How to Adjust Your Motorcycle Front Brake
When your motorcycle front brake is faulty, you could be in for big trouble. Brake problems are some of the most common causes of motorcycle accidents in the United States. To prevent injury, you should adjust your brakes regularly to keep them in top condition. No, you need not bring your motorcycle to the mechanic just to have the brakes adjusted. You can easily make modifications to your brakes at home.
Step 1 – Check the Front Brake Hand Lever
Before anything else, you need to make sure that you are comfortable with the size, shape, and position of your front brakes hand levers. To check the front brake hand lever, sit on your motorcycle and grasp the handlebars; then, place your fingers over the brake lever. In this position, the hand brake lever should rest on the front knuckles of your fingers.
Step 2 – Locate the Span Adjustment Knob
If you are not comfortable with the position of your hand brake levers, adjust them to suit your needs. To do this, you'll need to use the lever span adjustment knob.
Step 3 – Adjust the Knob
On the face of span adjustment knob you will see numbers indicating the span adjustment that can be performed. To turn the knob, push the brake lever forward slightly to lift the master cylinder of the front brakes from its place. Lifting the master cylinders will prevent the brake parts from grinding against each other.
After pushing the lever forward, turn the knob to your desired level. Repeat this process until your fingers are in the right position on top of the brake lever.
Step 4 – Check the Brake Pads
When adjusting the brakes of your motorcycle, do not forget to check the brake pads. Worn break pads can weaken the friction of your brakes, so make sure that you check your brake pads regularly.
To do this, remove the calipers from the rotors by unscrewing the two main bolts that are holding the calipers to the forks of your motorcycle. Once the calipers are free, slide off brake pads carefully out of the calipers and inspect their friction material for signs of wear and tear. The friction material should be no less than 1/8-inch in thickness for your front brakes to work perfectly.
If the brake pads are already worn out, replace them with new ones at this time. Take out the pin that is holding the pads in place, remove them, and replace them with new ones. Put the clip back in place to lock the pads in. Once the pads are secure, slide the calipers back over brake disc. Replace the calipers between the forks of your motorcycle, and lock them in place by tightening the bolts that hold them.
With this simple maintenance performed regularly, you can save yourself a lot of trouble and potentially pain. It's easy for any DIYer, so don't wait! Make needed adjustments and replacements to your front breaks as soon as possible.
