Rear Pedal to the floor

Joined
Jan 5, 2013
Messages
202
Location
Ipswich MA
Bike
1994 ST1100 ABS
STOC #
8852
I went to my bike today (its at my sister-in-law's garage), put the battery in, started it up and let it warm up. I put my helmet on and backed it out of her small garage. I put my foot on the rear brake pedal and it went to the floor... what a bummer. This bike it brand new to me so I am not 100% up to speed yet..... I have not really tinkered.

So... where should I start? Fill the rear resevoir and bleed the brakes?

Thanks
 
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
4,218
Age
49
Location
Grant, MN (aka Stillwater)
Bike
ST1100 & ST1300
STOC #
6145
I went to my bike today (its at my sister-in-law's garage), put the battery in, started it up and let it warm up. I put my helmet on and backed it out of her small garage. I put my foot on the rear brake pedal and it went to the floor... what a bummer. This bike it brand new to me so I am not 100% up to speed yet..... I have not really tinkered.

So... where should I start? Fill the rear resevoir and bleed the brakes?

Thanks
Is it an ABS?

If not it is super easy. No linked brakes. You have a brake reservoir, the brake master cylinder and a line to the caliper. Get some fluid and bleed it out. My 1993 is super easy to do because it is a non ABS. I haven't worked on an 1100 ABS but they have linked brakes so there are more lines going around the bike. The 1300 ABS and non ABS have linked brakes so they are all equally complex have bleed points all over the bike that have to be done in a certain order. The 1100 non-abs will just have the bleed points at the calipers.

Keep in mind that brake fluid will strip paint so take care to protect any paint but you will have to pull the side panel to do the work so it shouldn't be an issue. More a thing to keep in mind when doing the front brake and clutch.

Since it is new to you it wouldn't hurt to do the front brakes and clutch as well so you know where you are at. Just pick up a bigger bottle of fluid.
 
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STranger

Jay Knight
Joined
Sep 24, 2008
Messages
863
Location
Mariposa,Ca
Bike
99 ST1100
STOC #
8033
Bummer that's where I'd start. The master is just above the pedal behind the panel....caliper easy to see. I would check the windows on the clutch and front brake reservoir and do them too while your at it
 
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IpswichST
Joined
Jan 5, 2013
Messages
202
Location
Ipswich MA
Bike
1994 ST1100 ABS
STOC #
8852
Bike has ABS and TCS. I have the manual and will start by looking at the rear reservoir behind the panel. I have a speed bleeder so I will fill up the reservoir and suck it out bleeding the system.

I had the bike sitting on thick plastic that I pulled up around it to deter mice from climbing in over the winter. When I backed the bike away there wasnt any brake fluid on the plastic at all. I will read the ABS bleeding procedure and study up. Of course... any tips are welcomed!!!
 
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
4,218
Age
49
Location
Grant, MN (aka Stillwater)
Bike
ST1100 & ST1300
STOC #
6145
Bike has ABS and TCS. I have the manual and will start by looking at the rear reservoir behind the panel. I have a speed bleeder so I will fill up the reservoir and suck it out bleeding the system.

I had the bike sitting on thick plastic that I pulled up around it to deter mice from climbing in over the winter. When I backed the bike away there wasnt any brake fluid on the plastic at all. I will read the ABS bleeding procedure and study up. Of course... any tips are welcomed!!!
Like I said I haven't done an ABS version but I can't imagine it is too bad.

Here is some reading for you..

http://home.insightbb.com/~mmartin36/Bleed.htm

Sounds like they didn't add linked brakes until 1996 so it may be as easy to do as my 1993 standard.
 
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IpswichST
Joined
Jan 5, 2013
Messages
202
Location
Ipswich MA
Bike
1994 ST1100 ABS
STOC #
8852
Looks like I am lucky in that my bike is a 1994... a few years before the "Linked" braking system. Ill pull that right side panel and check out the reservoir. Im wondering though... are my front and rear systems linked in some small way? What Ive seen is that I should start in the front and work my way back.

