Brake question...

[Felix]

I have noticed in the last day or two that occasionally, when I stop the bike, like at lights or roundabout, I get a sort of a clunk or a knock from (I think ) the front brake, or at least the front end. Could be caliper, forks under compression, or something else entirely???

It doesn't happen all the time, and some hard stops couldn't recreate the problem. So it seems to be random, or I am doing something differently when I am deliberately thinking about it.

Any ideas what I should look for, or should I not worry too much?

[MadKaw]

Its fairly common to get this sort of noise, its usually just your pads grabbing on the brakes and moving in the calipers and/ or your pads are worn.
It also could be your disks are little loose in the carriers, which, again isn't a major problem as a bit loose gives the effect of floating disks.
The problem is, what may then occur is that the holes in the rotors start to elongate and the disks become too loose...
Grab you disks and see if they move against the carriers. There only riveted and of different material so there is always going to be an amount of movement especially when hot...
I took my disks to a local shop and had them put the rivets in a brake press to tighten them up..

I fixed up a mates bake the other day who had this problem, he thought his forks were stuffed...

[Felix]

Ok, had a look - couldn't find rivets (?) the disk bolt directly to the wheel. Absolutely no movement between disk and wheel - she'satight!! Hmm...I guess the pad/caliper thing could be it. Hear it all the time in the car, but actually feel it on a bike. Maybe??

I think I am just paranoid because when I came off a few months ago I fixed it myself. As far as I can tell everything is as it should be, will grab a torch and check pad wear.

I will report any findings...

Cheers.

[mrmina]

if ur forkseals are leaking, the forks could be bottoming out.

also check bolt torque around the front end

[MadKaw]

Its the carriers that bolts onto the wheel and the disk is riveted to the carrier...

[Felix]

Rivets? Carriers? Maybe on fancy-schmantz sports bikes, but not on the ER5. Looking at a photo of Quarkz newy, I can see what you mean, gold carrier fixed to the disk, and carrier bolted to wheel. I've just got a disk...

Checked pads, look ok to me. Forks don't appear to be leaking. Maybe nothing to worry about...??

The only things I've done recently, are to change the rear brake pedal height, and to fit new screen. Surely I couldn't have upset anything doing that.

When I did the fixing months ago, I set triple clamp torque as per specs in Haynes manual, and rechecked several times.

Everything seems nice and tight to me.

[MadKaw]

An ER5.... OK then, sorry about that....
Try bleeding the brakes to get the pads to have a little more pressure on the disk.. this may help..

[Felix]

Yeah, sorry, should have mentioned what it was to start with...but didn't

Had another look and wiggled lots of things about. Err, actually tried to wiggle lots of things about. The only thing with a bit of movement was the caliper itself which moved ever so slightly left to right. Probably enough to give me the sensation I felt. I think...

All the bolts seem tight though, so I don't know. Might just throw it at a bike shop for a service and see if they find anything. I prefer to trust brake bits with experts, but will have a go at just about anything else.

Hmm...would a braided line be worth the effort on this thing, or save the money for the next bike (likely to be ages away)??

[KLR]

Dont know if the ER5 has the same setup as my old ZX6R but I am with MadKaw, I had the exact same noise and was getting extremely pissed with it. So I took it down to my Kwaka dealer and told me straight away what it was.

He showed me and what it was, was the brake pads are only held in by one pin and when braking( i.e grabbing ) they move and cause that cracking type noise when they but up against the caliper, occasionally when coming to a stop.

This was later remedied in the 03 ZX6's etc but it seems just another common "querk" associated with that model of bike.

Now before I take a barrage of re-buttles(is that how you spell it) this is what I was told by a mechanic and was not deduced by myself who has absolutely no idea!!!

[Felix]

Thanks chaps.

It does sound like we are talking about roughly the same kind of noise, and if that's all it is, I'm happy.

It has all checked out ok, nothing loose that I can find, so I will just accept it as part of the ER-5 experience.

[Felix]

How embarrassment...

Some of the noise is the pads loose in the caliper, and the rest of it, the 'clunk' is the gearbox being put into first


As an aside, had a bit of a moment today. Found rear tyre to be under-inflated Not quite so squirmy now...

One of those things I'd been meaning to check, but didn't. Certainly will be from now on!