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Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: Zoom on August 13, 2019, 09:35:59 AM
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To any other SR/F owners:
I've put about 300 miles on mine and noticed today a firm clicking sound when the front brake is applied at low speed, coming from the rotor or caliper. Honestly it might have always been doing this and I didn't notice until now. If the bike is stationary, there's no sound when squeezing the brake, but If I'm rolling slowly in my garage it will ca-clack when I grab it. Above say, 15-20mph, I don't think it happens or I can't hear it. I did some googling on the subject and I've seen riders of other bikes describe something similar and write it off to expected behavior (pads moving slightly?)
I'll be bringing it in for it's 600 mile service soon anyway and will have it examined, but if anyone else has the same sound that would be reassuring. At least braking performance still seems powerful as ever.
Edit: on further inspection, it could also be coming from the front shocks? Hard to tell.
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My SR/F does this, but so did my previous ICE bike.
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That's reassuring. I think I was overthinking it, I hit a pretty gnarly pothole today and then began to notice this sound, couldn't recall if it was always there, and my brain began to run wild. :)
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Mine does this as well. I don't know what the sound is, but I don't care for it. The brakes appear to work fine, but it is not a reassuring sound.
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Got the same click on mine. Weird sound i noticed immediately.
There are also some clicks at low speed while turning i think... looks like sensors maybe...
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I too have noticed this. I think it's the shoes moving forward initially. I noticed it will only do it once until I come to a full stop (allowing the shoes to move backward again). Seems like they probably could be a little better sized to avoid this motion?
Steve
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Yes, I noticed this on mine on day one but there is no reason for concern:
The noise comes from the disks brakes being the "floating" kind: Notice the disks are attached to the wheel with what looks like rivets?
This provides some room for when the disks get hot and (like all metals) grow in size a tiny bit. The wheel does not get hot and they had to come up with a design that would allow some leeway between the two parts.
So, those rivets hold the disks in place but it is not a solid point; they are a bit loose to allow thermal expansion of the disks as related to the wheel. The designers failed to make it silent, hence we hear the clicking noises.
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If I'm rolling slowly on my Triumph Speed Triple RS with Brembo's and touch the front brake, there is an audible clack when it kicks in.
Do SR/F's have Brembo's? I can't remember.
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If I'm rolling slowly on my Triumph Speed Triple RS with Brembo's and touch the front brake, there is an audible clack when it kicks in.
Do SR/F's have Brembo's? I can't remember.
No, they have JJuan.
But this system to allow thermal movement between disks and wheel is being used by a whole bunch of manufacturers.
I understand disks were being warped by getting hot and not having room to expand and they decided to implement this design to prevent the heat from causing harm to the disks.
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The only time that I have experienced this clicking noise is on one of my ICE bikes in the past. It was the result of looseness in the steering bearings tension. Once the steering bearings were properly adjusted the clicking went away. I thought that might be your problem at first, but when I heard that so many others had the same experience, it seems unlikely that the noise is coming from loose steering bearings. What would concern me is that continual movement of whatever it is that is making the noise might be wearing something out over time. ???
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The noise comes from the disks brakes being the "floating" kind...
I'm not a mechanical engineer, but since the caliper grips the disk from both sides, I'd think either the disk or the caliper would have to "float". There's no way you're going to perfectly center the disk in the caliper, and even if you did, uneven pad wear would quickly make the centering imperfect.
Seems to me most of the brake calipers I've replaced pads on over the years floated on heavy pins, with the disk solidly mounted. Isn't that the way most brakes are configured? Do both the caliper and disk float on the SR/F?
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The caliper has to "float" regardless of the design on the disk because the pads wears out and it has to recenter itself.
The SR/F has the kind of disk they call semi-floating: It does not float like a loose disk as in some motorcycles where it is very loose and sometimes noisy but it does allow for certain movement of the disk.
A short article describing the 3 types of motorcycle disk brakes: https://www.biketorqueracing.co.uk/pages/about/btr-tech-station/fixed-or-floating-brake-discs.htm (https://www.biketorqueracing.co.uk/pages/about/btr-tech-station/fixed-or-floating-brake-discs.htm)
Proof of this is the fact that the disks are held in place by these "buttons" that are designed to do just that. If they did not intend movement there, they would be mounted with solid screws that would bite hard on the disks.
It seems to me that Zero tightens these buttons a bit too much (or the brake manufacturer) hence the clicking noise everyone is experiencing.
Maybe after a few months of use they will loosen a bit and the noise will diminish but that remains to be seen.
Lots of videos on youtube about keeping these buttons clean to allow the functionality they were designed for. Some nice suggestions on how to do it quickly too. Google "motorcycle brake disc bobbins"
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Only experienced this with two Zeroes, never with brembos, Hayes, and some others. Maybe J Juan thing?
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Only experienced this with two Zeroes, never with brembos, Hayes, and some others. Maybe J Juan thing?
You hit the nail right on the head.
J Juan makes the master cylinder/lever so, one can assume the disk brake assembly is also made by them but it could be yet another manufacturer. Since there is no name stamped on the parts, you can't tell for sure.
Based on what I have read on the subject, there needs to be certain "play" between the brake disk and the plate around it but the bobbins are so tight (like rivets fully compressed) I don't think there is any.
I have been researching the bobbins and there are companies selling replacements for them but none I have found have the dimensions listed on their web sites. Would hate to buy them to find out they don't fit the SR/F.
On the other hand, I would rather not muck around with the front brake, just because. . .
I can live with the clicking as it. Hopefully, it won't get worse.
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Guys, if is like to me, my 2018 SR maked a similar sound with front brake. My sound came from the brake pads moving a little bit. I fix it. Remove the caliper, you can see the little piece of metal (high) position.
Tighten them so that the pads are tight when you put them back.
I never hear again after that.
I hope you understand! I can put some pictures.
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Only experienced this with two Zeroes, never with brembos, Hayes, and some others. Maybe J Juan thing?
You hit the nail right on the head.
J Juan makes the master cylinder/lever so, one can assume the disk brake assembly is also made by them but it could be yet another manufacturer. Since there is no name stamped on the parts, you can't tell for sure.
Strange that the sr/F caliper doesn't have the j.juan stamp on them, because my dsr does.