[Aeromagic]

I'd take the bike for a ride down a highway and coast to a stop after 5 or 10 minutes. If one or all of the brakes are dragging, the rotor will be hot to the touch. I don't think there's anything wrong with your brakes from what you're describing, but I don't think you can rotate the levers around on the bars either - aren't there pins into the bars to prevent that?

[Aeromagic]

OOPS, my mistake. I just went and looked. The switchgear is non adjustable, but the levers can be rotated until the master cylinder contacts the bar riser. I still think your brakes are probably fine.

[Beck]

A little bit of brake pad drag is normal to some extent. That's just how they are. Never expect your wheels to spin free like bicycle wheels. A single rotation on the front wheel (much less on the rear wheel, because of the mechanical drag from the drive chain.)sounds fine for a VFR or most motorcycles with disc brakes, IMO.

[Terry]

I'd take a look at the brake pads just to check that each pair is evenly worn both sides of the disc. If not the calliper slide pins probably need to be cleaned and lubed.

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[The mailman]

I think you're good on the brakes. They all drag to some extent and I know mine won't rotate freely either. Changing your fluid if it looks dark wouldn't hurt either but don't expect free wheeling rotation even after a change.