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Brakes

Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 8:05 pm
by Branyers14
The brakes on the Forza are fantastic. Very smooth and effective. But I saw someone post something about how the pads wear out quickly. Is this an isolated incident?

Re: Brakes

Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2015 4:32 pm
by Mister Paul
Branyers14 wrote:The brakes on the Forza are fantastic. Very smooth and effective. But I saw someone post something about how the pads wear out quickly. Is this an isolated incident?
Some have apparently having problems with the rear caliper sticking and the pads subsequently wearing too quickly. Mine is fine.

Re: Brakes

Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 8:03 am
by phantom309
sometimes it's down to smaller wheels an the dirt they spray around in the bad / wet weather ...gets in the calipers. an old problem with scooters...

Re: Brakes

Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 8:47 pm
by j.d.b.
When I check the bike over (oil, etc.), I usually check wheel-to-bike integrity and turning them freely. You could just check every so often when you're doing other functional checks. Can't hurt.

Re: Brakes

Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 1:14 am
by glencoeman
The problem with the rear brake caliper on the Forza is that you cannot even check the wear on the brake pads without taking off the silencer (muffler). As it is, maintenance of the rear brake caliper is often neglected.

Re: Brakes

Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 11:18 am
by gn2
According to the manual you're supposed to be able to check the pad wear from underneath, but I simply cannot figure out how to see it well enough to accurately assess the wear.
As mentioned keep turning the wheel by hand to check for sticky caliper and keep an eye on the left lever fluid level.
If it gets low its because the pads have worn or the fluid is leaking.
No fluid leaks = the pads are worn.

Caliper sticks because here in the UK roads are salted for three months or more every year.
Recently many road maintenance departments have been using a molasses and salt mix which sticks on like glue.
And the sugary salty spray gets in absolutely everywhere.
The caliper parts are made of different metals and set each other off on a corrosion war.

Re: Brakes

Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 1:46 pm
by Branyers14
gn2 wrote:According to the manual you're supposed to be able to check the pad wear from underneath, but I simply cannot figure out how to see it well enough to accurately assess the wear.
As mentioned keep turning the wheel by hand to check for sticky caliper and keep an eye on the left lever fluid level.
If it gets low its because the pads have worn or the fluid is leaking.
No fluid leaks = the pads are worn.

Caliper sticks because here in the UK roads are salted for three months or more every year.
Recently many road maintenance departments have been using a molasses and salt mix which sticks on like glue.
And the sugary salty spray gets in absolutely everywhere.
The caliper parts are made of different metals and set each other off on a corrosion war.
That sounds like a nightmare. As one who likes to keep his vehicles well maintained, I do not believe I would fare well there.

Re: Brakes

Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 3:48 pm
by j.d.b.
Is it possible to see the "rear-underneath" with a good light and a mirror on a stick?

Re: Brakes

Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 5:01 pm
by gn2
I couldn't.