FJR Master Brake and Clutch cylinder questions

[gamorg02]

ok so it looks like we're all set. i can still grip it almost to the bar when at a standstill but if i did that when on the road id go end over end. tons of stopping power. also stopped by a bike shop and saw an '04 fjr so i tried out its levers and they had just as much play as mine. thanks mike, sean, etc!

 

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Glad to hear it G. unk:

 

[gamorg02]

yea. i think it just needed time to 'settle' and get used to the different feel of the lever. working great now. thanks again for the deal Mike.

 

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Hey Garrett, or anyone with a 14mm CLUTCH master: When you are letting out the clutch lever does it grab very close to the handlebar?

I just put on a 14mm clutch master from an 06 Concours (which is almost the exact same thing as the fjr master) and finished the bleeding process last night. I went thru a ton of fluid using the mighty vac trying to get the bubbles out of there. As far as I could tell, it all looked good. No more tiny microbubbles so I sealed it up. I finished it off with some good old fashinoned pump and dump bleeding just to make sure.

I did the back brakes which were a piece of cake compared to the clutch. Then went for a ride. I noticed the clutch starts to engage when the lever is about 1/2" off the bars. I'd say it's fully engaged when the lever is about 1 1/2" off the bars. Doesn't seem like a lot of play in there and its all right near the grip. This is with my lever adjuster on #1 which is furthest away from the grip. If I put my adjuster on #4 the clutch lever just barely has enough travel to disengage the clutch.

Just curious if the was normal with what others have found when switching over to a 14mm clutch master. Oh, and I added the DD mod too.

 

[one2dmax]

You will need to have the lever at the farthest reach to get enough travel to disengage fully. BUT, the upside is the lever effort should be reduced.

 

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You will need to have the lever at the farthest reach to get enough travel to disengage fully. BUT, the upside is the lever effort should be reduced.

I'd say its a bit harder to pull in now than it was before the DD and 14mm master. I'm guessing with the stocker it would take a lot more effort than it does now since I added the extra spring. I was just worried that I may not have completely bled the air out but from what you saying about having to have it adjusted out all the way, it sounds on par with what others are experiencing.

 

[gamorg02]

mine def isn't that close i'd say, but i'll double check. i did it like 4k miles ago and don't really 'think' about it.

i'd wanna say i'm like 1" - 2" from disengage to engage. i think i'm on #4 position. i'll get back to you bud!

 

[gamorg02]

mike, upon further inspection they're about the same as yours at the 4 position.

 

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Thanks Garrett. Were those masters set up with #1 position being the furthest away away from the grip or #4 being furthest away from the grip?

On mine, #1 position is as far away from the grip as you get. The higher the # the closer to the grip the lever gets. Mine doesn't feel right on any setting other than #1.

Other than it engaging really close to the bars, its working just fine. I can put it in gear and start it no problem. Shut the bike off, leave it in gear and pull in the clutch and move it around so I guess its all good. Once again, prolly just worrying about nothing.

 

[gamorg02]

#1 is as far away from the grip as it can be for me too..

u know what bugs me about these, is that there is no brakign power for the first 3/4-1" of travel of the lever. i hate it. but i found an '05 fjr sitting in a dealer showcase a while back and it felt the same way mine did....

still annoying going back and forth b/t the dirtbike which engages within 5mm.

 

[gamorg02]

hey mike, how far does ur brake lever travel before it starts engaging?

 

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My brake master is stock.

 

[gamorg02]

okay so the free play before the brake engages is killing me. i hate it.... i have like 3/4" before it does anything... it pushes the plunger immediately, but i don't feel anything for the first 3/4". anyone see any problem in putting a washer or small nut in the 'cup' the plunger goes into so it 'preloads' it?

 

[vmax2extreme]

My brake master is stock.

I have the stock master and brake lever and with my R1 upgrade with SS lines, I only go at most 1/4 pull to stop on a dime!

 

[gamorg02]

once mine engages its great, stops awesome, i just don't want the 3/4" of free play. i don't see any reason i can't 'preload' the plunger, but didn't know if it was bad for the cylinder or whatnot. i wish i could tell for sure if there was no added pressure on the system.

 

[vmax2extreme]

Now if I can only get my rear brake pedal to work correctly! It takes alot of pressure to lockup even after a new SS line and flush.

 

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once mine engages its great, stops awesome, i just don't want the 3/4" of free play. i don't see any reason i can't 'preload' the plunger, but didn't know if it was bad for the cylinder or whatnot. i wish i could tell for sure if there was no added pressure on the system.

If its one of those things really bothering you, just give it a shot. Take the bike for a ride first and take note of the rotor temp and how everything is working. Then, get your front wheel off the ground and check how much drag you have before putting some kind of spacer in and check again. If its not dragging on the rotor, I'd go for a test ride and check to see if the rotor seems to be getting any hotter than before. Can't hurt to give it a shot

 

[gamorg02]

If its one of those things really bothering you, just give it a shot. Take the bike for a ride first and take note of the rotor temp and how everything is working. Then, get your front wheel off the ground and check how much drag you have before putting some kind of spacer in and check again. If its not dragging on the rotor, I'd go for a test ride and check to see if the rotor seems to be getting any hotter than before. Can't hurt to give it a shot

thanks mike i might give it a try. any idea on things to try? was thinking a small thick washer if i can find one, or a small nut..

 

[Redbone]

okay so the free play before the brake engages is killing me. i hate it.... i have like 3/4" before it does anything... it pushes the plunger immediately, but i don't feel anything for the first 3/4". anyone see any problem in putting a washer or small nut in the 'cup' the plunger goes into so it 'preloads' it?

I have the stock master cylinder as well and had the same issue. I had to keep trying to get all of the micro bubbles out of it, which took forever, but finally I have a short and firm lever pull that can produce lockup with two fingers. Make sure to tap the lines/ calipers/ master cyl to vibrate all the air out, I used the handle of my dead blow hammer for this purpose. It took a while to acheive.

 

[gamorg02]

i'm not convinced thats it, haven't seen a bubble in a while (can take a look again tho) but the FJRs i've seen at a shop have the same play.