Cabernet

Some good short cuts there. I never managed to get the PAWL arm off with the cam gears in place. Must be a knack to it.

Mine failed in 5th gear on a ride out with mates in the English Yorkshire Dales. My mates never realised until we arrived at the cafe. We had brunch and then I found the most direct route out the Dales on to the motorway network and cruised home. Gear linkage off Starter motor off Rear suspension res' moved out the way. Side of the gearbox off. Realise you should have drained the oil. Clear up the oil. Clean the mating surfaces. Retrieve all the broken spring. Disassemble the cam mechanism on the side plate, and re-assemble with the replacement spring, setting the two gear cams so that the dimples are at 3 and 9 o'clock (closest to each other). The mechanism is now in neutral. Using the spline shaft rachet into the gear the gear box is in, 5th in my case. Put some instant gasket goo thinly on the mating surfaces. Ease the side plate back on being sure the changing forks line up. Nip up. Moving the rear wheel back and forth gently, prove the gearbox function from 1st to 6th and leave in neutral. Add fresh oil. Replace suspension res', gear linkage and starter motor. Run up and ease through the gears on tick over. Test ride checking smoothness and oil leaks. 2 hours I'd say.

Where, exactly, did you put the spring? (a picture would be nice if it's convenient for you) This is nothing at all fancy. I just cobbled it together with what I had on hand. Google's new, annoying system make it hard to embed images but a pic of it is here.. This solved my brake heating problems. I hope it helps. johnk That is neat.

I have experience it on both my rear wheels. I have changed our the bearing spacer and bearings on both. Both rears have their own disc too. I believe I can therefore eliminate all the rotating parts.

Ok, why would a seal that id remote from the "action" fail and recover in the ways described?

Yes.Now whether water has got in the system or the fluid is simply over heating, I hope fresh racing brake fluid will improve things. I'll keep you posted.

I take brake fade to be when the disc and pads get so hot that they can no long absorb and disperse the heat energy created. This gives the feel of a solid system and as if an ever increasing amount of oil is being pumped on the pads as the braking power fads away.I take brake boiling as when the heat transfers through the pads and pistons to the fluid which turning gaseous preventing the fluid pressure building in the system to operate the pads.

Well it feels just like someone had opened a bleed nipple. Afterwards, it feels lime nothings happened. It happens more whilst touring spiritedly, than balls out going for it. Like I said earlier, I have change my style at track days and can bias the front for 20 mins in the hour. But on a sustained Sunday run is when it gives up, on tight twisty British B roads (Euro D) with elevation changes and not the smoothest of surfaces I favour an easier pace, lifting and coasting on over run, fettling the pace with the rear to sweep through bends rather than brake, point and shirt.

It does not fade, it falls off a cliff. One corner it is there and fine. The next the peddle goes straight to the stop. No noticeable back pressure or anything. Stop and the caliper is to hot to touch, the peddle to the stop with a little finger and but I wouldn't have said the disc was overly hot. The occasion "tink!", but not fully cracking away like some do. Wait 5 minutes or stop using the brake whilst on the move and it comes like it's never been away. My school boy physics deduces, "on the last application the fluid rises above the boiling temp of the fluid at atmospheric pressure, but as the fluid is under pressure the boiling point is elevated (like water in a pressure cooker) so the brake works fine for the duration of the braking. When the brake is realised, the drop in fluid pressure allows the fluid to vaporise. Then on the next brake application the vaporised gas can be compressed so the brake fails. Let the system and fluid cool and the vaporised fluid condenses back to a liquid and all works again. As I have experience this in the Alps and Black forest hills where the boiling point of water is lower, this would also explain the Breva experiencing the same problem less frequently, assuming brake fluid boil points are lower at altitude also. Having looked into it, I see three possible alternatives I/we can try whilst staying with the OE disc and caliper. Use a racing brake fluid. Most manufactures boast 300+C boiling points. I have ordered "EBC BF307+" today..Use a ceramic backed pad to insulate the piston from the pad heat. DP brakes offer these..Fabricate a heat sink. There may be room for a shims to be placed between the pad and the piston, the same shape at the pads that extends out of the caliper toward the wheel spindle. However these may vibrate and cause brake squeal and or pad rattle (knocking the pistons back into the calipers to far, require pump up to operate)..

Then why after thirty years and near 900,000 miles of motorcycling has it only shown up on a Guzzi and predominantly on a V11?

My experience is the same only mine came back in around 3 or 4 miles, so I am confident it's not a dragging or binding issue. So glad they did not put a linked system on this model. That would have made life "interesting"!

Thing is on other bikes I have carried pillions and luggage in a more upright pose. I have tended to favour the rear for a more balanced comfortable sweeping ride. Now I have this issue on V11 solo and luggageless. On the Breva, all occasions have been on long decent passes in the Alps and Black forest and the Breva was facing down some credible bikes at the time, so perhaps I can forgive it. However, I very underwhelmed by the V11 rear brake performance.

Believe them to be EBC standard.Certainly the Breva's are EBC. Going to upgrade the fluid to EBC BF307 and see how that goes.

Does anyone else often cook their rear fluid? As soon as I get a bit spirited I seem to be able boil the fluid. It first happened on a track day some years back. I modified my braking to use more front and problem resolved. But on the road in the countryside the balance offered by the rear is more critical. The fluid has been changed a few times. The pad back plates are dressed for free movement. The pistons are free moving. I also manage to do this on my Breva 750 too. Interestingly Guzzi is the only marque I have had the issue with, although always been heavy on rear pads. Myself an ex motorcycle courier and approaching 900,000 miles.

Well, I tried some new boots anyway.

Looks awesome.

Are you using tubes off the clip-ons or the OE tubes. I noticed the OE tubes are 22mm. Most aftermarket clip-ons are 7/8". A different of 0.2 mm

How have you got on?

Yes, at that moment it did

Stewgnu, Under top yoke clip-ons

Moto Fugazzi, They do come off. Changed my grips the other day and had to remove them. However my did go with a almighty crack, and I did wonder for a second.

Oo, good shout. Felt like a salmon jumping up a stream the number of bears out down there.

Sorry to miss you.

Now is that calling it ugly as in Count Dracular or great as in Spectacular? Hey, it works for me so who cares. And there is a thumbs up.