More problems?

[Harrysf707]

So, I bled the brakes for the FZR, put in new DOT4 brake fluid and now the brakes are rubbing on the rotors. It's getting to the point where it is very difficult to push because the brakes are rubbing on the rotors without any application of the brake lever. When I go to press the front brake lever all the way, very little pressure seemed to be applied to the rotors. So new Master Cylinder??

And to top it off, while riding the bike today, the headlight and the gauge lights started to dim, the bike felt like it was a bout to stall, so I pulled in the clutch and it just died. Couldn't get it started back up again so I had to walk/push it 10ish miles home ... I went home and charged the battery and measured the volts with the bike running and it reads 13.12 volts. Does this mean that that my VR/R is fried? I was just about to replace it too...

Any assistance is appreciated guys!

[thatkid]

Multiple possibilities. The calipers could be sticking. The piston isn't retracting all the way to let up on the rotors. This sounds pretty viable. The handle not applying much pressure to the calipers when pulled all the way is most likely air in the lines. Get yourself a mityvac and save future hassles.

The dimming and loss of power definitely sounds like the VR is going faulty. It could also just be your battery sucks. How new is it? Are you confident it's solid and holding/accepting a charge? If the battery starts to drain, for whatever reason, the bike will not want to rev above 3k ish and have no power and die on clutch pull. So, it could just be a crappy battery or it could be a combination of crappy battery and VR or just VR.

[DonTZ125]

At what speed did you measure the battery voltage? The charging system isn't really doing much until around 3k; I usually recommend checking it at 5k. That said, if your VRR is going out (or gone), at least it failed low. It's annoying, but a lot less damage than failing high ...

[M in KC]

If you are still using the stock M/C or any othe M/C for that matter confirm the tiny return brake fluid passage is clear and unobstructed. In the stock configured M/C it is under the little baffle plate in the bottom of the M/C. As you squeeze and release the brake lever you should see a small stream of brake fluid returning to the M/C via this hole. Mind you this hole/passage is small and can easily become obstructed with debris. I also think like Nate that you probably still have air in lines somewhere. A MityVac or a Phoenix reverse injection tool can make your next brake bleeding job much quicker.

Check your caliper piston boots and slide pins to verify they are not contributing to your brakes hanging up. When everything is right you should just hear the slights amount of drag on your front rotors from your brake pads when pushing your bike. These are the simple and easy tings to check. Beyond that you might be looking a caliper rebuilds. Not that big of a deal just a little more work. I strongly encourage you to get your brakes sorted before riding again. Cause the only thing more important than going fast, is stopping faster.

[Harrysf707]

Thanks guys!

@ M in KC: Yeah I was looking at a complete caliper rebuild, and when I checked the front M/C the brake fluid was thicker than usual and looked like it had tiny specs in them. I'm probably going to replace the M/C, just to be on the safe side.

@thatkid: The battery is basically brand new, I bought it 2-3 months ago and it can hold a charge, although not for that long. Had it charged at 12.7 volts let it sit while I was working on it for 2 weeks, battery was drained to 11.6 volts. didn't even turn the bike on. Could I have gotten a crappy battery to begin with?

@DonTZ: I don't know at what speeds really, since the Tachometer doesn't work. However I did have it revving pretty high, it was definitely faster than if I had the choke on.