Failing Brakes On Honda Dream

[mallmagician]

Hi,

I have an old Honda Dream, and have been having problems with the back brake (The one with the foot pedal).

Most of the time it works fine, but on occasion recently, it fails. Its almost as if something is catching and not allowing the pedal to tilt and operate the thingy attached to the wheel. (Im a novice and not at all technical).

Someone mentioned something to me about a drop link that some thais seem to remove? Im not sure what to do, as when I take it to the shop, and tell them its no good, they just press it and say its fine. Or they tighten the nut a little, but again that doesn't help. Im sure there's something else wrong.

I had the pads etc changed last time I took it in, so its not the pads run down/faded.

Help please. I dont want to die. Well, I know I will do at some point, I just dont want to be there when it happens.

Phil

[garyh]

Go to a different shop, I had problems with brakes on my wifes Dream a few years ago. Took it to one place they mucked around with it said the brakes where fine I tried it, it was only just working took it straight back and they said nothing wrong working good. Went to another shop the guy shook his head after looking at it, 700 Baht later perfect brakes.

[PeaceBlondie]

The Honda Dream is their oldest design. You said you had the 'pads' changed - do you mean sanitary pads? Even the best rear disc brake doesn't have much work to do. Try another shop like Nayom or Sacha Panit, a big factory-trained-mechanics dealer.

[garyh]

The Honda Dream is their oldest design. You said you had the 'pads' changed - do you mean sanitary pads? Even the best rear disc brake doesn't have much work to do. Try another shop like Nayom or Sacha Panit, a big factory-trained-mechanics dealer.

Honda dream is far from the oldest design.

KUMAMOTO, Japan, February 8, 2006 – Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced that total worldwide production of the Super Cub reached 50 million units at the end of December 2005.

A favorite with customers since its launch in 1958, the Super Cub has become the first motor vehicle to achieve total worldwide production of 50 million units.

The first-generation Super Cub made its debut in Japan in 1958.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle-new...a-super-cub.htm

[apetley]

The Honda Dream is their oldest design. You said you had the 'pads' changed - do you mean sanitary pads? Even the best rear disc brake doesn't have much work to do. Try another shop like Nayom or Sacha Panit, a big factory-trained-mechanics dealer.

Try telling that to my Thai father in law.

He told his daughter, my wife, not to use the front brake on her new Mio as 'it's dangerous'!

He has disconnected the front brake on his Wave.

[Datsun240Z]

You have this one, or the older one?

If it's drum brakes, replace the braking cable, and mainly the pin ( with the lever attached ), which operates the brake pads in the drum, get's stuck or moves bad by rust, this causes the sympton you describe.

And than I mean this pin ( red arrow ):

Yellow: Lever operation field

Blue: Cable holder

Green: should be a marker spot on the drum, to check wear and adjust new brake pads to proper settings for lever operation.

[mallmagician]

apetley - I have a somewhat bad confession to make. I spent a good few months renting bikes up and down thailand (Dreams/Waves), and often found the front brake so sensitive, that it was dangerous for myself to use, or in a lot of cases, not there at all. So Im conditioned to pretty much only use the back brake, but drive slow enough anyway so that it is good enough.... Unless it fails of course.

Datsun - Thankyou so much for the informative post - it actually spurred me on to take a much closer look.

There is no cable - it is the back brake which is a pedal on a pivot.

However, the pin sounds like it could be the culprit. However, I went out to take some pics, for further comment off you experts, and whilst moving along the brake assembly, I noticed what looks like a rubber washer about the size of a 5 baht coin which was sort of balanced at the point where the pivotpoint of the brake pedal meets another hunk of metal. I am theorising that perhaps this washer was getting stuck in the gap created when the pedal was pushed, and then released again after causing the brakes to fail and me kicking the pedal hard. It took me a good few minutes to fish it out of the little nook it got into, so its possible it was that little one all along.

I will report back after carefully testing it. I will also post pics of the washer tomorrow, as I am now concerned that it has come from elsewhere on the bike.

Regards

Phil

[PeaceBlondie]

Sorry; I meant that AFAIK, the Dream is the oldest designed Honda is the current Thai lineup. Front brakes are designed to do over 60% of the braking. I came all the way down Doi Suthep and Doi Pui today, using both disk brakes.

[Datsun240Z]

@ Mallmagican: Post some pics, it might be more easy for us to understand the problem.

[soundman]

Moved to bike forum.

[BSJ]

I was thinking Honda Dream like I had back in the late 60's!

Similar problem as Dato was describing. After a few years the pin wears unevenly. And the red devil gets into things. An easy fix though.

[mallmagician]

I am happy to report that the little rubber washer appears to have been the culprit. I will still take it easy though, just in case. :s

Thanks again everyone.

Phil