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Tenere front brakes locked :( need advice on troubleshooting

Zephyr

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Zephyr, Texas
I had a flat last Tuesday. Called a wrecker for a tow to my house. He was familiar with hauling bikes and seemed to get it strapped down well hanging off the hook. One rope went between the forks and tank. The other around the rear wheel. Thursday I fix the flat and go on ride. Two miles from my home I try to use the front brakes. Front brake goes to handle!! No front brake. Squeeze it hard several time and it grabs. Come to a complete stop. Then I can't move forward. Front brake is completely locked. I walk home and get a 8mm wrench and bleed some fluid the front calipers. They release and I ride home using the rear brake only. I flush the brakes for the first time today. Front brakes are locked again.

Front brakes worked fine until the tow. I really appreciate any thoughts on why this happened. and how to fix it.
 
Do you have a Y on the front triple clamps that splits your brake line to each front caliper? If so did he bend one with a tie down?
 
Flat on the front or flat on the rear? If on the front, did you get the brake pads re-seated in the caliper properly during the R&R?

"locked" as in the caliper pistons don't release or the rotor is bent and becoming wedged between the caliper halves?

How did you free it up after the short ride?

I bet it's a rotor out of align or a caliper bracket bent.
 
I bet it's a rotor out of align or a caliper bracket bent.

That should be real easy to check. Just get the wheel off the ground and spin it while looking at the rotor edge on.
 
"Do you have a Y on the front triple clamps that splits your brake line to each front caliper? If so did he bend one with a tie down?"

The bike is on it's side stand in the grass. So, it's hard to see exactly how the brake lines are routed under the triple tree. There is a bracket that has been disturbed, probably by the rope. I'll unbolt it and look closer.

"locked" as in the caliper pistons don't release or the rotor is bent and becoming wedged between the caliper halves?
I bet it's a rotor"

Seems like the caliper pistons don't release.
I thought about a bent rotor also. Hard to tell right now. Getting it on the center stand is a struggle. I'm feeling a little puny, 72 this year.

The wheel turn easily when I let a little fluid out of the bleed valves. Makes me wonder if the master cylinder return port is clogged.

Thanks for your suggestions.
 
I'll go with pinched line also as you can squeeze fluid through but hard for it to return through damaged line.
 
I like the pinched line cause! That means I'll have to take the crash bars, fairings, and tank off to find out but it will be done. Thanks for your help.
 
Sounds like a pinched metal line. There is no y line there is a line from one caliper over to the other. My best gues looking at my Tenere is looking from in front of the bike find the horn. Just below and to the right is the junction of the flex line to the metal line that goes to the antilock. If he ran the strap between the forks that line would be vulnerable.
 
Tim, I'll do it tomorrow. Thanks! My Tenere is a good bike and I'd like to get it rideable again. I'd rather fix at home than tow it to Abilene.
 
I love my Tenere. Sold the 2012 and bought a 2017 with Cruze and heated grips.
I took a couple pictures of where I’d bet the issue is.
 

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Make sure your calipers are still 'floating'. I had a caliper sticking on the pins it floats on once. Brake lever would go to the bar before it would work. front wheel was dragging. When I lubed up the pins, it worked perfect. Took me an entire weekend to figure that one out.
 
Tim, that's the part that looks like it has been bent or moved. I have the shop manual CD. I'll see if I can find a blowup of that part of the brake lines. If a steel line has been flattened, it'll have to be replaced.

Flipit, I'm focusing on reasons the tow could have caused the problem. But greasing the caliper pins is worth doing just for general maintenance.

SAB, when I was 67, I didn't really feel that old. Anyone under 70, enjoy your youth :)
 
...I'm focusing on reasons the tow could have caused the problem...

I was thinking he might have bashed a caliper in transit. Maybe bent on of those pins. Just another thing to check if you run out of ideas.
 
I don’t think you will have to remove the crash bars. Tank and plastics can be removed with them in place.
 
Where are you located? If you're close I'll stop by and we can repair it. I can handle the heat.
 
Tim, you are right. That's good because the crash bars are heavy and it's hard to line up the bolt holes.

WFO75080, I'm located in a pasture about three miles from Zephyr, Texas. Greenville is 223 miles Northwest of my parking spot. I appreciate the offer, but I'm hardly close by.
 
Since you're doing the work, replace the front lines with braided lines and get rid of the crossover.
 
Post edited out.
There was a guy working on the cross over elimination on adv rider. The kit will not have the metal line you will need.
I found a guy on e bay that has the full set of lines for it.
 

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Thanks for your research Tim. The ebay lines were a find. I'm fairly certain a crushed metal line is the problem. I emailed the vendor about how the lines will be shipped. I don't want them bent to fit in a smaller box.
 
Thanks for your research Tim. The ebay lines were a find. I'm fairly certain a crushed metal line is the problem. I emailed the vendor about how the lines will be shipped. I don't want them bent to fit in a smaller box.
I was amazed to find that on e bay but figured it might be weeks or longer to get that line from a dealer. I was looking for the kit to eliminate the cross over and came across it.
The nice thing about the cross over elimination is that you can raise the front fender up and eliminate the chance of it getting clogged with mud.
 
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