Front Brake Failure - Temporary

[you you]

They have been hot, look at the brown discolouring


Theyll be fine though. Just change the fluid. It not like you'll be riding down that way again without pausing to let your brakes cool

Fang - great name

[maddiedog]

Whoa, that's some heat discoloration...

If you put it on the center stand and have someone hold the back end down (to elevate the front end), then spin the front tire, do you see any warping at all?

You also might want to check your brake pads to make sure they're still good.

[HawaiiJ]

The plan is to take it in this week for the 5000km service and work on getting he fluids swapped, brake pads replaced and disk replaced unless they can convince me otherwise. I figure with the cost of the parts and service here in Thailand it would be reasonable to get the repairs.

One other concern is the caliper, it "sizzled" as well when I touched it with my wet glove. I'm a little concerned about the longevity/integrity of this part as well considering how hot it got.

Anyone else have a concern about the caliper? Thoughts?

Thanks for the feedback.

[you you]

The plan is to take it in this week for the 5000km service and work on getting he fluids swapped, brake pads replaced and disk replaced unless they can convince me otherwise. I figure with the cost of the parts and service here in Thailand it would be reasonable to get the repairs.

One other concern is the caliper, it "sizzled" as well when I touched it with my wet glove. I'm a little concerned about the longevity/integrity of this part as well considering how hot it got.

Anyone else have a concern about the caliper? Thoughts?

Thanks for the feedback.

They woulnt try to hard to convince you not to change them I bet

[gn2]

The caliper will be fine if the piston seals hold.
Any leakage you'll probably just need new seals.
Brakes get hot, it's perfectly normal and nothing to get worried about imo.
So long as the disc isn't warped and the pads are not glazed all will be ok.

I'm interested to know if you allowed the clutch to disengage and just freewheeled riding the brakes without re-engaging the transmission...?

[you you]

The caliper will be fine if the piston seals hold.
Any leakage you'll probably just need new seals.
Brakes get hot, it's perfectly normal and nothing to get worried about imo.
So long as the disc isn't warped and the pads are not glazed all will be ok.

I'm interested to know if you allowed the clutch to disengage and just freewheeled riding the brakes without re-engaging the transmission...?

Agree about the brakes. Even glazed pads can be deglazed with a bit of sandpaper


Not sure about the disengaging the automatic part. It's a permanently driven CVT with no manual over-ride

[Taz]

The engine braking on the PCX seem really good on my gentle slopes on my commute and kicks in when you blip the throttle and are going over about 10mph. But if you coast downhill without blipping the throttle you dont get the engine braking. Has anyone else gone on long steep downhills? Ive got a 4200 foot mountain near here I could try on, but now have concerns!!!!

[you you]

The engine braking on the PCX seem really good on my gentle slopes on my commute and kicks in when you blip the throttle and are going over about 10mph. But if you coast downhill without blipping the throttle you dont get the engine braking. Has anyone else gone on long steep downhills? Ive got a 4200 foot mountain near here I could try on, but now have concerns!!!!

I have and didn't have any problems just used a closed throttle and used the brakes when I had to and released them

Mind you it's all relative, my experience of a steep incline might not be the same as yours. We've also got pull off areas and truck run off areas where we could let the brakes cool

I'm not sure I'd worry about the brakes overheating. I think the post was a pretty extreme example

[gn2]

Not sure about the disengaging the automatic part. It's a permanently driven CVT with no manual over-ride

As you brake and slow down the centrifugal force reduces.
With the throttle closed at an indicated 9mph(ish) there is no longer enough to keep the clutch engaged and it disengages.
If you release the brakes and don't open the throttle you will freewheel because the clutch has not been re-engaged by the centrifugal force from the increased engine rpm.
So with a bit of rider input it is possible to choose whether to have the drive engaged or disengaged on a long descent.
Given enough of a hill it should be possible to get a PCX to go faster with the engine switched off than with it driving the rear wheel...

