In bandits we trust

[Riderz]

Okay so I've made the decision to keep my bandit. If anyone could aid to resolve my braking problem I will love you forever lol


So I was riding through a flood around 5mph. When I was clear
Of the flood I hit the throttle got into 3rd gear accelerating up
To 50 then boom front end locked up thank god it was wet causing a low side .

The front brakes seized for no reason so the shop supposedly
Rebuilt my front calipers and said they are now working fine.
Even though the brake light was still on and the brake doesn't feel right. So I have now unplugged my brake switch so only my rear brake light works and I never ever use the front brake.

It's like there is no play in the front brake the lever is solid. It's either 0% or 100% with minimal application from me. Every ride I feel the discs and they are cold so the brakes are not binding when I'm not using them. I miss the days of having a progressive brake that I am confident in using.

I have since changed to a new master cylinder NO luck.
I may try and change levers to see if it helps.

Any suggestions? New discs new calipers anything at all so I can get back to enjoying riding my bike? As it's really shitty now I can't use my front brake as I'm scared of round 2 and I'm scared to ride at high speeds.
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|CURRENT RIDE:MK1 GSF600N| PAST BIKES:Varadero 125/RS125 x2./XT400/KLR650/CBR 500R/. A2 LICENSE SUCKS

[Monkeywrenche...]

with the brake light staying on it sounds like the brake is not releasing fully (at the lever). do you have aftermarket levers fitted?

Examine the lever/pivot etc very carefully see if it's sticking for some reason.
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2001 Aprilia RSV Mille R -dead, 2016 XSR 700-gone, 2018 Dorsoduro 900

[Riderz]

[andyscooter]

pull the lever in and press the switch at the back does it work properly

could be a fucked switch

they work the opposite way to the car ones so they light up when there is no pressure

bit like the door light on a car

then strip the caliper and rebuild or get someone to help (sure someone off here local can help) new lines depending on age of yours fresh fluid and if it comes to it a new disc

should put your mind at ease

consider new levers as well if you want
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[Riderz]

[Beehive Bedlam]

[Bozzy]

I'd definitely start with fitting a set of OE levers to it. I saw a post on here where some fella had incorrectly fitted a set of aftermarkets which caused the front brake to be slightly on. Once he'd ridden a bit the brake fluid got too hot and forced the pad hard against the disk causing the front wheel to lock.
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2004 SV650S >>> 2009 Street Triple R

[Riderz]

You guys are right! I'll start with this and then I will buy new calipers worst case scenario...

I might even do it up a little
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|CURRENT RIDE:MK1 GSF600N| PAST BIKES:Varadero 125/RS125 x2./XT400/KLR650/CBR 500R/. A2 LICENSE SUCKS

[Kaya75]

don't buy new lever - your switch just need pushing back a half millimetre.

replace your old rubber lines too -

read my last reply to your which bike thread

edit: if you got hand guards on it these can push against lever and cause heating issues above

Also I they are floating callipers - so a quick polish of the slider pins can resolve sticking.

if got cash and keeping consider braided lines - reverse bleed with baking syringe and tubing on nibble - bleeding down from cylinders is near impossible
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ybr125 Sold, GSF600 K1 Bandit (For Sale), FJR13000 gen2.

[Evil Hans]

If only there was a 'workshop' forum where you could ask questions like this
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Triumph Sprint ST 1050. And it's Red.

[Riderz]

[Rogerborg]

[Kaya75]

cool - but the switch is fine, its the placement of the switch and the pushrod, seriously I had a switch on order, when my mate turned up, grabbed a screw driver and pushed the switch back a tad, sorted.

You should be able to hear the switch click on and off when you pull the lever and release, push the lever out so brake light id off, pull lever and release if there is no click when you release the lever, the switch is too far forward (not the push rod - that I presumed was the switch)

There is about 1.5mm of travel on my lever before it hits the switch "click". The thing is the lever is sloppy so doesn't flick out. I'm not saying replace the switch just adjust it back a little by turning it on the pivot - it's only a little plastic push switch that sits behind the push rod- its the push rod that you can see from the top of the bars, have a look underneath the bars. You should see the lever, then the pushrod that engages the little black plastic push switch.

