Help Please - Brake problems on the road

I just arived in Maggie Valley for a six-day stay. My gas mileage recently dropped significantly and there is a noise emanating from the rear wheel assembly.. When I got off the Spyder, I felt the sprocket and hub for heat. They were cool. I then moved on to the rear brake rotor. It was really hot (can't hold fingers on the sprocket). Given the fact that I'm miles from a dealer and it is a holiday weekend, does anyone have any advice? Hitchiking is out.

Bike specs: 2012 RT-S, around 7,000 miles, no brake or wheel work done.

I can only tell you that even if you havent hit the brakes it will be to hot to touch. Just the rotor passing by the brake pads will make them to hot for fingers. Make sure you dont see the rotor turning a blueish color and you dont smell brake pads.

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Originally Posted by rabtech

I can only tell you that even if you havent hit the brakes it will be to hot to touch. Just the rotor passing by the brake pads will make them to hot for fingers. Make sure you dont see the rotor turning a blueish color and you dont smell brake pads.

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So the rear brakes are always rubbing the rotor? Front rotors were as cool can be.

Mine touch enough to be to hot to touch. That is strange that your fronts are that cool. I wish someone else would chime in on this subject. I just happened to pull in about 10 mins before I made that earlier post and walked back outside and touched my back rotor. It wasn't hot but it was warm.

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What kind of noise is it making? And if you have access to a screwdriver see if you can pry a little on the pads and push them away from the rotor. I just did mine with a flat screwdriver.

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Back off the parking brake manually (unless you see an obvious problem like the cable hanging up on the vinyl coating where it enters the sheath at the front end). If that doesn't cure it, the rear brake caliper will need service. If it is the parking brake, hopefully lube and adjustment will cure it. Otherwise it would need troubleshooting and service. After dragging the brake for so long, it would be a good idea to have the rear caliper removed and all brake parts cleaned thoroughly as soon as practical. If you can't cure the problem on the road, you will need to limp to a dealer or call road service for a tow.

Im with NancysToy. It very well could be your parking brake.

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Originally Posted by Rattigan_Roger

I hate to ask the obvious but are you sure you actually have a problem?

Since the mere hint of a foot hovering over the brake pedal sends you into limp mode nirvanna so if you haven't thrown any codes and if your parking brake engages maybe there is something like a stick or road debris caught between the rotor and caliper.

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No hovering. I ride with my right foot kicked out away from the Spyder. No codes. Went out and watched as the parking brake was released and engaged - all smooth and clean operation. No debris, however, there is an abundance of brake dust on the inside of the rear rim. I'm going to sleep on it, limit my riding tomorrow, and get it to the dealership in Kodak, TN on Monday if they are open, Tuesday, otherwise.

I live in Maggie Valley and I use the dealer in Kodak...Mountain Motorsports. Solid dealer. If I can answer any questions or if you need anything let me know.

If you could get the rear wheel off the ground and spin the tire that would tell you a lot.

that it could be a combination. I would have checked the hub, rear axle for heat. If the bearings are failing this will cause the wheel to wobble enough to have the disk constantly rub on the pads causing the disk and caliper to heat up. Now that you have a plan would be nice to find out what did happen...good luck..!! :dontknow:

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Originally Posted by maliamd

I live in Maggie Valley and I use the dealer in Kodak...Mountain Motorsports. Solid dealer. If I can answer any questions or if you need anything let me know.

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Thank you for the endorsement of MMS/Kodak and for making yourself available. I hope that I won't have to interrupt your Sunday, but if you could PM me your number so I will have it on hand, I would appreciate it. ...Don

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Originally Posted by Chupaca

that it could be a combination. I would have checked the hub, rear axle for heat. If the bearings are failing this will cause the wheel to wobble enough to have the disk constantly rub on the pads causing the disk and caliper to heat up. Now that you have a plan would be nice to find out what did happen...good luck..!! :dontknow:

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I did check the hub for heat when I rolled in. No heat issue at all. That is when I felt the 'sizzling' rotor (sizzling may be a little overstatement). I've got a squeaking in the rear that went away when I applied belt dressing before leaving on the trip; however, it's back after 200 miles of riding. When applying the belt dressing, I jacked up the Spyder then rolled the back tire to rotate the belt. There was a noise that seemed like it was emanating from the hub. May be indicative of something bad, huh?

