Triumphrat

usnen2

I bought my wife an 02 bonneville this year. I've been riding quite a while but this is her first bike. I really like it but the front brake doesn't seem quite right to me. I usually ride a BMW r1100r which has excellent brakes and switching to the bonneville is a big difference. If I give a good squeeze on the brake lever of the bonnie I can pull the lever back till it touches the grip. Should I be able to do this? It just seems too spongy to me. I manually bled the brakes and it didn't make any real difference. Do you have to use a power bleeder for these and do you think some braided steel brake lines would make and improvement?

Thanks in advance for your input

Normandy

I believe you already have the braided line but the lever should not go to the grip, stubborn air bubble at the master cyl ?

Geoff

either air in the system or possibly completely worn down pads..I guess you checked them?
G

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Jimi_X

Bleed the brakes. Probably has never been done. If your pads are worn but not worn out the fluid level will have dropped. Unless it is too low (then you may have another problem), do not be tempted to fill the reservoir to the top. Kind of eyeball where the fluid is and add as you bleed. When done you should have the same level or just slightly more. If you do fill the reservoirs up, when you push the piston back in to replace the pads,well,...get ready for a big mess.

markbvt

My front brakes are spongy as well, even after replacing the pads, brake lines, and fluid. When they heat up they get firmer, and they're never so soft that I can pull the lever all the way down to the grip, but still...

I've begun to think that older-model-year New Bonnevilles simply have slightly spongy front brakes.

--mark

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mecscc

Good advice all. Your wife's Bonnie's front brake is definitely NOT normal, and is dangerous. Air bubble, worn pads, possible, but unlikely, bad brake line that has a bad wall allowing it to expand. Could be any of those things, but it is not right.

Monte

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usnen2

All-

Thanks very much for the info- looks like I've got some work to do.