Front wheel brake drag...again

[tcall52]

I have read several posts here regarding front brake drag. Well, I just put new tires/brakes on my 07 abs ST1300, and the front wheel SEEMS to be dragging a bit. I know there is a certain degree of drag that's normal with disc brakes. I pulled the pads and thoroughly cleaned the pistons. While I was at it, I also reset the axle bolt and fork pinch bolts using the revised procedure (2008 and later).

With a vigorous spin, I can get the front wheel to turn about 1 complete revolution. The rear wheel turns a little more freely. Yesterday I rode about 100 miles (1 mile for every degree of temp down here!). I checked the disc temps after about a couple of miles w/o using the brakes. They were fairly hot. I continued on, and they never seemed to get a lot hotter. There's no discoloration or anything else to indicate extreme high temperatures.

As admittedly vague and subjective as this information is , can anyone shed any light on whether or not I have a problem? I'm preparing for a trip to Yellowstone and Glacier NPs and don't want to have an ailing bike before I even get out of town.

Is it just me, or is this a recurring issue with STs? It appears that this be an issue with the rear brake as well. I've had lots of other bikes and replaced many brake pads and have never heard of this happening. Of course, that may well be due to my ignorance....

 

[roginoz]

If the axle is properly torqued, you must have the front wheel spacers on the proper sides; the wheel won't turn if you have them on the wrong sides. Are the pads seated into the slot inside the calipers at the rear? How about the caliper pins? Honda says to replace them each time, I believe, but some people just clean them up really well. I've started keeping a set in stock, as the old ones don't always clean up so well. These might be worth checking.

 

[dduelin]

Next time try spinning the wheel with the old pads before you remove them so you will have something to judge the drag of new pads against. 1 1/2 turn with a healthy push from my foot is just about normal for my ST1300 front wheel.