XTZ750 Front Brake
 

Hello there - not sure if this is truely the correct section however, I would appreciate your comments or redirection...

I have just bought a 1989 Yamaha XTZ750 Super Tenere and it has a terrible front brake - ie the lever comes back to the bars with relative ease!!! Although the brake scrubbs low speed off, it is virtually non existenet at higher speeds. I used to have a race bike so know a little about brakes and I know the XTZ's brake won't be anything like the race bike however they are meant to work, aren't they???

I have replaced all rubber seals (master cyclinder and capliers), bled a number of times, from the nipples and banjos, checked the hoses with clamps along their length and they seems fine.

Any ideas? or are they just rubbish!!! it almost feels as though the master cylinder hasn't got enough umph to power all 4 pots, as when I clamp one side after the spliter in the hose the lever works a lot better, and teh same on teh other side!!

Cheers,

Matt.

Bleeding brakes the easy way!!
 

My favourite method of bleeding brakes is to remove the master cyl from the handle bar and point the brake lever in the air at about 60 degrees. Make sure fluid still covers the 2 little holes in the bottom! Any air will flow up the brake line, banjo fitting, through the master cylinder body to the highest point which will be the ports (little holes in bottom of reservour). To help the process tap the lines, any tee pieces, master cylinder, with the plastic handle of a screwdriver. VERY SLOWLY SQUEEZE the brake lever so that the master cylinder piston moves a few millimeters ONLY. If there is any air in the system you will see bubbles comming out of the ports in the reservour. Just keep slowly squeezing the brake lever a few millimeters and releasing it. Let gravity do the work for you. Air bubbles will come out and fluid will go in. DO NOT FULL STROKE OR PUMP BRAKE LEVER, this will only airate the system. Easy as pie. regards,
Richard.

steel hoses?
 

I had an XTZ for ages. I bought it with goodridge hoses already fitted.
They were ok but 'stoppies' were out of the question!
I take it the disks and pads are clean? Getting even pad wear from each caliper?
Are the calipers the right ones? (compare with known good one). From memory I seem to remember that the rear caliper can be fitted, but the bleed hole is in the wrong position, so can't get all the air out.
si

I'll get my spanners out...
 

Cheers Gentlemen, I will give it a shot and let you know how I get on. Many thanks for the advice.

Cheers,

Matt.

I had one with goodrich hoses and the brakes were good for the size of the bike, it took me a LONG time to bleed the brakes properly, the advice given in a previous post is good. Persistence is the name of the game here.

almost sorted...
 

I had a conversation with one of the best Honda mechanics in the UK and I think I've sorted it - I'm giving it to him to fix!!! and he only wants a beer for it. However, I have given him free unlimited classified bike advertising on my site... He said the first thing he was going to do was fit steel braided hoses. Cheers for your help gents.:thumbup1:

me next please.........
 

[quote=Cheekster]I'm giving it to him to fix!!! and he only wants a beer for it. He said the first thing he was going to do was fit steel braided hoses. /quote]
sounds a good deal - these bikes are desperate for s/s hoses and then they're not bad, tho i believe you can fit the better master cylinder from the TDM.
Mick