Speaking of the brake system and lubricant, they are like cats and dogs, but some parts require lubrication. The pivot bolt of the brake lever is required to grease up in order to operate the lever smoothly. If the lubricant runs out, the lever touch sense will deteriorate, causing problems such as increased the pivot and lever wear, so let's grease up regularly.
Table of Contents
1. Lubrication of pivot bolts is important
The photo shown above is the brake lever of the YAMAHA Dragstar. The piston pressing part of the master cylinder is equipped with an adjustment screw to adjust the play of the lever. If the lubricant is excessive, dirt is easy to adhere to, but if the lubricant is insufficient, the lever and the holder wear out.
Have you ever felt that the brakes were too heavy or hard to control the brake when you squeeze the brake lever?
The pivot bolt not only prevents the lever from falling, but also it plays an important part in ensuring that the lever moves smoothly, so lubrication by grease is essential. If water is applied to the master cylinder or brake lever when riding on a rainy weather or in washing the motorcycle, moisture will also adhere to the pivot part.
Originally, the disc brake system is characterized by the ability to control the braking power through pressing the piston according to the amount of squeeze on the lever, but if the lubrication of the pivot part is poor, the brake lever will not move smoothly, and as a result, it may cause poor controllability.
In addition, if keeping to use while dust and dirt are attached to the pivot part, dust and dirt act like an abrasive and have an adverse effect. In order to avoid it, greasing up is required for the pivot part.
2. After removing the pivot bolt, perform wear out checking and cleaning it.
The pivot bolt often has a lock nut on the back of the lever holder. In this case, remove the nut first while holding the bolt.
For cleaning and greasing up, remove the pivot bolt on the brake lever. This pivot bolt penetrates the brake lever holder, and it often has the lock nut at the back of the lever holder, so remove the lock nut first before loosening the bolt.
When the nut is removed, loosen the bolt from the upper of the lever holder. There may be a case that some model has a return spring between the brake lever and the holder, so in such a model, before the bolt comes off, press the lever against the master cylinder side, remove the bolt, and gradually pull out the lever to prevent the spring from jumping out.
Since the hole of the bolt in the soft aluminum lever will expand if the steel pivot bolt and the aluminum lever will continue to rub each other under insufficient lubrication, after cleaning the bolt and lever with a parts cleaner, check the bolt whether it will pass through the hole of the lever smoothly or not.
If you continue to use the lever in the state of poor lubrication, the top and bottom of the hole will be bigger, and the bolt will move like a pedal. Then, when the lever is operated, it may rub against the holder and cause friction, or the gap between the lever and the holder may expand due to wear and the play may increase, so it is better to replace the lever as soon as possible. Some models have a brass collar inserted into the lever bolt hole to reduce the wear of soft aluminum. So If there is the brass collar, clean it like a lever or bolt.
3. Brake touch can be improved with an appropriate amount of grease
On the middle part of the pivot bolt shaft that contacts the hole of the brake lever is not threaded. In vintage motorcycles, there is also a type in which a collar with a full-thread bolt and a female thread is set in the lever hole. Apply grease not only to the bolts but also to the upper and lower surfaces of the lever that contact the lever holder.
The YAMALUBE Grease B is a highly pressurized grease that can also be used for stands and stem bearings. It is ideal not only for the pivot bolt but also for the tip of the adjustment bolt that pushes the piston of the master cylinder.
As the grease applied to the pivot bolt, lithium or urea grease that are difficult to flow even if moisture adheres and the oil film is hard to break even if a strong force is applied to the pivot shaft is recommended.
Even if a lot of grease is applied, excess grease will be often removed when the bolt is passed through the hole of the lever, and the grease adhering to an unnecessary part may take in the dirt. So apply as much as possible so that the oil film firmly on the surface.
Also, if the lever is removed, apply a small amount of grease to the contact part of the piston and the lever of the master cylinder also. The lever and the piston are in contact on the surface, and if you observe it in more detail when you grasp the lever, it is pressed while rubbing the end face of the piston.
Therefore, by applying grease to the piston, it can be expected that the lever will be able to push the piston smoothly and lever touch can be expected to improve in the area where the lever stroke is small and the brakes start to work.
Conversely, if there is no lubrication element in this part, there is not much bad effect in the short term, in the future, friction loss will occur at the contact point between the lever and the piston, which may cause the master piston to wear.
It is strictly prohibited to apply oil to the brake rotor or brake pad, but it is important to understand that there are parts of the same brake system that require lubrication, and try to grease them regularly.
4. First of all, let's maintain before replacing to the high-performance parts.
When greasing up the lever that has lost lubricity, the lever touch when the lever is lightly squeezed is improved, and the controllability is improved. Worn parts due to poor lubrication make extra expenses, so do not run out the lubrication of the pivot bolt.
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See Accessories for YAMAHA DRAGSTAR 250 (XVS250, V-Star250)