[you you]

Not sure about the disengaging the automatic part. It's a permanently driven CVT with no manual over-ride

As you brake and slow down the centrifugal force reduces.
With the throttle closed at an indicated 9mph(ish) there is no longer enough to keep the clutch engaged and it disengages.
If you release the brakes and don't open the throttle you will freewheel because the clutch has not been re-engaged by the centrifugal force from the increased engine rpm.
So with a bit of rider input it is possible to choose whether to have the drive engaged or disengaged on a long descent.
Given enough of a hill it should be possible to get a PCX to go faster with the engine switched off than with it driving the rear wheel...

Does it? Tbh I've never noticed and I generally coast to a stop if I can to save fuel

I'll check it out this afternoon.

[gn2]

If you brake gently to a stop you can feel it disengage.

[HawaiiJ]

Yes, I would agree my situation was a result of an extreme condition and I doubt everyone would experience the same set of circumstances if they are lucky and careful. I don't think there's a problem with the PCX brake system overall, I just got into a bad situation the bike (or any other automatic bike) was not intended to handle. My fault.

I have noticed the transmission/clutch mechanism would "Catch" and the rear tires would almost "chirp" at a certain point. Until this point (the chirp) the bike was just rolling, after this point the bike would slow a little but with the amount of decline it would begin to accelerate and if left to do so you are in for quite a ride until you used the brakes.

The link below is to the Google Earth kmz file for the Doi AngKhang Military Checkpoint (Alt 1732m), if you wish you can play around with it and get an idea of the rate of decent and distance involved. If I had to do it over again, I would just plan on a 4 or 5 stage decent and not push to brakes past their limitations.

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BzMTr2 ... G5TUVFGWHc

I visited my Honda dealer to discuss repairs to the brakes. They suggested if I planned to drive on any mountainous roads it would be recommended to replace the front disk, if not then no changes were recommended since the brakes "seemed" to be in working order.

So, on the side of caution I ordered a new front disk and brake pads and will have the parts swap done next week in conjunction with the 5000K service. The cost of the parts were 575 & 390 Thai Baht. The labor estimate is only 150 THB for the installation. The total cost to repair is about 1065 THB or $34USD plus the brake fluid.

At this cost it was a fairly easy decision to make the parts swap.

[you you]

that's cheap, don't blame you in that case. Dread to think what it would cost here in the UK

[JGC]

that's cheap, don't blame you in that case. Dread to think what it would cost here in the UK

Multiply the figure (US $ one) by ten then add say another couple hundred and you might be close to UK price for the above work

[HawaiiJ]

That would be quite painful. I thought the cold, wet & windy weather were the tough things about being in the UK.

[you you]

Does it? Tbh I've never noticed and I generally coast to a stop if I can to save fuel

I'll check it out this afternoon.[/quote]


I've been out on all three scooters and I can't feel the clutch disengage whilst moving at all

They all do it just as you stop

[gn2]

If you brake gently from 20 to a standstill with the throttle closed it definitely does it at 9mph, it's very gentle.

[JGC]

Does it? Tbh I've never noticed and I generally coast to a stop if I can to save fuel

I'll check it out this afternoon.

I've been out on all three scooters and I can't feel the clutch disengage whilst moving at all

They all do it just as you stop[/quote]

It's barely perceptible, but it does happen, I've noticed it on mine. Took me by surprise first time, as I usualy ride a proper bike with a clutch, and didn't think the scooter would have such a feeling of a clutch disengaging!

[you you]

Does it? Tbh I've never noticed and I generally coast to a stop if I can to save fuel

I'll check it out this afternoon.

I've been out on all three scooters and I can't feel the clutch disengage whilst moving at all

They all do it just as you stop

It's barely perceptible, but it does happen, I've noticed it on mine. Took me by surprise first time, as I usualy ride a proper bike with a clutch, and didn't think the scooter would have such a feeling of a clutch disengaging![/quote]


As you stop or at 9mph?

[HawaiiJ]

Ok, my problem is resolved. New disk, new pads & new brake fluid. This was done in conjunction with the 5000 km service including an oil change and a host of checks and adjustments as needed.

Total damage - 1125 Thai baht. Not a bad price.

Oil changes here cost 110 + 5 Thai bath. Oil and o-ring replacement.

I have not had a chance to determine if the disk had any warpage but will check tomorrow and maybe post a pic of the swapped parts if I get a chance.

I have the wonderful opportunity of spending another day at immigration so I can continue my stay in Thailand.