Brake rotor noise question?

[parks5855]

Hey guys, I just bought this valk (it's my second one), and I'm getting a lot of noise from my front brakes.  I asked the Honda dealer about it and he said that it was normal on the Valkyrie.  The sound I'm getting is a shhhhhh shhhhh shhhhhh sound, which is normal on all bikes to some degree, but ususally not a this volume.  Normally I would think warped rotor but I'm getting no pulsing feedback through the brake lever or foot pedal (the valk does have linked brakes like the wing doesn't it?), and stops are very smooth and linear.  My bike has a modded stock exhaust which has been drilled out and is fairly loud yet you can still hear the brakes over the engine except at 1/2 throttle or greater.  It's been several years since I owned my previous valk so I don't remember how loud it's brakes were, but I've been riding for over 30 years on a lot of different bikes and don't remember any being this loud.  I was going to change front pads and go to softer organic pads to try to quiet the brakes (I know the organics won't work as good when cold or wet, but I never ride in the rain anyway).  Two other things I've noticed is that I can drag the brakes lightly for 10 seconds or so and then when released they quiet down, and when going around a corner it seems to make the shhhhh shhhhh shhhhhh sound slightly louder....would this be an indicator of bad front wheel bearings?  And is this brake sound indeed "normal" on a valk?  TIA for the info guys.     Brian

[X Ring]

Hi Brian.  Welcome to the VRCC.  I'm not an expert on brakes by no means but check to see if you've got stock pads.  If not, try a set.  May solve your problem.  In addition, the front and rear brakes systems are not linked.  They are seperate.

Marty

[Michvalk]

Your bike may have aftermarket brake pads and/or rotors making that sound. I had to replace one rotor on the front and used an EBC rotor with Honda pads. Works good, but, makes more noise than stock. The rotors are also a floating design and can cause misc. noises and clunks. Try bleeding the brakes and new pads if necessary. Sounds like your calipers are not retracting all the way, and bleeding will help. Also a small possibility that you have a caliper that is dragging and may have to be cleaned or rebuilt. Did the bike sit much before you bought it? Maybe it just needs to be ridden more!

[Michvalk]

Oh, but the way, it is possible to have a bad wheel bearing making that sound. Won't hurt to check

[sandy]

First: The Valk does NOT have linked brakes. Fronts and rears are separate. The SHHH sound might be a warped rotor, but could be due to an improper front wheel installation. There's a procedure in "Shoptalk" to help you work through the sequence to tighten all the front wheel bolts correctly. This can be done on the ground. You don't need a lift to do this. Maybe the dealer put a new tire on before he sold the bike or rebuilt the forks.

[parks5855]

Hey guys, thanks for the info.  Glad to hear the brakes aren't linked.  I've ovned several wings but I never much liked that system.  I'll check out shop talk for proper front wheel install.....dealer did indeed put on a new front tire just before I bought it...so this may just be the answer.  Appreciate the tip!     Thanks, Brian

[Farther]

When I went from Hondaline pads to EBC pads my front brake started a ZZZ sound rather than the Shhhh sound.  If it really bothers you then go to stock pads.  I will be the next pad change.

[Robert]

I would check further to see what is the problem I agree shouldn't be that loud

[Tropic traveler]

Kim's Valk has had the "crickets" sound from the front brakes since we got it at 13,000 miles. The rotors are OE but I'm sure due to the lack of "cricket" sound from the brakes on my Valk {w/OE pads} I figured her pads are not. Recently the "cricket' sound became MUCH more pronounced & the bike was hard to push around. I bled the brakes {which it needed badly, dirty fluid} & it got slightly better. Not satisfied I disassembled the LH front caliper & found nasty gummed up pistons with a bunch of crud around the seals. Simply cleaned the pistons with 2000 grit sandpaper & carefully cleaned the seal area of the caliper with my fingernail. Cleaned & sanded down the pads then reassembled & bled it out... no more problems & the "crickets" were much quieter too. Obviously the LH caliper was not releasing fully.
As far as the "warped rotor sound" my '97 has done that since I got it nearly 40,000 miles ago. It has been my experience that OE Honda pads are by far the quietest on OE rotors. I have had OE Honda, EBC, & SBS pads of the front of my Valk. All stopped equally well.
Keep on lookin' you'll find the cause.