Front Brakes Not Engaging

bucky33

New Member
Joined
May 10, 2019
Messages
2
(2013 Super Tenere, 27K miles) Coming to you guys as a last resort. After I changed my front tire my front brakes haven't been engaging on the first pull of the lever. They work just like it should on the second quick pull however. I've bled my brakes at least thirty times and cycled the ABS pump at least twenty. Haven't seen any air bubbles while bleeding for the last five or so tries, but I also haven't ridden it further than around the parking lot. The front brakes also work fine while it is sitting while turned on or turned off; it is not until the wheels turn (even just a slow roll) and turned on, that I lose pressure in the system. No check engine or ABS lights popping up either. Any ideas/solutions? I'm really hoping I don't have to replace the ABS pump. Thanks!
 

vgazer

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Joined
Aug 16, 2018
Messages
55
Location
Western Washington
Not sure if this will help, but I warped my rotor while changing the tire. The warped rotor would push the piston in each time it rotated and would cause slack in the brake lever.


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bucky33

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May 10, 2019
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2
Oh my goodness, pretty sure that was it! Just spun my front wheel and it catches the pad at a point in a revolution. Learned my lesson like you, guess these bikes can't handle what I'm used to with dirt bikes. Thanks, vgazer!
 

WJBertrand

Ventura Highway
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Jun 20, 2015
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Ventura, CA
Yup, must have accidentally bent one or both of the disk rotors. You need to suspend the the wheel on a crate or tire changer in a way that prevents applying ANY pressure against the rotor or the rotor contacting the ground.


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Sierra1

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Nov 7, 2016
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Joshua TX
I wouldn't have thought that was even possible. I would have expected the rotor to crack before it bent. Is it possible to bend/press it flat again, or is replacement a must?
 

Don in Lodi

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Is it possible a couple of the floating pucks got knocked off center? I remove the down side rotor when I do a tire change.
 
B

ballisticexchris

Guest
I wouldn't have thought that was even possible. I would have expected the rotor to crack before it bent. Is it possible to bend/press it flat again, or is replacement a must?
I have bent rotors before. With a little patience you can bend them back with a crescent wrench.
 

Rookst9

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Dec 4, 2020
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Location
New York
Thanks so much for posting this issue as I too have the same issue. Although the bent disk was from a rock from riding the MABDR. Lost brakes during a section that required slow down hill braking navigating over lose rocks ranging in various sizes. I could hear the loud thud then a lose of front brakes. Didn't see the bent rotor until I saw this posting thanks a ton!

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Tenman

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Dec 7, 2013
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Natchez Ms USA
I've bent 2 on mx bikes over the years and seen a few others bend them back with a cresent on dirt bikes. Can't even tell it offroad.
 

Madhatter

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Mar 25, 2013
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3,846
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buda texas
history proves Mr. Wright as wrong ..... Wilbur and Orville didn't do half ass . that's why they succeeded . half ass the front brakes and you to may fly.....
buy a new set of rotors (front rotors are vary expensive ) and be done with it.
 

Tenman

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Dec 7, 2013
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Natchez Ms USA
Back in the day. When your at a farm barn out in the La. backwoods. You gotta ruff it sometimes on old beat up dirt bikes. I had sae bolts from John Deere holding things on. Ran lots of JD planter drive chains. They are toast fast.
 

CliffElam

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Joined
May 12, 2021
Messages
2
My 2013 ST front brakes stopped working. I did a ton of messy trouble shooting (DOT/4 tastes terrible and puts you on the john for hours) and isolated it definitively to the ABS unit.

I'm headed out to get some bypass hoses and am just gonna ride with rear ABS only because $1K part.
 

cyclemike4

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Sep 18, 2016
Messages
815
Location
ky
Not that this will help with the front brakes on the tenere for bucky 33 but we have destroyed rotors on off road bikes and got them good enough to work till we got new ones to put on. I am talking potato chipped the rotors. I took two blocks of wood and a 3 pound hammer to get them back some what straight then finished with metal on top and wood under the rotor to finish the process. It takes time and worked well for us. I would not do that on a street bike unless it was a emergency. Funny story I was working on my brothers bike doing just that job and we had a new rotor there for another wheel. My youngest who was two at the time was always out in the shop with us and watched everything. We turned out back for just a second and we heard biiiiiiiiing biiiiiiiiing biiiiiiiiiiing! we looked around and he had the new rotor down on the block of wood wearing it out with that 3 pound hammer! What a kid! haha.
 
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