Flaccid Brakes

I am not happy with the feel of my front brake on the V30. It works, but the lever travels farther than it seems like it should. My wife's V30, by contrast, has a very solid response when squeezing the front brake lever. Her brake lever travels less than mine before reaching a "really tight squeeze".

I noticed my front brake was flaccid when I resumed my daily-commuting schedule this month. I did not notice it during my shorter New Years Day ride, or any of the half a dozen short rides I squoze in during the first three months of the year.

I just rebuilt my caliper and master cylinder a year ago this month. I bled my brakes again this morning, at the banjo bolts and the bleeder valve, and got nothing, no change in brake feel. The brake fluid looked fresh and clean -- unlike what I took out of it a year ago, which looked like Guiness.

I have not noticed any fading. The brake feels the same whether they are hot or cold, whether I've applied them twice or 14 times.

I rode 30 miles to my brother-in-law's for Easter Sunday dinner. While there I asked him -- he used to race bikes professionally -- and he said it felt fine.

My brother-in-law thought I could just be feeling the difference in the rotors or pads between my V30 and my wife's. I will measure them to see if there is a significant difference. Somehow that doesn't seem right to me; I thought the hydraulic brakes would self adjust for wearing of the pads and rotors -- isn't that the whole idea?

Could I just be feeling the need to replace the brake lines? Could mine be swelling and her brake lines not?

What are your thoughts? (Meanwhile, I'll continue to research it...)


ATGATT...Daily Rider - I love my V30

1984 VF500C V30 Black "Raven" (my own)1984 VF500C V30 Red "Katie" (my wife's)