Wondering if anyone else has had issues like these. 2011 MTS1200 ABS...non S-model. About 6500 miles on the clock. Front brake has a bit of grabbiness to it when braking to a stop under ~20 mph. Not only does the braking fluctuate, but a definite resonance, or groan, can be both heard and felt at the lever. I'm quite accustomed to a squeak or squeal on my other bikes, and that doesn't bother me. This is different. It sounds like an injured walrus. Brakes are freshly bled and calipers properly aligned. Pads are original factory Brembo HH. Slide pins and pads disassembled and cleaned to no avail. Based on what I hear and feel, I'd expect to see visual cues on the rotor or pads: discoloration on the rotor and/or glazing on the pads. None of that. Visually, there is no indication of an issue. Next step was to push the pistons out a bit and clean any gunk out. Hopefully there isn't a stuck piston... Looking for your experiences, thoughts, or suggestions. I'm not new to motorcycling, wrenching, or troubleshooting. But this one is new for me and wondering if it's been encountered before.
My 2010 did it from 3 months old until I sold it this July at 29k miles. Had race pads fitted at about 5k but never got rid of that groaning sound, just as you pull to a stop. I just got used to it, unfortunately.
90% certain your semi floating bobbins are seized. Fit a 5mm cap head screw through the bobbin, plain nut on the back and whizz with an Allen key in a battery drill whilst spraying with brake cleaner. Repeat 20 times (both discs) and dry off with a rag. Should see an improvement. Andy
Oh jeez, didn't realize this was common! I was thinking about the buttons (bobbins). I'll give that a try and see what's up. I can deal with a sound, but not the grabbiness. Between the low RPM fueling, gearing, my wonky clutch (separate thread), and the brake, traffic is a nightmare. Much of this is fixable, but I NEED to do it, lol.
I just rode the bike around the block without ear plugs. Good Lord...had no idea how loud the groan was, lol! Maybe I can't live that, either...
I had to rotate my disc bobbins on my GTR weekly and it braked perfect, on my Ducati I rotate them once a week using a small nut and bolt through the hole, no grabbing or anything from my bike.
I’ve just fit brand new rotors and pads. Wow. Braking is now epic. Got the MOT done yesterday and still managed to get a brake fluctuation advisory despite not having any issues or feeling at the lever
Different bike now, but yes. My 2010 has the brake groan but only after I’d put about 10,000 miles on it. The latest brake disc change was purely down to my idiotic episode of leaving my disc lock on and going for a full on racing start
I have same year and bike but I can say the best money bar none I spend on it was cjs racing mapping the fuel. Can't help you re brakes issue but I upgraded the rotors to Brembo serie oro and calipers to m4's early on so it's never been issue but I cannot express the difference the mapping made . If I had any money the mapping makes me smile every day. Sorry it's. It really on topic
Well, I definitely was not planning on upgrading the brakes beyond pads on this bike. But, it's a good thing that we are dealers for Brembo and galfer.. going to try cleaning the buttons tonight or this weekend, but we have a set of wave rotors and pads coming in next week if that doesn't work. Upgrading calipers and master cylinders is something I'll consider down the road, as well. Although not a well-known brand name, the monoblock calipers and Nissin radial master cylinder on the R1 puts this Brembo system to shame. That's the kind of feel and feedback I'm looking for. Something to handle a few track days a year while feeling great on the street.
Calipers should be fine after a good clean and lube; my Hypermotard is dreadful once it gets a bit of dirt into the calipers as it feels like the disks are warped! I once had an MOT advisory on fluctuating front brakes and the tester said "your brakes are warped" and I said "nah, the calipers just need cleaning". He laughed and bet me the retest fee that it wouldn't pass so I took the challenge, cleaned the calipers and it sailed through! I would try new pads first after cleaning everything. I'm not a fan of the Brembo original pads and always go for CL pads in mine as they feel much better. There's nothing wrong with Brembo kit - calipers, pads, discs - and if you think they're rubbish you should try riding a "normal" UJM fresh out of the packet!! Keeping everything clean is really important to making sure everything works and works well.
