Brake failure
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Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,518
Likes: 59
From: Port Neches Texas
Brake failure
While riding the Needles during my recent trip to Sturgis I had a major failure with my rear brakes. After making the 5 mph switchback, right hand turn uphill, I was preparing for the next curve. A 20 mph left curve In the decent from the peak of the previous 5 mph switchback. I applied my rear brake to reduce speed to enter the turn. The peddle went all the way down with no response from the brake. After a butt load of down shifting and a small amount of front brake I maneuvered the curve. I rode about another 2 miles of decent in first gear while riding the front brake. I caught up with my group at the end of the single lane tunnel where there was an area to pull off the road. My buddy said my brakes may have glazed over, I disagreed as that would not have changed the range of brake peddle. That also eliminated no brake pads. I removed the cover of the Reservoir and the level was full. I replaced the cover and pumped the brake peddle and my brakes returned. I can only assume that I had an air bubble in the system. The elevation is over 5,000 feet coming from my Texas home at basically sea level. I am thinking that maybe the change in altitude could have made the bubble larger, like the bends when diving. Has anyone ever experienced or heard of anything similar? I contacted my local dealer and they have never heard of what happened. I am going to use a vacuum pump and replace the brake fluid. Looking for the cause as the pucker factor was an 11 on the scale of 1-10.
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Joined: Apr 2008
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I suspect you may have boiled your brake fluid in the caliper. If so yes, you had all kinds of bubbles for a while. The silicone fluids have a higher boiling point. I have heard of the boiling fluid but never had it happen
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Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,518
Likes: 59
From: Port Neches Texas
Thanks for that I will definitely look into, as it can't hurt.
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Road Warrior
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From: Port Neches Texas
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Joined: Jan 2008
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If you were a bit heavy footed on the brakes prior to the failure I am betting that the fluid got over heated and caused the pedal to go down. I have done just that before and once the fluid cooled down all was good again. However I would change that fluid the 1st chance you get.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,518
Likes: 59
From: Port Neches Texas
Checked the line, no visible fluid leaking, and the brakes went back to normal after I checked the fluid level and pumped the peddle.