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[DonTom]

I have no idea how this happened, but today, I noticed my 2020 SS9-, was leaking brake fluid from the rear of the back wheel brake caliper.


I removed the caliper and took it apart for a closer look. See photos below of the rear caliper back piston cup. Perhaps my rear brake pad has been causing brake drag without me knowing because of the high regen. The last time I rode this bike was about two weeks ago and I didn't notice anything wrong at that time. The bike was on the side stand in the garage since then, but I was just today getting it ready to ride today when I discovered this problem.


The rear brake pad was totally worn down, yet the rear brake gets used very little with the high regen. The other pad (front of rear caliper) looks fine. I assume I had one pad locked out without knowing, perhaps causing brake drag.


Is it still possible to order parts for this?


-Don-  Auburn, CA

[DonTom]

Also, nothing left of the two o-ring seals, which explains the fluid leak:




-Don-  Auburn, CA

[Specter]

just a standard Brembo brake right?   order directly or goto Energica yourself, they ARE open for business in san fran !!

aaron

[DonTom]

I called the Energica dealer in Livermore, CA (where I purchased the bike late in year 2019). As I expected, they told me they canNOT get it.


But I think my caliper is repairable. I filed the piston cap end a bit rounder, so it's a slightly deeper better fit inside the caliper and I ordered a bunch of metric automotive grade O-ring kits. Hopefully one of the sizes will fit.


I also took the cup out from the opposite side and those O-rings looked well eaten up as well.


Hopefully the new O-rings work with brake fluid. I doubt they can be much worse than the original ones.


While the larger front brake calipers say "brcmbo" right on them, the much different design rear brake caliper gives no clue who made it.


-Don-  Auburn, CA

[Specter]

Also, heavy regen or not, you should still be able to tell if you have a brake hanging up or not, there still is an idle spot in there, if you can't find it, you may be dragging.  Then there is the smell as things start to heat up and cook off.
Might want to pay a bit more attention when you ride, or make it a habit to inspect the bike each time you get on / off looking for issues such this.
while your problem so far is just .. annoying,  if that thing locked up at 70 mph or so, that problem, suddenly may be an order or two of magnitude more urgent.

Aaron

[most]

Energica is using a standard Bembo rear caliper with the PN 920.B852.93. It has got a 34mm piston and is used a lot in Ducati and other bikes. As for Ducati you will find it in the 1100MONSTER, 1200MONSTER & 1200MULTISTRADA but also in MV Agusta BRUTALE675 & BRUTALE800. With that any dealer should be able to order a repair kit. Brembo repair kits are often available with and w/o the pistons.

FWIW, the seal between the caliper halves are a pain. Once taken apart, there is a high likeliness that you will not be able to get them reassembled without them leaking - at least with the original Brembo kit. Made this experience myself and after double checking with the dealer he mentioned that he made the same experience on other models but with that caliper 920.B852.93.

Good luck!!

[DonTom]

Energica is using a standard Bembo rear caliper with the PN 920.B852.93. It has got a 34mm piston and is used a lot in Ducati and other bikes. As for Ducati you will find it in the 1100MONSTER, 1200MONSTER & 1200MULTISTRADA but also in MV Agusta BRUTALE675 & BRUTALE800. With that any dealer should be able to order a repair kit. Brembo repair kits are often available with and w/o the pistons.

FWIW, the seal between the caliper halves are a pain. Once taken apart, there is a high likeliness that you will not be able to get them reassembled without them leaking - at least with the original Brembo kit. Made this experience myself and after double checking with the dealer he mentioned that he made the same experience on other models but with that caliper 920.B852.93.

Good luck!!

Thanks!


That was the type of info I needed in case I cannot get my caliper back together.


I confirmed that is the same brake caliper. That means I do not have to try to get it from Energica, and that is great news!


I see it on E-Bay, but there they do not ship to the USA.




But I should be able to find it elsewhere not that I have a part number.


Thanks again!


-Don-  Auburn, CA

[DonTom]

Energica is using a standard Bembo rear caliper with the PN 920.B852.93. It has got a 34mm piston and is used a lot in Ducati and other bikes. As for Ducati you will find it in the 1100MONSTER, 1200MONSTER & 1200MULTISTRADA but also in MV Agusta BRUTALE675 & BRUTALE800. With that any dealer should be able to order a repair kit. Brembo repair kits are often available with and w/o the pistons.