Thanks for the link to Mr. Martin's write-up. I have seen his pages... I should bookmark a shortcut to them for future use.
 
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
4,218
Age
49
Location
Grant, MN (aka Stillwater)
Bike
ST1100 & ST1300
STOC #
6145
Looks like I am lucky in that my bike is a 1994... a few years before the "Linked" braking system. Ill pull that right side panel and check out the reservoir. Im wondering though... are my front and rear systems linked in some small way? What Ive seen is that I should start in the front and work my way back.

Thanks for the link to Mr. Martin's write-up. I have seen his pages... I should bookmark a shortcut to them for future use.
According to Martin's page, the older 1100s were not linked. You are right that if you have linked brakes you need to do them in a certain order. It is easy to tell when you look at the caliper. How many brake lines and bleed points does it have. If there are linked brakes just trace the lines. Might be easier to see in looking at the front brakes than the rear. On my 93 there is one break line from the master cylinder to the front fender where it has a T so it splits the pressure to route it to the two calipers. With ABS you are going to have more plumbing but you may or may not have any more bleed points. The 1300 for instance has the same bleed points ABS or not.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
 
Joined
Jan 22, 2013
Messages
62
Location
England
Bike
ST1100 2000
Just done my st1100 ABS,TCS,DBS no real rpoblem using bikes own master cylinders. Not sure about using suction with all those valves. ian
 
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IpswichST
Joined
Jan 5, 2013
Messages
202
Location
Ipswich MA
Bike
1994 ST1100 ABS
STOC #
8852
Here's an update... I popped open the rear reservoir and and it had fluid. I expected to see a less than full reservoir but it was full. So I bled the rear brake caliper and I got a rear brake pedal back. BUT... My ABS light. Didn't go out as a went for a ride. It blinked the whole time. Ill pull codes tomorrow.

ALSO... There was a green wire not connected next to the ABS unit... Has it been disconnected?
 
Joined
Jan 22, 2013
Messages
62
Location
England
Bike
ST1100 2000
Here's an update... I popped open the rear reservoir and and it had fluid. I expected to see a less than full reservoir but it was full. So I bled the rear brake caliper and I got a rear brake pedal back. BUT... My ABS light. Didn't go out as a went for a ride. It blinked the whole time. Ill pull codes tomorrow.

ALSO... There was a green wire not connected next to the ABS unit... Has it been disconnected?
Check you have not over filled reservoir, ABS sender unit on hub is plugged in low on right hand side.Ian
 
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IpswichST
Joined
Jan 5, 2013
Messages
202
Location
Ipswich MA
Bike
1994 ST1100 ABS
STOC #
8852
ABS sender unit on hub is plugged in low on right hand side
Damn.. unfortunately my bike is too far away to just run over and take a pic to show you what Im talking about.

I did pull the codes and am getting a 1 blink code. Im gonna do my best to troubleshoot.

ABS Symptom Chart.jpg
 
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IpswichST
Joined
Jan 5, 2013
Messages
202
Location
Ipswich MA
Bike
1994 ST1100 ABS
STOC #
8852
Ahhh.. Mr. Heath. I have read many of your posts regarding the ABS system (or was it one long string?). In any event Im glad you chimed in. I will look at fuses today and see if any are popped. I will also bleed out some brake fluid and make sure the level is proper.

Maybe a stupid question but Ill ask... the bike is a 1994 with ABS/TCS. Front brake reservoir was fine and the front brake works well. My original problem was that the foot pedal went to the floor. The system is not linked. Can I assume that the front calipers are fine and in the bleeding process all I needed to do is bleed the rear caliper? I did just that and didnt crack open the front. Figured "if it aint broke"

(I'd pushed the pistons back) ABS modulator couldn't / didn't 'cycle'
are you saying that you physically pushed the pistons back by hand? that maybe they had extended too far? And if so, how do you "push them back"? pushing back a piston can be done without dismantling anything?

Thanks!
 
