Kawasaki Uni

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March 31st, 2010 admin Leave a comment Go to comments

Kawasaki Uni
Do Motorbikes have some type of Oil within their rear breaking system-Snapped Break pads/ scratched rotor &OIL?

I have a 1995 Kawasaki ZZR 250.

I was riding home from uni this afternoon when I noticed that I had no back breaks.

Once comming home, I noticed that the break pads seem to have snapped off and the rotor is completly scratched the whole way around.

There is also some type of black OIL type substance all over the back tyer and also on the rotor - I need comfirmation that is oil is from the breaking system in the rear, and not the bike it's self?

First thing: it's brakes, not breaks.

The pads wore out miles and miles ago, and you just didn't hear them squealing. Once the pad material wore off, the backing plates were trying to stop your bike by clamping onto the rotor. Since they are made of steel, and your rotor is made of cast iron, your rotor is now junk. The heat build-up from the contact between the plates and your rotor most likely melted the seals in your caliper, which caused brake fluid to leak out. The fluid is DOT3 brake fluid, which is supposed to be clear. It looks black because it has mixed with all of the dirt back there.

This is a disaster waiting to happen. Do not not ride it until you get it repaired. I know you can use the front brakes only, but there's more to it than that: if the rear seals fail completely and dump brake fluid on your rear tire, you're a dead man.

At the least, you are going to need a new rotor, new pads, new fluid, and new seals. If the caliper is not physically ground up, it may be possible to avoid buying a new caliper by just replacing the rear seals, but it's hard to find a technician who even believes that seal replacement is even possible. If you hear that from a mechanic, change mechanics. I've re-sealed dozens of calipers. Check out online auction sites to find a used rear caliper- that's what I'd do if I wasn't a mechanic.

Lastly, look at your brakes every single time you ride. All it takes is a glance. You don't have to crawl, squint, moan- just look. If something's wrong, you need to see it before it kills you, and few things will kill you faster than broken brakes. I do a once-over of my tires, brakes, chain, whatever, as I'm buckling my helmet and putting my gloves on.

Good Luck