Clever Ways To Tell If Your Linked Brakes Are Working Properly

Joined
Feb 29, 2016
Messages
195
Location
New York
The first is put the bike on the centerstand with the transmission in neutral and see if the wheel spins freely. This probably ought to be done before every ride just like checking the tire pressure and first thing in the morning while on trips.

The second is to get one of those $25 infrared temperature gauges from Harbor Freight and monitor the temp of the calipers. Get an idea of the rear caliper temperature under normal use and when riding on the freeway with little or no use of the brakes. Any serious rise in caliper temperature :eek: is cause for further investigation.
 

BakerBoy

It's all small stuff.
Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Messages
5,454
Location
Golden, Colorado
STOC #
1408
Another way: Away from the distraction of other vehicles, come to a stop and hold the brake levers until all bike, body, and suspension movement settles. Then release the brake levers and feel the suspension reposition itself. If the SMC is working properly, the bike suspension will subtly reposition itself as you release the levers.
 
Last edited:

ST Gui

240Robert
Site Supporter
Joined
Sep 12, 2011
Messages
9,263
Location
SF-Oakland CA
Bike
ST1300, 2010
Do the $25 HF IR gauges have an On/Off switch? I got a $10 gauge from Amazon that doesn't have a hardware switch. It just goes into a 'standby' mode that kills it's 9V battery in a week or two.

The compartment is too small to disconnect the battery and leave it inside. It's just enough of an inconvenience to remove/replace the battery that I'd consider a higher-end cheapie.
 

ST Gui

240Robert
Site Supporter
Joined
Sep 12, 2011
Messages
9,263
Location
SF-Oakland CA
Bike
ST1300, 2010
Check this out.... Thermoworks
Thanks for the link. HF has three at $28. They aren't the cool yellow like mine or the Thermoworks but the latter is $49 and that's more high-end than I need.

I'll check out the HF thermometers. For the amount of use I'll get they should be fine.
 

EASt

Streuselkuchen
Joined
Feb 19, 2006
Messages
2,060
Location
Minnesota
Bike
S1000XR
Another way: Away from the distraction of other vehicles, come to a stop and hold the brake levers until all bike, body, and suspension movement settles. Then release the brake levers and feel the suspension reposition itself. If the SMC is working properly, the bike suspension will subtly reposition itself as you release the levers.
Always with the elegant solution.

For me, I chased a brake problem on my ST for almost 7 years. I always suspected the LBS had a gremlin somewhere:

When breaking - particularly in slow traffic - one of the pistons on the rear caliper would hold, hold, hold... clunk. I removed and cleaned the caliper twice in those years, and never figured it out. It bugged me.

So, by either of the test methods... mine failed! :rolleyes:
 
OP
OP
Joined
Feb 29, 2016
Messages
195
Location
New York
Thanks for the link. HF has three at $28. They aren't the cool yellow like mine or the Thermoworks but the latter is $49 and that's more high-end than I need.

I'll check out the HF thermometers. For the amount of use I'll get they should be fine.
Sign up for thier coupons delivered by mail to your house. Or put their online couponds on your iphone and show it to the checkout person. 25% off 9/4/17.

My HF thermometer is not sold anymore and its over five years old and is used so much its on its second set of batteries.
 

ST Gui

240Robert
Site Supporter
Joined
Sep 12, 2011
Messages
9,263
Location
SF-Oakland CA
Bike
ST1300, 2010
Sign up for thier coupons delivered by mail to your house. Or put their online couponds on your iphone and show it to the checkout person. 25% off 9/4/17.
Thanks for the pro tip. I've gone through three batteries in five months.
 
Top Bottom