Its too much! My style of riding sometimes involves the rear brake, holding the bike for hill starts an traffic lights etc. My foot is nearly vertical before im getting any form of bite on the rear brake. Now Ive seen somewhere discussion around a brake cylinder mod under warranty. From You the learned, is my problem just incorrect adjustment or does it sound like a warranty mod?
awaiting the 'proper' informed but I always read with interest - I know there was at least one mod involving the back brake on a 1200 to increase overall efficiency.
It is indeed a mod - get to your dealer who should fit a new, redesigned rear brake cylinder under warranty
There are new brake lines also, it's not a 10 minute job as the front and rear brakes are linked, fix was issued last year but when I took mine in for service they didn't have the kit in stock, on back order I end up bleeding the rear brake every 1000 miles or so.
eeesh! just as an aside, I assume the vehicle records database will tell me if it has already been modded?
Just take it in to your dealer and get the new stuff fitted ,Dont bother fucukin around with adjustments, and make sure they bleed the new one after you have a good rideout
There was loads of discussion about this on the old Ducatisti forum. The plain fact is, the rear brake on the MTS 1200 is at best pretty marginal and at worst absolute rubbish. On early ones, dealers will replace the master cylinder and hoses free of charge with a revised version but only if you complain - no automatic recall. Even then the ABS system (under the seat) is very hard to bleed fully, and exhaust heat is prone to make it go soft again quite soon so it needs bleeding again. Once bikes have to start going for MOTs (next year?), it may be hard to get the rear brakes to pass. Weak point of the model, I'm afraid.
I use a tip from the Ducatisti forum - I hang a dumbbell weight off the lever with a zip tie, when parked up in garage. Works for a few hundred miles then goes long again. On this trip I'm up to 3700 miles and I think I left the back brake back in Germany a couple of weeks ago! Also changed the OE pads which helped a bit?
I had a lot of trouble with mine initially but once the latest rear cylinder was fitted it's been fine for the last 6-8k miles - still firm with about 1 inch of travel
Is there any way of identifying if the mod has been done with out going to the dealer and when were new bikes supplied with the mod?
just to add my twopence in...had the brakes mod done about a year back and this year (about 8-9 mths) later it was useless again - lots of travel etc...so as you guys I was optimistic at first now I am of the opinion that it needs the mod plus a bleed every so often. anwyay had the 15k service and it was bled and back to rock-hard (but still hardly any actual breaking). doesnt really bother me I guess until the bike will need a mot one day... bugs
What mechanism is being promoted here ? What replacement pads did you use, I may have contaminated mine with some chain lube as they are definitely not what they used to be and I had to clean off some gunge from the caliper.
Yes EBC sintered "race"(?) pads. Re: the hanging weight - not sure what is happening, but maybe the air gets squeezed up the system? It definately works, but doesn't last unfortunately.
No not race pads - my rear used to have to be bled all the time - since the last cylinder fit it hasn't had to be done once and that was ages ago - very happy with it now
The angle of the reservoir is changed as part of the mod this info was in the bulletin you would have to do a comparison with another bike, as the lines are also changed there may be an identifier on them.
What you describe is exactly how mine was this time last week. I took it back and they did the recall work on it and now it's pretty good (ie. better than my Fazer's).
Nobody seems to have answered PhartycrOc's original question which concerned the rear brake lever travel. I have the same issue and I can't for the life of me see how I can adjust it. Even though the owner's manual describes what to do, it doesn't make sense to me as it only adjusts the point at which the lever returns and like PhartycrOc's Experience I find my foot forced far too low to activate the pathetic rear brake. Mine is a 3 month old model which just goes to show that 3 years after its launch, Ducati still haven't sorted the problem with the rear brake. Help!
What actually happens is the brake piston "creeps" through the piston seal and sits closer to the pad but after miles of expansion due to braking it settles back to where it was , you can do it with your front brake also .....cable tie the brake lever to the bar and leave it for a day ,it will be really firm when you take the tie off but again it will settle back . The rear brake is very poor i think it has a few design flaws really , piston size ratio for one and which brainbox come up with the idea to put the bleed nipple at the bottom of the caliper ??? its not rocket science that the air will go to the highest point ....frekkin Italian designers ............ Its like what J Clarkson said about some Ferrari " It doesnt matter when you switch the wipers on they foul your face , aslong as it looks good "
