For some time now I've been finding the bike a little difficult to push around and last week after a ride it became apparent that it was because the front brakes were binding. No problem, I thought, just need to get some brake cleaner on the pistons and free them up ...... How wrong could I have been !
I dropped the front wheel out thinking I could do the job with the calipers in situ - not a chance. One of the pistons on each caliper was seized solid so the only remedy was to remove the calipers and get them on the workbench.
I managed to get two of the pistons out really easily, the third took an application of WD40 and 10 mins of twisting and pulling, but the last one ........ 3 good applications of WD 40, 30 minutes of soaking time in total and 45 minutes of twisting, pulling & tugging with a pair of mole grips ( thick cloth in the jaws of the grips so as not to damage the piston ) finally saw the piston loose. The body of the piston was very scored, hence the problem I guess. Needless to say, the dust seal was completely knackered so I've taken the precaution of ordering a couple of Caliper Seal Repair Kits and I'm going to overhaul the calipers completely. All 4 pistons are now nice and smooth after polishing them, for what seemed like an age, using very fine wet & dry paper and finishing with chrome polish. I have replaced the calipers on the bike and bled the system then took it for a 10 minute test ride. The brakes are working fine so looks like the oil seals are not badly damaged, if at all, but I'd rather still replace the seals, then I know it's done and I won't have a problem moving forward. We ( some friends and I ) have just planned a trip to France next year so the bike needs to be OK for that.
The frustrating thing about this is that, when I bought the bike in July last year, the dealer from whom I bought it fitted new brake pads to the front as part of the pre delivery "service". I mentioned after the initial test ride that I thought the brakes were binding. When I collected it a week later, the mechanic said they were sticking and that he'd freed them up and all would be good with them. Guess he just freed then enough to get them working although, having said that, I've put a couple of thousand miles on since then with no real issues. They gave me a 3 month warranty with the bike which has expired now obviously but next time I visit the dealer, I am going to mention the problem.I don't think I'll get anything from that ( apart from a little sympathy, if I'm lucky ) but at least they'll know that I'm no mug and that I am fairly savvy about bikes and the workings of them in case I use them again.
Are sticking brakes an issue with the ST1100 ? The bike I have has spent much of its recent life stood in a garage, maybe having 400 miles per year put on it. This, in itself, is never going to be good for a bike and may be the underlying cause for the above .... Can anyone clarify that for me please ?
I dropped the front wheel out thinking I could do the job with the calipers in situ - not a chance. One of the pistons on each caliper was seized solid so the only remedy was to remove the calipers and get them on the workbench.
I managed to get two of the pistons out really easily, the third took an application of WD40 and 10 mins of twisting and pulling, but the last one ........ 3 good applications of WD 40, 30 minutes of soaking time in total and 45 minutes of twisting, pulling & tugging with a pair of mole grips ( thick cloth in the jaws of the grips so as not to damage the piston ) finally saw the piston loose. The body of the piston was very scored, hence the problem I guess. Needless to say, the dust seal was completely knackered so I've taken the precaution of ordering a couple of Caliper Seal Repair Kits and I'm going to overhaul the calipers completely. All 4 pistons are now nice and smooth after polishing them, for what seemed like an age, using very fine wet & dry paper and finishing with chrome polish. I have replaced the calipers on the bike and bled the system then took it for a 10 minute test ride. The brakes are working fine so looks like the oil seals are not badly damaged, if at all, but I'd rather still replace the seals, then I know it's done and I won't have a problem moving forward. We ( some friends and I ) have just planned a trip to France next year so the bike needs to be OK for that.
The frustrating thing about this is that, when I bought the bike in July last year, the dealer from whom I bought it fitted new brake pads to the front as part of the pre delivery "service". I mentioned after the initial test ride that I thought the brakes were binding. When I collected it a week later, the mechanic said they were sticking and that he'd freed them up and all would be good with them. Guess he just freed then enough to get them working although, having said that, I've put a couple of thousand miles on since then with no real issues. They gave me a 3 month warranty with the bike which has expired now obviously but next time I visit the dealer, I am going to mention the problem.I don't think I'll get anything from that ( apart from a little sympathy, if I'm lucky ) but at least they'll know that I'm no mug and that I am fairly savvy about bikes and the workings of them in case I use them again.
Are sticking brakes an issue with the ST1100 ? The bike I have has spent much of its recent life stood in a garage, maybe having 400 miles per year put on it. This, in itself, is never going to be good for a bike and may be the underlying cause for the above .... Can anyone clarify that for me please ?