rear brake sticking

I have just read alot of the different threads on this subject and I expierienced the same issues. Gave my 2008 ST1300 to my local dealer on 11-5-2011 to get the problem fixed before my warranty expires and after replacing the SMC, PCV, and rebuilding the rear caliper among other things and they still can't stop it from happening. I contacted Honda customer service in Califonia and surprisingly cotinued to get the run around. If anyone has any suggestions on what to do next please let me know.

Thanks,

Diamond Dave

Are they bleeding the brakes correctly? You may want to try that yourself.

I would think so they have been in contact with tech support to get help.

Great info John! I will contact the dealer with some of these suggestions.

When I talk to the service manager at Honda I will emphasize if they are bleeding the brakes per manual.

Thanks for the response IGF.

Will let everyone know what happens.

Dave

I've seen dealers screw up an out-of-the-box bike setup so I tend to not take my bike to a dealer unless absolutely necessary as I feel in most cases I will do a better job on MY bike vs the CUSTOMER bike.

That's not to say all dealers are bad and techs come and go, many have no issues with dealerships. But, the ST1300 does require a bit more care in the bleeding process due to the SMC needing to be tilted, if that isn't done and air is in that area, the rear brake will stick.

Diamond Dave said:

When I talk to the service manager at Honda I will emphasize if they are bleeding the brakes per manual.

Thanks for the response IGF.

Will let everyone know what happens.

Dave

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They are going to say yes, so you will need to quiz them on the proper procedure. Ask them if the SMC Caliper needs to be removed/ tilted, for bleeding. If they say NO, then you know that they are not bleeding per the manual. Then SHOW them in the manual the proper procedure. Or you can ask them "what is the bleed order."

I had the same thing happen. I was able to get it to a dealer by bleeding the rear caliper when it stuck. Davis Service Center, Montrose, CO did the work and all is well after 5k miles. All under warranty, minus the overnight shipping that I was happy to pay for. I was impressed by the dealer's skill, efficiency and speed. The braking system on the ST is very complex. Those who refer to dealers as stealers are FOS.

Rich3608 said:

I
Those who refer to dealers as stealers are FOS.

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There are good and bad. There are a lot of dealers that still don't know what a ST1100/ST1300 is. It is Great/Lucky that you found a good one. A couple of Great dealers are Mom and Pop dealers, they are Eddy Hill Fun Cycles in Wichita Falls, Texas, also Aurora Honda in Aurora Colorado. Those two dealers I trust. How ever with that said, service departments, as with all maintenance professions have their UP and DOWN days. Reminds me of an old saying by one of our past Presidents. "Trust But Verify"

I've owned plenty of bikes (and cars) and found the dealers to be expensive, but WILL solve the problem. Manufacturers must ensure their products are supported and will train to meet expectations. Sure, the bike shop is ok for tires and basics, but for complex electronics the dealer is the only game in town. The ST is a very sophisticated machine, for better or for worse. Consider the reliability of modern bikes vs. bikes from 20 years ago. I'll take today's bikes, and the support from dealers. I'm going to buy the extended warranty for that reason.

+1.
Previously posted my battle with a dealer installing a wheel.
Previously posted multiple dealer's opinion on the folly of moly paste.
Previously posted others experience with dealers pencil whipping maintenance checks.
Previously posted numerous experiences with dealer battles with stuck thermostats.
...
DIY unless it's $$$ and under warranty.
Not to say that there aren't some good dealers out there.

Just went to my local Honda dealer to buy some Molly paste for a gift, went to the counter and asked for a tube of Molly Paste. His reply was " molly what" I said "Molly paste" His reply was that they did not carry it. I asked, "what do you use?" He called to the back, and asked a tech if they had any, No, he thought they used Molly grease! I left and ordered it on line. Does make one wonder.

Check the peg board in parts. They might no know they have it.
iirc moly grease is c. 3% moly.

See attached for various required lubes from an '03 manual.

Had an 05 for 6 years, nearly 100K miles, no brake issues. My 10 just flipped 10k and the rear brake drags fairly regular enough that I changed my riding style to try to prevent using the front brakes much. Took to the dealer for the brake line recall and to start the repair cycle for the dragging rear brake issue. Recall work done right away. Then they called to say they could not duplicate the rear brake dragging. Told them to keep riding it because I wasn't coming to get it until they did something to fix it. Honda agreed to replace the SMC 1st. Part on order. Hopefully that's it and they don't have to touch her again for another 100K miles...

jfheath said:

...... and of course, whether or not they found the bleed valve on the right hand side behind the fairing !!

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Are you refering to the bleeder valve on the proportioning control valve?

Diamond Dave said:

Are you refering to the bleeder valve on the proportioning control valve?

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That would be the one.

just read your reply. Hope they can fix it without too much trouble. mine is still in the shop.


Diamond Dave

Got my ST back from the dealer yesterday. So far so good. There is noticibly more free play in the new SMC compared to the one they replaced. There was a note on the paper work that said SMC failed second test. I wonder what procedure mother honda gave them to test the SMC.

You mean .....Like this one >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H02iwWCrXew

Igofar said:

Have someone spin the rear wheel. While the wheel is turning, push the bracket that the SMC is on forward, towards the fork. This will cause the rear wheel to lock up. When you release the SMC, the rear wheel should be free to spin again. If the wheel stays locked up or sticks in that position, the SMC is bad. The Test is so easy that even a CAVEMAN could do it

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If that is in fact the 'honda test method' then why would they insist that they have to ride the bike to try to duplicate the rear brake dragging? Especially since feeling the rear drag on a bike you have never ridden could be difficult. Some brake friction is acceptable but how could you actually measure it to determine when it is no longer acceptable. I know when it failed the first time for me, after only riding a couple of miles that morning, when I went to coast towards a traffic light it was like heavy engine braking except with the clutch pulled in. The rear brake was smoking hot and you could smell the brake. Now the dealer stated there was no sign of overheated brakes. Perhaps I should have just kept riding it until the rear wheel caught on fire. Maybe then they could have been able to tell that there was a rear brake drag problem. Fortunately they replaced the SMC and so far so good. 2 days of commuting and no brake issues.