Hey. My buddy called me today and said while on the way home, his brakes suddenly locked up on him, to the point that the tires wouldn't roll, it was stuck where he was stopped. I went out to save him... all we could do for now was take a flat-blade screwdriver and pry the brake pads off the rotors so he could cruise it home. I thought only the front brake pad was locked up, but after he rode it home, he said both brakes were worthless, didn't do anything... he had to slow down/stop with him feet.

What would cause this? I checked both of his brake fluid resevors and neither were empy. They did appear 'low'... they both were only full to the 'lower' point, would it cause the brakes to lock up if it's not all the way to the 'upper' point?[/align]

 

Age,Storage,Air in the line,Chips in the line,could be a million things,but i know it's not his trusty sneakers........Give's all new meaning to I smell Burnin Rubber.........

 

It's an '01 929. It's been sittin in an un-heated garage but I know he started it once a week or so... but I guess today was first time in about a full month that he's actually rode the bike. After getting the bike home, we could pull the front brake lever a few times, then the pad would finally clamp down on the rotor... but won't release, it's stuck again.

 

Caliper rebuild? If he was super aggressive on the brakes the day he parked it, it's possible that the fluid boiled and broke down. Not likely, but possible.

I'm thinking calipers. Can you bleed the brakes? Fluid coming out when lever pressed?

If not, could be a faulty master cylinder (though for the front and rear to go out the same time? not likely).

Are you sure it's evern brake fluid in the resovoirs? Sounds stupid, but...

A little more troublshotting info would be nice. Other than you've pried the pads off the rotors.

 

+1

Are you sure it's evern brake fluid in the resovoirs?

 

Before I left his house, I looked at both resovoirs and there is fluid in each one... only maybe half full though. Each resovoir had a 'lower' and 'upper' fill line on it, and the fluid is filled to only the 'lower' level line.

Where is the master cylinder on a bike though? I'm gonna try to get over there tomorrow to help attempt to bleed the brakes. Are the 'valves' fairly easy to get to?

 

The Master Cylinder is where youre lever is....Maybe you should'nt help if you dont know where it is,it could get really xpensive that way.........I'm not tryin to be wise.I just don't know youre wrenchin ability.

 

I'm going to change his brake fluid tomorrow. If his brakes are still locking up after I bleed'em... then I'll let him pay to have a shop figure it out.

 

For both front and rear brakes to lock up like that,it sounds like someone may have used something other than brake fluid.What color is the fluid?

 

My pal just called me. He said the front and rear pads ARE locked up. He said he opened the rear resovoir to look and it is low, but theres fluid in there.