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Rear brake.

C

Chris Wilson

Cruisin' Guzzisti
Joined
Aug 26, 2019
Messages
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Location
Sydney Australia
What, if anything can be done to improve the biting power of the rear risk brake on a CARC rear end.
I am using HH pads but it seems to me that the rear foot lever is too short and even on a mild down hill park I have to stand on the lever in order to stop the bike rolling.
Annoying and the front brake gets used below walking pace where it shouldn't be used.
Chris.
 
Sounds like a problem with the rear brake master cylinder. The rear wheel should lock or the ABS kick in with not much more than a firm press.
 
The rear brake on my 1200 Sport was over sensitive and would lock up very easily when solo. Changed out pads to an after market set and now have much better feel.
 
You have something binding and/or air in your brake line and/or a weak master cylinder piston. They should feel rock solid and work with minimal effort.

I habitually see corroded guide pins. Invariably, if the pins are corroded, then the pistons are too. Both can be easily cleaned and renewed with some brake cleaner and a quadruple 0000 steel wool pad. Be sure to blow all of the metal dust off of the pistons and caliper and use a brake grease to lubricate the pins. I use silicon spray lubricant on the pistons and wipe off the excess with a clean rag.

NOTE: These are not Moto Guzzi calipers but the condition of the guide pins and pistons are what we are looking at.

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An afternoon is well spent looking at brakes, cleaning pistons and the sliding pins. As Scott shows with his pictures, even the cleanest calipers can have parts that need light cleaning.
 
Thanks for the replies
guys, something is not right as it is worst than a drum brake on a Honda 90.
Bought the bike second hand after is was stored for about 4 years in a garage.
No signs of rust or corrosion elsewhere but the pins and pistons indeed would be worthy of a look see.
Cheers, Chris.
 
Does anyone have a picture with the correct position for the spring in the rear caliper?


CARC rear caliper_1.webp
 
Take a picture of your caliper and your spring and post it. You will get a reply. Pictures make everything easier if they are quality pictures.
 
I took my rear caliper off. The spring is meant to sit in the centre I guess, but it looks like a bit is missing.... I do not know where that might have gone. Possibly corroded away as I ride through the winter on gritted and salted roads.
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The spring in your picture looks different. Is that a different version or for a completely different bike?
 
Yes, different bike. Just for illustration.

The spring lifts the pad away from the caliper and provides a very smooth, low resistance surface for the pad backing plate to slide upon, it helps to provide a better pad alignment to glide along the retaining pin(s) and of course, to quell vibration noise.

Yours, being broken in several places, no longer functions. You need to order new ones. When they are in you hand, it will become obvious how they fit in.
 
I have just googled for the parts.
gutsibits.co.uk/pr/TheShop/index.php?q=caliper+spring&f=d&Model=2&search=SEARCH
The kit contains 2 springs. the brass looking one is nowhere in my caliper. Where does that one go?
 
The brass looking spring goes to the front of the caliper ( the brake pads fit into it).
You can see it in your photo looks like a small lug between "the toothbrushes"
 
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Left side, silver area. Look carefully and you see the tab gripping the knuckle.

You need to THINK about what it does.

It provides a smooth low friction surface for the pad to slide on. The pads are supported and travel along these 3 places. (2 spring plates and 1 guide pin)

On the right , the slide pin runs through the hole in the pad backing plate.

In the middle, the spring plate that you still have the broken piece.

On the left, the tabs on the sides of the pad backing plates, slide in that groove and on top of the smooth, low friction, spring clip which resides over that knuckle.

This is the best I can give you. Hopefully you finally get it now.
 
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Eventually I got a nice new shiney spring. The rear wheel suddenly runs wonderfully smooth, i.e. no scraping of the pads on the disc.

For UK owners - this part seems on a back order with a few weeks wait, but BMW use / sell exactly the same part for some of their bikes with 1-day orders and it is cheaper than Moto Guzzi's. The BMW PN is: 34217671876.
 
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