Braking issue while reversing...

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AApple

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Dec 3, 2009
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Location
Duncanville, Texas
My Bike Models
1981 GL1100 Innerstate("The Turd")SOLD!!, 1996 GL1500 Innerstate
So...when backing up on my 1500(does not have a reverse gear), I find that my front brake lever gets really mooshy, to the point of not having any front brake at all in some cases. Once I move forward and pull the lever, the front brake works fine. I can hear the anti-dive mechanism pop when I use the front brake anytime I stop(forward), but I assume that is fairly normal? Just wondering WHY the front brake would go soft while backing out of the garage or shop. Does the anti-dive mechanism actually have a regulated bypass the fluid to the caliper somehow? Brakes work fine while riding.....far mo bettah than my 1100 brakes. Just this reverse issue that is befuddling me. I'm afraid one of these days I'm gunna be backing out of the garage and not have enough brake to keep me from hitting the 'Burban, or some other immovable object. Any ideas?

:headscratch:
 
Never had the issue on any of my bikes. Maybe the wing 1500 forks are different from the valk? I just backed mine down my driveway the other day. About 50 ft and not a hint of a difference.
 
Plus 1 on all my front brakes working in reverse. From my own experience I try to always have the engine running and in gear when reversing, just in case the front wheel locks up while going backwards.
 
Maybe need new pads or surface the rotor some. That and I don't think I've ever had the front brake stop as good going backward as it does forward. The sponginess is odd though.
I'd flush them good with new fluid if you haven't. Worth a shot.
 
This issue ONLY occurs while backing up. The lever gets progressively spongier each time it is used while backing up. Forward, the front brake is perfectly fine. As I have stated here many times before, I rarely use the rear brake, as I normally use the front brake only in most cases, unless I have to slow down quickly. Running forward at any speed, the front brake stops very well...to the point of locking up, if needed.....and it has been needed a couple of times in this friggin D/FW traffic.
Fairly new pads, rotors are fine.
I think it has something to do with the anti-dive system, but I know that really shouldn't have any effect on the actual braking, as it only controls/changes the rate of compression on the fork(s) while braking(or, at least that is my unnerstanding of it).
Perhaps it's just me......again.... :whistling: :blush: :roll:
 
I don't have any ideas yet, but I've been puzzled by the popping noise my front brakes make when in rain. I'll have to do a little researching in the manual to see how anti dive is supposed to work. When I rebuilt the forks i decided not to open that can of worms after seeing that the valve appeared to have good movement. It's hard to imagine what could cause/affect amount of fluid available just because the wheel is turning in reverse. How many pumps of the lever does it take to restore braking when moving forward again?
 
Think I found the source of the problem...


The bolt for the right caliper that attaches to the anti-dive mechanism has left the building. Not sure how the heck it could back all the way out and fall out past the rotor cover, but it did. Installed a new bolt with some lock-tite. I'll know tomorrow if that solved the mooshy brake while backing up issue....but I bet it does.
 
Wow glad you found that. Brakes could have gotten worse I suppose.
After having a single cylinder that vibrates anything loose without loc tite, I'm making it habit to go over the crucial bolts on our bikes every 5000 miles or so to check for tight.
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=194657#p194657:2w9jv21k said:
slabghost » Sun Aug 13, 2017 9:33 pm[/url]":2w9jv21k]
Looks like a prime reason for sure. Might also be part of the reason the cover left.

The cover that disappeared was on the opposite side. :yes: And of course, it's RAINING here today, so no test ride to see if this fixed the issue... :crying:
 
:whip: NO!!!!
:smilie_happy: Of course, I unnerstand why everyone would suspect that, given my history, but....I dint leave it out when I did the brakes last year. this particular issue just came up recently, in the past month. Dern thing just backed out. I used a bit of lock-tite on the bolt this time, and I will keep an eye on it for a while.

On a happier note, this DID correct the problem I was having when backing out of the garage/shop. Brake lever solid both frontwards and backwards now. :yes:
 
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