If the pushrod spring is slightly tired you could replace the levers and even the switch and it won't make a difference as the rod won't disengage the switch..

I hate this about the bandit - its dangerous has the brake light stays on so effectively cars behind me don't know I'm braking has I generally ride with lights on regardless day/night. I check the switch weekly and adjust switch if needed.

anyway I'll stop banging on about it now

nice one for deciding to keep the bandit!

some links to issues I had:

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=310475&highlight=

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=311113&highlight=

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=310475&highlight=

Also Delboy's Garage on youtube - Delboy has some good video's working on bandits.

this is a pic of fucked nylon brake lines - (pads and calipers are simple the real engineering is in the lines - it should be a nice smooth hole - here they are knackered - will be cause of most brakes sticking)

https://www.amphicar.net/minnow/tech/Brake_plug1.jpg
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ybr125 Sold, GSF600 K1 Bandit (For Sale), FJR13000 gen2.

[Holdawayt]

Where abouts are you based?

I'm in the West Midlands and will gladly come and have a look for you, I quite enjoy working on brakes.

Tom.

[Riderz]

[Riderz]

We changed just the master cylinder as I trusted the garage rebuilt the calipers properly however I really believe they didn't. Took it back they said it's cos the bike has braided lines. I think something they done wrong. The brakes like I said are either 0% or 100% and also the lever refuses to return like a normal lever would no matter what I do it doesn't make a difference. Last 2 options are change levers but I'm sure this won't work.... or buy new calipers (after spending 200+ on getting my current ones rebuilt)
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|CURRENT RIDE:MK1 GSF600N| PAST BIKES:Varadero 125/RS125 x2./XT400/KLR650/CBR 500R/. A2 LICENSE SUCKS

[Kaya75]

mad, are they actually 100% on, like locking up instantly? it can take a while for the pads to bed in, which can make them behave a bit erratic for the first 50+ miles.

I hate to say this, but 200+ quid is a lot of dollar for a rebuild - you could get a recon set for about 120..

The only thing I can think of is lines or the slider pins on the front callipers - but if the pins where not sliding, the disc should be getting warm - sounds like lines not flowing back, which would give you the effect of pumping the levers, meaning you would only have progressive increase with no decrease... stupid bikes!

good luck anyhows
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ybr125 Sold, GSF600 K1 Bandit (For Sale), FJR13000 gen2.

[Holdawayt]

It's a really strange one, but if the garage are blaming binding brakes on braided lines it's time to change your garage and assume they fucked up the caliper rebuild.

Without being there in person it's difficult to diagnose, but I really wouldn't be riding the bike with only a rear brake. It should be easy to pin point the issue if I had the bike in front of me.

[Riderz]

[tom_e]

It's pretty easy to diagnose if it's the pistons at fault, take caliper off, pump brake lever.
If the pistons start to come out of the caliper body at roughly the same rate and you can then push them back in without having to mallet them then they're moving enough to not be the source of your issue.

[Riderz]

[Evil Hans]

How old are the brake hoses?

It's not *totally* unheard of for the pipe linings to break down and act as a one-way-valve. This can happen with ordinary rubber hoses too, though.

I had it happen on a car once (classic mini) ... brake on one side would snatch and stay on. Traced it to a duff braided hose on the 4-pot converter.
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Triumph Sprint ST 1050. And it's Red.

[Riderz]

Update! THE WHEEL WONT SPIN FREELY.

I just pulled the bike over and it will hardly spin at all I think this is the brakes binding on yet again!
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|CURRENT RIDE:MK1 GSF600N| PAST BIKES:Varadero 125/RS125 x2./XT400/KLR650/CBR 500R/. A2 LICENSE SUCKS

[tom_e]

Discs hot to the touch?

This really could be as simple as the lever as others have said, if it's just a couple of mm out then it will be applying small but constant pressure causing everything to heat up and in the end lock up.