[wittymonkey]

wow, thanks
W.

[The CyberPoet]

What else to know:

DOT 4 or 4+ brake fluids. My preferences are Castrol GT LMA 4+ or if you can't find it, Valvoline PowerSynth. Both are clear, making it very easy to see when it starts to get contaminated.

SpeedBleeders (about $15 a pair, one pair front, one pair rear for 98+ Kats) make the bleeding process painfree. Basically, they're bleeder valves with an one-way valve installed, so stuff comes out, but air can't be drawn back in.

Rotors get dirty, just like wheels. Cleaning them with spray brake cleaner (or even windex on a paper towel) every week or so will help keep your brakes at max. I make it part of my pre-ride checklist.

I like EBC brake pads. About $27 per side front, $24 rear, HH compound. You can get them through any local dealer, which will save you postage (pads are heavy -- so saving a few bucks here and there on pads doesn't make sense if the postage more than offsets it). I've heard good things about the ones SpecialK offers as well. KNOW THIS: EBC rears as well as most other non-OEM brands do not use the rear brake shim that ships on the 98+ Kats.

A big deal is replacing your caliper piston seals and cleaning your caliper pistons really well. Any dirt or dust build-up on their sides can result in the caliper coming out crooked or binding, robbing you of braking power or misapplying the power. Pad wear that is uneven front to back is a sign of this.

SS lines are the bomb. Look for teflon inners, steel sheathed. Teflon helps reduce water transition rates, steel does a better job of restraining hose expansion under pressure than stock nylon-reinforced rubber lines.

Good Luck!
=-= The CyberPoet

[wittymonkey]

Cleaning the callipers helped A LOT.

I received the adjustable brake lever from Black_peter and installed. Thanks a lot. However i can't turn the wheel to adjust it neither by hand nor with a huge pair of pliers. Am I missing anything ? It's on 4 now, and I think I want it on 1 , is it ?

I will also go buy a vacuum aspirator from Autozone to change the brake fluid... I opened the liquid reservoir and added a little bit and it wasn't looking 'ok'


Thanks for the help,

G.

[Black_peter]

Witty:
You need to move the lever to rotate the wheel.
I forget if you pull it to the bar or push it away..
I'll check mine when I get home..

[wittymonkey]

ohhhhhh thanks, i didn't do that
I'll check right now

[The CyberPoet]

Cleaning the callipers helped A LOT.

I received the adjustable brake lever from Black_peter and installed. Thanks a lot. However i can't turn the wheel to adjust it neither by hand nor with a huge pair of pliers. Am I missing anything ? It's on 4 now, and I think I want it on 1 , is it ?

Push forward on the lever, and then turn the wheel with the lever out from it's rest position.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[Black_peter]

What he said..
Sorry get delayed..

[wittymonkey]

Did it , worked perfectly
Now all I have left is to change the liquid... It's already really better.

Thanks !

G.

[Black_peter]

Whoo hoo...

The brakes on the Kat are not super..
But one also needs to un-do all the crappy service from the previous owners..

I'm very happy with mine now, but it took some work..

[md86]

Speedbleeders and changing the fluid . Noticable difference ! And with the Speedbleeders , it MAY take 10 minutes to flush the system . Probably less .

[Katana Nate]

I recently had to pull my wheel off to get my fender off to paint it. Since then the brakes havent felt the same. 2003 Kat 750, I figured maybe since the wheel was off somehow I got air in the system. So I bled the system several times, but it still feels kinda spongy. Especially after it has sat. Is it normal for the brakes to feel a little soft, but then harden up after squezzing the handle several times, ir is that an indication of air still in there? And if so, what can I do, Ive bled them just like the instructions say.

[The CyberPoet]

2003 Kat 750, I figured maybe since the wheel was off somehow I got air in the system. So I bled the system several times, but it still feels kinda spongy. Especially after it has sat. Is it normal for the brakes to feel a little soft, but then harden up after squezzing the handle several times, ir is that an indication of air still in there?

There are a number of different reasons this could happen, including a tiny nick in the lines, dirty caliper piston lips (not letting the caliper piston out evenly), contaminated brake fluid, or a failing master cylinder pump seal.

Normally, when you apply pressure at the control, that pressure is tranferred through the lines to the calipers, where a pair of pistons come out and press against the back of the brake pads. If it's spongy, either (A) the pressure isn't building up right when you squeeze (bad master cylinder pump seal -- suspect if you let the system sit dry for more than a day), or (B) the fluid is compressing humidity or air out of it (contaminated fluid), or (C) at least one piston isn't moving forward the way it should (dirty caliper piston edges holding it back).

The best solution is to do a full renovation -- disassemble the calipers and clean them, paying particular attention to the pistons' forward edges and sidewalls, replace the piston seals ($24 for both sides of the front), and the master cylinder pump piston & seal ($20?). Then refill and try it again.

Good Luck!
=-= The CyberPoet

[Katana Nate]

Thanks for the reply, the bike only has 2800 miles on it, the brakes have never sat dry. And the fluid is new. I think maybe they need to be bled again, they work excellent, just a little soft on the first squeeze. It may just be my imagination. Im going to rebleed again.

[The CyberPoet]

Tips for rebleeding:

do the left front caliper on the sidestand. This will let air travel at a slant through the splitter rail above the front fender. Do the right side on the centerstand.
I love speedbleeders. Worth every penny and then a bunch. Basically a bleeder valve with an one-way valve integrated into it -- air can't go in.
After bleeding the whole system, park the bike on the sidestand and leave a rubberband holding the brake lever down. This will let air rise up into the reservior overnight if you are using the OEM lines (some aftermarket lines are thin enough not to permit air to move readily within being forced under pressure).
the ultimate method when nothing else works is the Mighty-Vac or similar vacuum/pressure systems to bleed the system under pressure, but I've heard riders tell of ruining their master cylinder piston seal this way by pumping up from below (I've never used one as I've never had a bleed go bad; yes, it takes a lot of pumping to truly flush the system -- I think I did 50 or 60 pumps on each side).

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[Katana Nate]

Thanks, I will give that a try,,,,, much help