Front brake moaning noise?

[dmoon64]

Hi Guy's,

 

2003 V11 Lemans. Haven't ridden in about a month. Went to ride to work this morning and heard an odd noise.

 

Heard kind of a moaning sound coming from the front brakes. It is an intermittent noise. It sounds to me like the rotor is wavy but there is no confirming pulsations coming through the front brake lever. I figured it was just rust or a coating on the rotor from not riding it, but it didn't stop. Could hear it at low speeds, but faster it either goes away or I just can't hear it. I got back home and I could hear it as I pushed the bike around the garage.

 

So any thoughts? I searched for moaning brae noise but nothing came back.

 

Thanks,

 

Darryl

[Guest ratchethack]

Darryl, when was the last time your brakes were serviced, including a thorough cleaning of the calipers and brushing out of all the usual caked-on brake dust that accumulates next to the seals, in the circular "slot" betwen the pistons and calipers? If this hasn't been done lately, it'd be my first inclination. Without proper occasional cleaning, the pistons will fail to fully retract, causing the pads to drag on the disks. Think of the groan as a protest against overdue maintenance.

 

If you remove the calipers and pads (leave the brake lines intact!), you can dunk the calipers in your favorite solvent for a soak and a scrub with toothbrushes. With a block of wood or something of appropriate size stuck between the pistons to keep them from over-extending (you don't want that! ), carefully extend the pistons with a little brake lever pressure to expose the seals, making the brushing out with solvent much more effective.

 

Many rear P32B Brembo rear brakes on V11's (including mine) have exhibited the infamous "backup groan". Since they're mounted in the infamous "frontbottom" position (with repeat apologies to Mr. Roper for pinching his term ), the rear brake tends to load up with more brake dust in combination with flotsam and jetsam from the road than the fronts, but I reckon without proper cleaning, the same principle's at work in the fronts. My rear brake hasn't backup-groaned since the first time I cleaned it out as described, and I do this to both fronts and rear with every brake pad change. The fronts have never uttered a peep.

 

Proper bleeding of the brakes with NEW brake fluid (not the left-over old water-laden crap from the 2-year-old can in the back of your garage!) will also decrease the tendency of the pads to drag and is good insurance against all manner of brake problems.

 

BTW -- Brembo's on V11's use stainless rotors, so rust isn't a consideration.

 

Hope this helps.

[Baldini]

Sticking piston?

 

Rotor getting warm when not braking?

 

Check/Clean calipers, check seals, change fluid?

 

Check rotors true.

 

KB

[dmoon64]

Thanks guys,

 

Got them all cleaned out and no more noise. Even got the wife involved when I couldn't get the pin out of the rear caliper. Since my hands were pretty mucked up she did the search for getting it out. Bill Hagan's pics helped a lot.

 

Thanks,

 

Darryl

[Bill Hagan]

Thanks guys,

 

Got them all cleaned out and no more noise. Even got the wife involved when I couldn't get the pin out of the rear caliper. Since my hands were pretty mucked up she did the search for getting it out. Bill Hagan's pics helped a lot.

 

Thanks,

 

Darryl

 

Wow! I'm framing that.

 

On a sadder note, I sold my Ballabio last month to Bill Watson, who, on the bright side, seems to love it as much as I did ... damn his eyes.

 

Seriously, as painful as it was to sell that sweet machine--a fact driven by lack of space--seeing it go to someone who appreciates it as much as I do (did ... sigh) made it (almost) OK.

 

I sometimes wonder if, as does Peter Eagan with once-sold motorcycles, I'll call Bill W. up some day and try to buy it back!

 

Regards from Norgeland,

 

Bill