Ok- Bought the bike and got it home. So, as I was advised already, I'm gonna replace the brake hoses ASAP - that was sort of the plan anyway. But, I've been riding it a bit, and it's been great. Put a new tire on on, and the brakes seemed fine. Then the brake light quit working. I put it up on the center stand and notice that the front wheel isn't spinning freely at all - the brakes just aren't letting it go. Two problems at once. So I take off the cover in front of the brake light switch and master cylinder and everything in there is totally gunked up with crystalized brake fluid. I clean that out as best I can and that gets the brake light working again. I open the reservoir and it's near empty. (I'm pretty sure I'd checked the sight glass earlier and it seemed fine, but I COULD be wrong). I don't see any fresh leaks around the master cylinder though, and it seems like this gunk has been here a while. So, when I apply the front brakes, the tire is totally stopped. When I release, the tire will spin a bit, but it's difficult. It appears that the return into the reservoir is clogged. I had read somewhere that a very thin guitar string can fix that, and luckily I had a bunch handy. A little poking around and sure enough, brake fluid squirts up at me. The wheel spins a bit easier. I top off the brake fluid... things are working better. But I'm still not liking it.
So, to make a long story short, brake lines AND master cylinder rebuild kit will be on the way next week. ASAP became NOW. I think i can do this on my own, but any tips would really be appreciated. I'm thinking about getting the Galfer lines- they're cheaper than spiegler and seem to be really high quality as well - what do you think? http://galferusa.com/product/bmw-1996-r-850-r-front-lines-fk003d306-3
Here's a pic of the master cylinder - I'm hoping someone just spilled brake fluid all over it last time they topped up?
Thanks for any advice/suggestions.
Doug
So, to make a long story short, brake lines AND master cylinder rebuild kit will be on the way next week. ASAP became NOW. I think i can do this on my own, but any tips would really be appreciated. I'm thinking about getting the Galfer lines- they're cheaper than spiegler and seem to be really high quality as well - what do you think? http://galferusa.com/product/bmw-1996-r-850-r-front-lines-fk003d306-3
Here's a pic of the master cylinder - I'm hoping someone just spilled brake fluid all over it last time they topped up?
Thanks for any advice/suggestions.
Doug