2003 K1200RS front wheel & brake calipers

With the back end rebuild completed I've had my '03 K1200RS up on a jack under the engine block and on the center stand/rear wheel for about a week while removing the original front shock and installing a low mileage unit fresh from a EPM Performance rebuild and
cosmetically re-finishing my lower fork legs and installing new seals, dust covers, fork oil and a Hyperpro steering dampener etc.
I have both the factory service manual and the Clymer.

When I removed the front wheel I had a long struggle to get the brake calipers free - they were "interlocked" between the rotor and the wheel rim. The manuals are not much help, offering only "remove both brake calipers". After 30 minutes of playing with the right hand caliper I was frustrated and right on the verge of removing the 5 fasteners holding the rotor to the wheel hub when the right caliper came free and then I repeated the whole long, tedious process of twisting, pulling, fiddling, sliding with the left side caliper to free it.

Now I'm ready to put everything back in place and I'm not looking forward to repeating the brake caliper ordeal.

Does anyone have a technique or specific method to get the front calipers off/on?
What am I doing wrong?

Prep was a through degreasing both prior to and after scuffing the entire external surface with a Medium ScotchBrite pad and 320 wet/dry on the worst parts, careful not to go deep enough to expose bare metal.
I really like these latest generation of Acrylic Lacquer aerosols.
The clear is a semi gloss/satin and virtually invisible after application.

k547 said:

Does anyone have a technique or specific method to get the front calipers off/on?
What am I doing wrong?

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Apply painter’s tape to the rim in the area of the caliper. Remove the caliper bolts and slide the caliper toward the rim until the center of the pads is at the edge of the rotor. Rock the caliper in/out several times, perpendicular to the rotor. This will push back the pads and pistons slightly. Once the pads and caliper pistons are pushed back a little the caliper can be lifted toward the rim and tilted slightly, and will clear the rim easily.

Best,
DeVern

GTRider said:

Apply painter’s tape to the rim in the area of the caliper. Remove the caliper bolts and slide the caliper toward the rim until the center of the pads is at the edge of the rotor. Rock the caliper in/out several times, perpendicular to the rotor. This will push back the pads and pistons slightly. Once the pads and caliper pistons are pushed back a little the caliper can be lifted toward the rim and tilted slightly, and will clear the rim easily.

Best,
DeVern

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That's how I did it. Rocking the calipers to push the pad back really helps. I did the same with the K1300S and R1200/1250RS.

So to reverse the process I'll insert something non marring between the pads now that the calipers are off and press the pads/pistons back into the calipers to gain more clearance....

Thank you DeVern and Lee

k547 said:

So to reverse the process I'll insert something non marring between the pads now that the calipers are off and press the pads/pistons back into the calipers to gain more clearance....

Thank you DeVern and Lee

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The pads probably wont move when the calipers are off but I put something between the pads in case I happen to bump the front brake lever.

Lee said:

The pads probably wont move when the calipers are off but I put something between the pads in case I happen to bump the front brake lever.

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Those look like the same door shims I use to block back the pads & pistons.

Best,
DeVern

While pushing back the pads in the calipers, don’t forget to monitor the fluid level in the master cylinder reservoir so that it doesn’t overflow.

98lee said:

While pushing back the pads in the calipers, don’t forget to monitor the fluid level in the master cylinder reservoir so that it doesn’t overflow.

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Thanks 98lee