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
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Age
49
Location
Grant, MN (aka Stillwater)
Bike
ST1100 & ST1300
STOC #
6145
Ahhh.. Mr. Heath. I have read many of your posts regarding the ABS system (or was it one long string?). In any event Im glad you chimed in. I will look at fuses today and see if any are popped. I will also bleed out some brake fluid and make sure the level is proper.

Maybe a stupid question but Ill ask... the bike is a 1994 with ABS/TCS. Front brake reservoir was fine and the front brake works well. My original problem was that the foot pedal went to the floor. The system is not linked. Can I assume that the front calipers are fine and in the bleeding process all I needed to do is bleed the rear caliper? I did just that and didnt crack open the front. Figured "if it aint broke"


are you saying that you physically pushed the pistons back by hand? that maybe they had extended too far? And if so, how do you "push them back"? pushing back a piston can be done without dismantling anything?

Thanks!
Without linked brakes you don't have to mess with the front. They are completely isolated. That said here are a couple reasons to mess with the front.

1. Brake fluid goes bad when exposed to humidity. So if that brake fluid is 2 years or more old you should change it. I think you said this is a new bike. This way you know where you are at with the fluid and how old it is. If you buy fluid and have some left over, I wouldn't use it next year to do the fronts. Again once exposed to humidity it starts to soak it up.

2. You already have all the stuff to do the brakes out and it is handy.

As far as pushing the pistons back. You might be able to do so without taking anything apart by putting a C-Clamp around the caliper. However, I would pull the caliper. I always take a small brush dipped in brake fluid to clean the pistons before pushing them back. It helps lube them as well as clean any debris that may be in there which can damage the seals when the pistons are pushed back.
 
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IpswichST
Joined
Jan 5, 2013
Messages
202
Location
Ipswich MA
Bike
1994 ST1100 ABS
STOC #
8852
oh.. so his comment about "pushing the piston" is the piston in the caliper? I thought he was referring to a piston in the ABS module or brake master cylinder. I now have a rear brake. Bleeding the rear brake fixed that. Im now trying to diagnose the ABS fault and eliminate the light on the dash. I think Ill clean all around my sensors.. I have read that sometimes they just don't read properly due to debris. Maybe too simple but it cant hurt.
 
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
4,218
Age
49
Location
Grant, MN (aka Stillwater)
Bike
ST1100 & ST1300
STOC #
6145
oh.. so his comment about "pushing the piston" is the piston in the caliper? I thought he was referring to a piston in the ABS module or brake master cylinder. I now have a rear brake. Bleeding the rear brake fixed that. Im now trying to diagnose the ABS fault and eliminate the light on the dash. I think Ill clean all around my sensors.. I have read that sometimes they just don't read properly due to debris. Maybe too simple but it cant hurt.
Oh, maybe he was. I don't know what the ABS looks like on an 1100 as I mentioned before. I have seen them I really haven't ever worked on one. Well not the brakes anyhow. While I know my way around an 1100, I just have lots of empty space on mine where the ABS modulators and other bits go. Maybe he was talking about that and if so I will take back what I mentioned. On the 1300 the ABS modulator is totally sealed and self contained. There isn't anything like a piston or such to access. The only pistons we have are the ones in the calipers so I assumed that is what he was talking about.
 
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Jan 8, 2011
Messages
7,062
Location
Arizona
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2007 Honda ST1300A
A Wide Flat Sneaker Shoe Lace works great for wrapping around the pistons and using a sawing motion to clean them, as does pipe cleaners. Just put a little clean brake fluid on them and have at it. Pipe cleaners can also be used to insert the tip into the bleeder nipple when finished, to soak up residual fluid left behind that can work its way out and get on your plastic or paint. .02
 
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IpswichST
Joined
Jan 5, 2013
Messages
202
Location
Ipswich MA
Bike
1994 ST1100 ABS
STOC #
8852
Here are pics of my ABS. What is that green wire and where should it be attached? I can't imaging it should be hanging there
 

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