New rider - rear brakes rubbing all of a sudden?

Drennan57

Drennan57

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Hey guys. So I took my bike out for a quick scoot around the block for the first time yesterday and when I got back and put it in the stand the rear wheel is not spinning freely like it was before. There is a slight hiss and the tire comes to a stop after spinning it much faster then before. Oh and I laid the bike in its side in the garage taking it off the stand, frame sliders saved it from damage but now I think something happened to the alignment idn. I'm a complete noob to streetbikes as this is my first ever.

Is it normal for the brakes to go from free spinning to rubbing all of a sudden? What do I do?:confused:
 
Drennan57 said:
Hey guys. So I took my bike out for a quick scoot around the block for the first time yesterday and when I got back and put it in the stand the rear wheel is not spinning freely like it was before. There is a slight hiss and the tire comes to a stop after spinning it much faster then before. Oh and I laid the bike in its side in the garage taking it off the stand, frame sliders saved it from damage but now I think something happened to the alignment idn. I'm a complete noob to streetbikes as this is my first ever.

Is it normal for the brakes to go from free spinning to rubbing all of a sudden? What do I do?:confused:
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Sounds normal. Might be your imagination.

If in doubt, take it to a shop or look up how to adjust your rear wheel.
 
Which side did it fall on? If it was the right side perhaps the rear brake lever is bent?
 
Dirty piston maybe. If applicable, remove the cover to expose the brake pad area then shoot some brake cleaner with the pedal depressed, then pump the brakes. That might be enough to clear the slight rub.
 
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Matt Rain said:
Dirty piston maybe.
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This.

That hissing sound is one (or both) of the brake pistons in the rear caliper rubbing against the disc. There's most likely a dirt and brake dust build up around the piston that's stopping it from going all the way back into the caliper piston cavity.

Google "how to clean motorcycle brake calipers". There's a bunch of videos from a guy in the UK, goes by the name Delboy. There's one that addresses your issue specific issue, but on the front wheel.
 
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What kind of bike is it? make / model / year / kms. picture of the caliper?
 
I'm gonna have to pick some brake cleaner up. Just got the bike a couple days ago so I have to learn as I go. Didn't want to wrench on it so soon tho :/. It is a 2002 CBR F4i if that matters. Just concerned because it wasn't like that when I bought it so I wanted to ask you guys.
 

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Wrenching on em is part of the fun. Keeps you busy during the colder months. ;)
 
This is true but I rather wrenching by choice is not the same as fixing lol. I met a YouTube vlogger a couple weeks back while riding around and he's gonna come over this weekend to help me with it. So that's really cool. I did get brake cleaner but I have a feeling when it fell over the alignment got knocked out a bit. I only rode it around the block so I can't imagine it got dirty from that.

Learning
 
Some drag is normal on all disc brakes. They basically run zero clearance between the pad & rotor, with only the piston seals, a bit of rotor runout and wheel bearing slop to push the pistons back into the caliper a smidge. If you suspect the drag is abnormal, try this: ride the bike around the block a few times without touching the rear brake (use only the front). When you get back to your place, check the temperature on the rear rotor. If it's cool there's no problem.
 
Blackfin said:
If you suspect the drag is abnormal, try this: ride the bike around the block a few times without touching the rear brake (use only the front). When you get back to your place, check the temperature on the rear rotor. If it's cool there's no problem.
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Do this, although I'd suggest going at least a kilometer or two at moderate speed. It should be basically cold still for all intents and purposes. If it's not, it's dragging.
 
Good idea. I know its rubbing for sure but I'm gonna have to pull it apart and spray it anyways, fact that is wasn't and now it is bothers me. Thanks for all the help guys. Thumbs up!
 
Drennan57 said:
This is true but I rather wrenching by choice is not the same as fixing lol.
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Technically this is normal maintenance not fixing ;). I doubt the bike falling over from stationary in your garage would have messed the alignment of rear wheel. Bikes are not like cars where you just turn the key and go with an oil change every once in a while. They require regular/frequent maintenance to keep them in good order.

Either way, sounds like it shouldn't be much work if it just needs a good cleaning.
 
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You have to be careful what you lube. If you get oil on the pads, they will be useless and need to be replaced.

Did your bike fall on the right side?

If your answer is yes. I would be willing to bet that the brake pedal has been bent to the point of putting brake on all the time.

Check to see if the rear brake light functions properly by turning the kill switch off, turn on the key. Look at the rear light, then step on the rear brake and see if it gets brighter.
 
So I took the bike out again today and the friction is gone :/ it spins freely again. I don't know what to think but I feel better just knowing it's not a serious issue. Hope it doesn't happen again.
 
Prolly just a bit of dirt on the piston and/or piston seal. Keep checking your rotor after riding, any significant rubbing will create a lot of heat. I wouldn't worry about it otherwise.
 
Drennan57 said:
So I took the bike out again today and the friction is gone :/ it spins freely again. I don't know what to think but I feel better just knowing it's not a serious issue. Hope it doesn't happen again.
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Sounds like a classic sticky caliper to me. Next time you're out if you do a hard brake application don't be surprised if it does it again.
 
You can get brake lubricant. Take the pads off, lube all the moving parts and any areas that the pads slide on as well as pins and whatnot, put some of the lube on the BACK of the pads (not the friction surface), reinstall the pads/put everything back together. Should keep things moving freely, prevent rust, and will also reduce brake noise (if you have any). I was getting some bad brake squeal from my rear brake when applied gently but after lubing everything up they are silent.

When I had a 2001 Jetta TDI I was getting brake noise all the time from one wheel. The part of the caliper that the pad slides on had rusted to the point that the pad wasn't disengaging because the only spot with no rust was a tiny area around the edge of the pad. The caliper piston would pull back a bit but the pad would actually start to disconnect from the piston (there were little spring loaded clips that held the pad to the piston that would just let go because there was so much force holding the pad). Took the pads off, used a file to remove the rust, and it went back to working like new. Had I known about this brake lube at the time I would've applied some of that to prevent it from happening again. Could be something like that is going on.
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