2000 VFR800 - Rear wheel hard to turn

Discussion in 'Mechanics Garage' started by Vaheater, Feb 2, 2018.

  1. Vaheater

    Vaheater New Member

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    I have been refreshing a "new to me" 29K mile year 2000 VFR800 FI. As I replaced rear brake pads and flushed brake fluid I noticed quite a bit of drag in the rotation of the rear driven flange/wheel. (Yes it is in neutral and nothing I can see is rubbing, etc.) The rear wheel is considerably harder to turn by hand than my 2000 CBR1100XX.) When reinstalling the caliper I was very careful to tighten attachment bolts properly to prevent the caliper from binding. I do not think the drag is being caused by the brake. Rotation seems smooth, no noise and without excessive play in bearings. I'm new to VFR - is the relatively beefy rear hub/single swing arm assembly supposed to have more drag than a conventional two armed swingarm /rear hub set-up? I only have about five minutes riding time on this, my first, VFR so I have no baseline to go by.
    any suggestions? Thanks
     
  2. squirrelman

    squirrelman Member

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    NO, most likely the calipers need a cleanup and new seals :(:( mas o menos. :Yo:

    Or maybe a spacer is missing on the axle/wheel ? :eek: Over -tightened ?
     
    Last edited: Feb 2, 2018
  3. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    With a 530 chain adjusted correctly, as long as it spins smoothly by hand, you should be ok. You will feel any imperfections by sense of feel when spinning the wheel slowly by hand. Sorry, S-man...there are no spacers.
     
  4. Vaheater

    Vaheater New Member

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    Actually, the chain is junk - hard to adjust, stretched, runs from tight to loose. I will be replacing chain and sprockets. I guess the question is : Should I expect the rear wheel to turn as easily as on my CBR1100XX or Ducati ST3? The VFR definitely is harder to spin.
     
  5. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    I find the rear wheel no harder to spin than any other motorcycle I’ve worked on. One thing to check is the spring plate that sits under the brake pads. If this is installed incorrectly, it won’t allow the pads to slide back and forth properly, which may be keeping the pad pressed against the rotor. Definitely check the pistons for any corrosion or “gummed up” seals, as well as the secondary master cylinder on the front left fork. If this is not operating correctly, it could be keeping the rear center piston pressing the pad.

    I’d say remove the chain and see how the wheel spins without it on. If it spins more freely, the chain could be the culprit. Otherwise looking at the stuff mentioned would be the place to start.
     
  6. Vaheater

    Vaheater New Member

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    OK, I removed the chain and the wheel spins easier so the chain/sprockets will be changed out. Next I inspected the caliper to make sure everything is free moving, clean, no leaking, no signs of pukey brake fluid or corrosion, springs, clips and pads all proper. All looked good. Now it gets a little weird - when I reinstall the caliper the wheel starts to bind-up as I tighten the two ( disposable) bolts that hold the caliper in place. To make sure it all comes together without binding or distortion I loosened the torque arm bolts before putting caliper back on. The brake disc is flat/straight no sign of runout/distortion, I am tightening bolts gradually and evenly but every time it looks like its just about there the brake pads bind the break disc. I have relubed the caliper holder shafts/rubber boots - all good. Are there any shims or spacers between caliper and mounting points where the two bolts screw in? Are the rear brake pads thinner then those on the front? I'm lost here HELP.
     
  7. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    I have never seen any spacers, washers or any type of shim. I’d have to look at my rear caliper on my 01 but I thought that the caliper mount bracket (attached to the caliper not on the bike) has slides for the caliper to move back and forth. If this is binding or not operating correctly, the caliper can’t adjust for horizontal positioning and would cause it to bind on the rotor. Unfortunately I wouldn’t be able to look at this until late evening Sunday.
     
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  8. OZ VFR

    OZ VFR Member

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    No spacers, and pads are the same.
    Them bolts should make no difference as the caliper slides on the pins, unless the caliper bracket or slide pins are bent.
    With the caliper off, make sure it slides freely on the slide pins.
    Also make sure the three pistons are going back easily.
     
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  9. Vaheater

    Vaheater New Member

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    I will double check the caliper holder for damage/straightness and assure complete freedom of movement. I am back to focusing on the caliper - I plan to just overhaul the darn thing. Might as well as I have suspicions about the secondary master cylinder so I will be looking at that and the center piston. Thank you for your time on this!
     
  10. vegaquark

    vegaquark New Member

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    Secondary master cylinder and proportional valve is the kind of thing that i've never checked and i'm definetly gonna do once i have a time before summer.


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