Front brake question

[old grouch]

1999 Tourer.  Not my machine.  Friend just bought it and rode it home from Florida to Missouri.    Front brake pads drag when bike has been sitting overnight, but release after a few miles of riding.  Release is sudden and noticeable.  Also occurred after washing it.  He rode through some heavy rain second day with no brake pad "grabbing".  Not a big deal in and of itself, but there is ZERO free travel in the brake lever, even after the pads free up.  According to the previous owner, (yes, we beleive him) clutch and brake fluid have been changed quite recently.  Any thoughts as to cause and possible remedies?  TIA.  Stan

[GOOSE]

old grouch.... jack the front of the bike up, and take the brake pads off (while you got them off go ahead and clean them-i use qd electronic cleaner just because it cleans good, and it dries quickly with no residue.), clean the calipers real good (again i use contac cleaner), and make sure you lubricate the pins (remember these are floating calipers) so that the the calipers can float like they are supposed to.  it sounds like there is alot of brake dust, and crud in there causing your trouble.  good luck.

[shortleg]

   Good advice there. remove pads lub pins and
clean clapers with brake clean.
   Sounds like the pistons are hanging up.
            Shortleg[Dave]

[Chrisj CMA]

If after cleaning there is still the "no free travel"  You may investigate whether improper brake fluid was added to the system, that can cause strange and dangerous problems

[Ricky-D]

Where you say:
"Release is sudden and noticeable."

That's pretty troubling!

The pads should have a little drag since there is no device to pull them away from the rotor when releasing the brake pressure, but what you say is sounding many times worse than what would be normal.

Has it been localized to one side or the other? Maybe it's both calipers!
It's means a lot to determine exactly what is going on and this question is pivotal.

Both calipers would indicate a problem with the M/C on the handlebars.

Is the whole system stock or has there been aftermarket changes to the brake system?

Since it is so close to the fluid change-over, the process sure becomes suspect, so you hopefully can wish for a simple solution.  The lever having no "play" ought to indicate "no air in the system" but it may also indicate the M/C is not releasing pressure when the lever is released. There are ports in the M/C that when clogged will affect this releasing action.

Answers will get more definitive resultant suggestions to help solve your dilemma.

***

[old grouch]

Ricky
Since the bike is in Missouri & I am not, I can't answer your questions.  My friend is not hooked up on the Board yet, but he is following this thread.  Hopefully we will get him hooked up tomorrow & he can respond.  Would have done it today, but 60* F at 10AM was just too much to pass up so I rode a couple hundred miles up into the hills and back.  This friendship stuff only goes just so far ya' know! 
Stan

[sugerbear]

if he's close maybe one of us Missourians could stop by and help......

[fatman]

I had this happen to me. I found the left hand brake was not releasing because there was corrosion around the pistons. I took them out cleaned around them and problem solved.

[Roadog]

What Fatman said..the problem is sticking pistons.  Remove them and clean with brake clean.  Remove the bleeder valve and use compressed air to push out the pistons.  Use a small piece of wood flat like a paint stir stick but 1/2 inch thick to stop the pistons once they do come out, and please keep your fingers out of the way..ask me how I know.

[Robert]

I had this happen to me. I found the left hand brake was not releasing because there was corrosion around the pistons. I took them out cleaned around them and problem solved.

The way the calipers are made there is a tight seal around the piston first then comes the regular seal for the brake fluid. I just did my rear caliper almost the same thing took out the piston cleaned them and the seals and where they sit put them back in and its as good as new. I usually get new seals which I recommend but they looked brand new and didn't want to wait. The other thing to check make sure they move freely on the slides they also get rusted.

[Brad]

If you take the pistons out to clean them make sure that you replace the square cut seals and the dust boots.  If you reuse the old ones you are asking for trouble later.  The square cut seals are the only thing that release the pad slightly from the rotor.