I'll post the findings. Thanks to all. ...Don

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Originally Posted by BajaRon

If you could get the rear wheel off the ground and spin the tire that would tell you a lot.

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:agree: Start with the simplist things first...
Good Luck! :thumbup:

My rotors are usually warm from the minute contact between the pads and the rotors. Space between the pad surface and rotor surface is in the thousands of an inch so there is almost always some incidental contact between them as you go down the road. It's a bit odd the R is warm/hot and the front's are not to an equal degree. It may be a simple case of on your Spyder the clearance between the pads and rotors is slightly greater on the fronts (less heat build up) than on the rears. Plenty of tolerances variation from machine to machine; I'd think. If you can find a way to jack up the R of your Spyder.....................rotate the tire by hand. Is it spinning freely, or is there drag from the R brake? If it's spinning freely.....................you're good to go. If the brake IS dragging on it...........................you got a problem. Good luck!

All brake rotors getr hot. That is how they do their jobs. Excessive heat, as shown by bluing or warping indicates a problem, but they should not be comfortable to touch right after use. Have you ever watched the TV coverage of the rotors glowing at a race like Bristol? The best way to check for a dragging brake is to jack the vehicle up and rotate the wheel. Remember that disc brakes are close clearance, so there will be some drag, but if the wheel can be turned readily with one hand with some drag, they are usually fine. If they rotate freely or do not turn without great difficulty, there are likely problems.

Also please note that buildup of brake dust is common. The amount depends on how much the brakes are used. In the mountains you will see much more brake dust on the wheels than when traveling across Nebraska.

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Originally Posted by NancysToy

All brake rotors getr hot. That is how they do their jobs. Excessive heat, as shown by bluing or warping indicates a problem, but they should not be comfortable to touch right after use. Have you ever watched the TV coverage of the rotors glowing at a race like Bristol? The best way to check for a dragging brake is to jack the vehicle up and rotate the wheel. Remember that disc brakes are close clearance, so there will be some drag, but if the wheel can be turned readily with one hand with some drag, they are usually fine. If they rotate freely or do not turn without great difficulty, there are likely problems.

Also please note that buildup of brake dust is common. The amount depends on how much the brakes are used. In the mountains you will see much more brake dust on the wheels than when traveling across Nebraska.

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You responders are truly great. First in response to turning the rear wheel while jacked up. I put belt dressing on the drive belt before the trip because of the steady, rotational squeak on acceleration. The wheel was hard to turn but I didn't connect it until these posts because I really didn't know if it was a real free-wheeling or not.

Now for the shop visit. I took the scooter to Mountain Motorsports in Kodak, TN for an $82 shot in the dark that yielded no improvement. Today it's all the same. Squeaky belt and ultra-hot rotor, but I learned a bit about the brakes. After listening to my description of the problem (and the service writer burning his fingertips on the rotor), the lead tech took the parking brake assembly apart and loosened up the "spring" (the shot in the dark), put it back together, charged me $82, and sent me on my way.

During my visit, I was told there is a difference between the front and rear calipers. The front pistons have a spring return that creates a slight gap between the pads and the rotor, the rear does not; therefore, when the brake is released, the rear pads just hangs with slight contact with the rotor, but with no pressure - may get warm but shouldn't get hot. Since the braking system is linked, a problem with the fluid was ruled out because if bad, it should affect all three brakes.

There was a recall for 2013's because of the parking brake assembly not fully releasing, leaving pressure on the rotor and even causing fires from the excessive heat. My Spyder was not part of any recall, though. I am planning to go through my dealer, MMS Conyers, to diagnose the problem and submit their results to BRP to see if it can be fixed under warranty. Oh yeah, the squeaking belt has to fit in somewhere but I'm not sure where. Thanks again.