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Thread: Front brake pulsing

  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    Mar 2009
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    OK, frustration is mounting. I bought an '06 Uly last month and have put on 1,000 miles commuting. The brakes were superb at first but recently I've noticed a pulsing that rises/falls with speed. Heck, the thing even grabs when slowing to a stoplight! Feels like it's grabbing one 'sticky' spot on each revolution.

    At speed the pulsing is not violent, just annoying and bad enough to fix asap. I do ride in the rain. In fact, the pulsing may have developed since then... I'm a bit fuzzy on the start date. I know the last owner stored the beast outside in winter (his wife let that one slip )

    In the last week I have:
    1st - checked tire pressure / fitment
    2nd - checked brake fluid level
    3rd - cleaned off rotor w/brake parts cleaner
    4th - loosened rotor fasteners enough to release tension. Then re-torqued in proper criss-cross manner
    5th - removed pads, scuffed them with emory paper, brake cleaner-ed everything then lubed the brass slider/retainer pin in the center before re-assembling all with loctite blue (that was tonight). Interestingly, the brass guide pin had 2 wear marks on it where the pads rest, looked normal. Pads have plenty of life in them and replacing them wouldn't fix it anyway.

    (thanks for the to-do list from another post LeFox )

    Can anyone advise? Is rain riding not allowed on XBs? Could improper storage have jacked the brakes up?

  2. #2
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
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    5,146
    I wonder if the Rotor is warped. Have you had it off and checked it? When you walk your bike, do you hear it rubbing on a single spot or all the way around the disc?

  3. #3
    Senior Member
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    Jun 2007
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    3,958
    were brake-pads changed? which brand/type?
    how thick is your disc?

    it is quite possible your disc is deformed...

  4. #4
    Senior Member xtremelow's Avatar
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    May 2007
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    6,243
    Sounds like a perfect time to upgrade to wave rotors.

  5. #5
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
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    Coasted the bike down a hill 3 times today and the front brake rubs on one spot. Thickness is 4+not quite 5mm.
    Haven't changed the brake pads, they're stock, I assume.

    Apparently, the rotor is warped. Should that be happening at only 3,800 miles and 3 years on the bike? It's possible that it was warped when I bought it and it just took me this long to notice. How does a rotor become warped? I noticed some of you mentioned storage or riding in rain as a cause of brake problems in other threads (yes, I did search before posting :)) If I go replace this thing, I want to make sure I don't warp it again.

    All I can think of that I've done is riding through the rain or practicing high-speed braking. I sometimes practicing braking in a corner at speed (50-65 mph) just to keep my skills sharp. Most I've done it is 3 times in like 2 miles. Shouldn't the brakes handle this ok?

    On replacing, is there an aftermarket rotor that is more warp-proof? I'm not a sport-hooligan rider so I'd rather not pay for ultra-hyper race brakes. But I will pay for longer lasting ones. Suggestions?

    Also, should I replace pads at the same time? Current pads have plenty of life.

    Wow, that 's a lot of questions. Thanks for the education all! :D

  6. #6
    Junior Member
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    Mar 2009
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    PS, what do you think of this thread on bad weather bikers:
    http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buel...tml?1207127492

    or this article on "warped" rotors:
    http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp...akedisk.shtml#

    Could it be a pad problem?

  7. #7
    Senior Member
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    Jun 2007
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    3,958
    normally a brake rotor/disc will get warped when it's overheating.

    this could be cause by pads, hard braking and fast cooling, a manufacturing error in the disc/rotor, etc.

    how one manages to warp one and another doesn't is a mistery to me.
    my girlfriend manages to do this all the time with both her bike & her car, replace the discs and she starts over.

    if you change, i would go for wave rotors for several reasons:
    - better cooling = better performance
    - looks
    - price (cheaper than stock)

  8. #8
    you need a new roter i had the same thing i wunder if we can reserfis it



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