Front brake dragging after new pads fitted on CBR1000RRA

Hi all -

Got a 2012 CBR1000 RRA and have driven it for 12000 km (7500 miles ). The dealer just fitted new front brake pads, and the front brake is now dragging and causing the discs to heat up even if I do not touch the brakes at all. Not very hot, but they do get heated up, and the front wheel will only turn 1/4 - 1/2 a turn when lifted up and I try to spin it by hand.The dealer says he has cleaned and greased the pistons properly, but the problem remains. The dealer says that it is not uncommon to hear people complaining about dragging front brakes when riding CBR1000RR´s on race tracks, and that I probably just have to live with it.
I just don´t get this - I am not a mechanic, but I certainly know the basics, and I cannot find any other explanation that when new pads are fitted, the pistons are pushed further back into the caliper than they were before, and the pressure in the system must go up, as there is now less space to hold the same amount of brake fluid. For some reason, the pistons won´t go far enough in to avoid touching the brake discs.

Any thoughts from anyone in here? Do I really need to have a full caliper rebuild done on a bike that has done only 12K kilometers (and none of them on salty roads)?

Thanks,

Anders,
Copenhagen/DK

 

The pressure in the system should remain constant independent of pad wear, the level in the reservoir just changes.
Has the wheel been off too? If not set properly it may be misaligned.
Maybe the dealer was lazy and did not clean the pistons well (or at all) and when the new pads were fitted push the crud into the seals causing additional friction.

You shouldn't need to rebuild but personally I'd have the calipers off for an inspection and good scrub!

 

Check the level of the brake fluid, it sounds like it may be a little high causing the bind.

 

Thanks for the tip - would I need to make a full bleed of the whole ABS system then?

 

Thanks for the tip.

 

Only if you remove the calipers from the hydraulics, I'd just start unbolting them, remove pads for an bit for inspection.
If the dealer has done a good job the pistons should all extract on pressing the lever and be able to be pushed in using just finger pressure.
Be careful not to push the pistons out too far as they will fall out!! Also keep an eye out on the reservoir level, pushing in the pistons will make it rise and potentially overflow.

 

I would start with the easiest options, I bet its to do with the wheel. I had something similar and simply removed the wheel checked the spacers where in the right sides, made sure I tightened to the the correct torque and order and miraculously the binding was gone.
Sometimes the dealers do it there way rather than the right way, I hope this is your problem too.

 

Thanks for that tip - I will certainly try it.

/A.

 

Having left the blade 7 months over the winter period without it ever turning a wheel, i too was experiencing heavy brake drag on the front wheel.

I manged to cure this by taking the front wheel off the bike. Removed the calipers from the fork legs, removed pads, and gave the pistons a right good clean. Make sure you pump the pistons out a bit when cleaning. You'll know they are clean and moving freely when you can push the pistons back in with your hand relatively easily.

Also be sure to check the pad pins for any lipping, make sure they are smooth and the pads are able to slide easily. Put everything back together and tighten to torque, don't forget to regrease the front axle too.

Pump the brake lever until the pads contact the disc and your issue should be gone...

 

Hi and thanks for the tips. I cleaned the pistons carefully, and the problem is almost gone now. If I ride for 15 minutes without touching
the brakes, the front discs still warm up a little bit, but it can just barely be felt, and I can easily put my fingers on the disks and keep them there
without being burned. Maybe I just need to wait for the new pads to settle a bit more? Also, I will try to remove the wheel and reinstall it after torquing the bolts correctly; I am not sure all dealers take the time to use a torque wrench...

 

Its also worth realigning the front wheel by undoing the pinch bolts on the bottom of the fork leg and holding the brake on and pumping the suspension up and down a few times, then retightening !

 

What a great forum this is

 

Not the axle nut?

 

No mate, axel stays where it is ! Look on youtube and I'm sure they'll be a little video. Easy job but does make a difference !

 

Guess what I will be doing tonight in the garage

 

Here is a full realignment job mate !

 

Thanks again. Working with the wheel changed nothing unfortunately, but it was worth a try.