wump Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 Please excuse my ignorance but I had a scary experience today. Went down a big mountain in Samui and I read on some sign "Stop your bike to let the brakes cool down"... I dismissed this as a marketing ploy to visit the establishment next to the sign but went for a quick stop anyway. Upon starting the bike again the right brake handle had no resistance anymore at all (was working fine until me stopping) but the resistance came back after 5 minutes. So down the mountain I go again. Another 1 km downhill the right handle suddenly just stopped working, no resistance at all. Luckily the road wasn't that steep at the moment so I could (barely) stop after some 50 meters with the crappy drum brake. I waited for the brake to cool down but didn't get better. Put some juice on the brake and it started working again. So I guess motorbike brakes really can overheat? I always thought only truck brakes overheat but not cars and motorbikes? Really scary. If the brake had stopped working just 50 meters further in a steeper patch (20-30% descent) sure I'd be in hospital right now. Posted in the general forum on purpose to warn people as the posters in the motorcycle subforum probably know this already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieH Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 MOVED to motorcycle forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig krup Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 Don't ride the brakes! Select a low gear and use engine braking. If you sit in a high gear on a steep hill with farang weight pushing it down the hill you'll polish the pads on the front discs and expand the back drum away from the pads. Kev in Pattaya - Youtube- had an accident doing this recently. Truck drivers know all about brake fade. You shouldn't be touching the brakes going down a long hill, you should just be in a low gear and the engine braking should control the descent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 Don't ride the brakes! Select a low gear and use engine braking. If you sit in a high gear on a steep hill with farang weight pushing it down the hill you'll polish the pads on the front discs and expand the back drum away from the pads. Kev in Pattaya - Youtube- had an accident doing this recently. Truck drivers know all about brake fade. You shouldn't be touching the brakes going down a long hill, you should just be in a low gear and the engine braking should control the descent. How do you select a low gear on an automatic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard-BKK Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 Don't ride the brakes! Select a low gear and use engine braking. If you sit in a high gear on a steep hill with farang weight pushing it down the hill you'll polish the pads on the front discs and expand the back drum away from the pads. Kev in Pattaya - Youtube- had an accident doing this recently. Truck drivers know all about brake fade. You shouldn't be touching the brakes going down a long hill, you should just be in a low gear and the engine braking should control the descent. How do you select a low gear on an automatic? A very good point why geared motorcycles and semi-automatic motorcycles are more safe when riding in mountains of steep hills... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pod8460 Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 If the bike is older than 3 years you should change the brake fluid. Brake fluid will absorb water with age, under hevey braking this turns to steam and the brakes will fad then fail. When the system has cooled the brakes will work again until they are put under extreme load . Change your brake fluid as per owners manual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somebodee Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 If the bike is older than 3 years you should change the brake fluid. Brake fluid will absorb water with age, under hevey braking this turns to steam and the brakes will fad then fail. When the system has cooled the brakes will work again until they are put under extreme load . Change your brake fluid as per owners manual. Prudent advice here. A lot of brake fade is the brake fluid in the caliper getting heat soaked and moisture vapourising described as above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wump Posted June 4, 2016 Author Share Posted June 4, 2016 I just rented the Click... about 2 years old, has been driving and breaking perfectly. Automatic moto cannot change gear - what I am to do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannot Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 (edited) Crappy old brake fluid probably never changed Edited June 4, 2016 by kannot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4evermaat Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 how much does it cost to change brake fluid? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the jungle Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 DOT3 is the most common type of brake fluid here but I don't use DOT3 in anything as it is not really up to the job.. Use DOT4 which is a higher specification. Not so common but you will find it, for example, at Esso stations (Mobil DOT4). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannot Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 (edited) how much does it cost to change brake fluid? doesnt matter how much in their eyes, they would rather waste money on something else after all they can just drive with no brakes as well as no lights................DELETED Edited June 5, 2016 by seedy derogatory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papa al Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 I just rented the Click... about 2 years old, has been driving and breaking perfectly. Automatic moto cannot change gear - what I am to do? rent a Wave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Namplik Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 I just rented the Click... about 2 years old, has been driving and breaking perfectly. Automatic moto cannot change gear - what I am to do? rent a Wave. Yeah right, hardly any renters have Wave in their selection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Generalchaos Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 how much does it cost to change brake fluid? about 100 Baht if that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Generalchaos Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 (edited) DOT3 is the most common type of brake fluid here but I don't use DOT3 in anything as it is not really up to the job.. Use DOT4 which is a higher specification. Not so common but you will find it, for example, at Esso stations (Mobil DOT4). DOT 3 is perfectly good for brakes designed for DOT 3, no need to go to DOT 4 unless the manufacturer recommends it. Automatic bikes should use engine braking when the throttle is closed hence no need to apply brakes down a long hill, if engine braking does not work then something is wrong with the bike. Many years ago we took the family out for a run up Doi Inthanon, hired a local guy with one of those yellow pick ups we have in Chiang Mai. The idiot ran from the top of Inthanon for mile after mile with his foot on the brake (There was a red light inside the seating area that showed when the brake was on) After 20 minutes of this fools driving I made my missus tell him to stop as the stink from the brakes was unbearable - The brakes were so hot they were fried, we had to put rocks under the wheels to stop the damn thing until the brakes cooled down, then spent half an hour trying to tell the DELETED to drop a gear.....another 10 minutes in and he was back on the brakes, DELETED Edited June 5, 2016 by seedy language Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wump Posted June 5, 2016 Author Share Posted June 5, 2016 "Automatic bikes should use engine braking" I've driven loads of Clicks and I have never seen that. Even if there was engine breaking it would be so little that it was of no use when doing a descent steeper than 10%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papa al Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 I just rented the Click... about 2 years old, has been driving and breaking perfectly. Automatic moto cannot change gear - what I am to do? rent a Wave. Yeah right, hardly any renters have Wave in their selection "hardly any" Find one if those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samuijimmy Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 There are a number of the long steep "back" roads on Samui, that this can occur... it scared me the first time it happened... I have learned since, the best thing is to stop for a few minutes to let it cool down ... .. pump the brakes while stopped and pressure will return... stop again if necessary. It does not seem to matter what type of bike it is, although manual bike will probably be better, but not many farang use manual shift bikes any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papa al Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 sweetly ask the shop u rented from if they can find u a Wave to swap. good chance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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