FWIW, the seal between the caliper halves are a pain. Once taken apart, there is a high likeliness that you will not be able to get them reassembled without them leaking - at least with the original Brembo kit. Made this experience myself and after double checking with the dealer he mentioned that he made the same experience on other models but with that caliper 920.B852.93.

Good luck!!

I just now ordered it from another local place on Ebay. A new one, which says it costs only $136.00 but they add on $90.00 in shipping costs and  ten bucks in other BS, so it totals $226.00 (the real price).


I will still try to fix my old one just to see what happens, but I will soon have the new one anyway.


-Don-  Auburn, CA

[Richard230]

Energica is using a standard Bembo rear caliper with the PN 920.B852.93. It has got a 34mm piston and is used a lot in Ducati and other bikes. As for Ducati you will find it in the 1100MONSTER, 1200MONSTER & 1200MULTISTRADA but also in MV Agusta BRUTALE675 & BRUTALE800. With that any dealer should be able to order a repair kit. Brembo repair kits are often available with and w/o the pistons.

FWIW, the seal between the caliper halves are a pain. Once taken apart, there is a high likeliness that you will not be able to get them reassembled without them leaking - at least with the original Brembo kit. Made this experience myself and after double checking with the dealer he mentioned that he made the same experience on other models but with that caliper 920.B852.93.

Good luck!!

I just now ordered it from another local place on Ebay. A new one, which says it costs only $136.00 but they add on $90.00 in shipping costs and  ten bucks in other BS, so it totals $226.00 (the rear price).


I will still try to fix my old one just to see what happens, but I will soon have the new one anyway.


-Don-  Auburn, CA

Ouch! That is one hell of a shipping fee. 

[DonTom]

Ouch! That is one hell of a shipping fee. 

I think it is the BS factor, the seller fee is (or at least used to be)based on the price of the item, not counting the shipping, so they pay less of a fee if something has a price tag of one cent and a shipping cost of several hundred bucks.


We Just have to always look at the total price, not the advertised price.


I never sell anything on eBay, so I do not know how it works these days, but I thought they once had so many people playing such games that they added the seller fees to the shipping, because it was costing eBay a lot of loss in the fees. I don't blame them as the price for everything could be one cent otherwise, so I am not sure why sellers seem to be playing this game again. But it is beginning to look like the old way is back, where shipping is not included in the seller's fee.


-Don-  Auburn, CA

[DonTom]

FWIW, the seal between the caliper halves are a pain. Once taken apart, there is a high likeliness that you will not be able to get them reassembled without them leaking - at least with the original Brembo kit. Made this experience myself and after double checking with the dealer he mentioned that he made the same experience on other models but with that caliper 920.B852.93.

Good luck!!

I discovered this in a search:



"The manufacturer recommends that the calipers not be split as they can distort and leak when they go back together even with new o-rings. The pistons can be removed without splitting the caliper."


But not sure if it is the same caliper. But the same issue, obviously.

BTW, do you have a part number for the rear caliper repair kit for the 920.B852.93 ?

I can only find the front, which I think is BRA31631. But I am not even sure about that.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[DonTom]

To my surprise, I used a single O-ring on each side from this HFT kit and put it all together and bleed it all and so far, perfect! I have not yet ridden it anywhere since the repair, but the rear brake feels perfect and no leaks.  No dragging, no problems at all. But so far, I have only moved the bike around in the garage and keep on checking the rear brake that now feels just like a new bike.


I think this will at least last me until I get my new caliper.


All I did to put the two halves together is clean them, put a little engine oil on the small seals, as well as the piston cup seals, and tightened the haves to the point it was well in danger of breaking my tools. I had the caliper in a vise to do such as that is what I needed to do to split them. With a long telescopic wrench that gives a lot of leverage.  I made sure I put it back just as tight as the way I found it.  A lot more torque used than one would think is necessary.


Perhaps not done the correct way, but if it works, that is all the counts!


Since I do feel it is safe to ride, I will do my test ride tomorrow. And when I decide to go back to Reno, I will take this bike (100 miles/160 KM). When I get my new caliper, I will then decide if I even want to bother with changing it. But I should at least change the pads, they are worn down perhaps from drag when the original seals somehow got chewed up.


-Don-  Auburn, CA

[most]

… put a little engine oil on the small seals, as well as the piston cup seals…

Don‘t ride it like that!!!

For assembly of brake caliper pistons and seals there are special lubricants that can be mixed with brake fluid. Motor oil cannot, mainly because Motor oil can damage rubber parts in the brake system incl. ABS block (!!!), leading to leaks and failure. Next, it's much thicker than brake fluid, hindering proper brake function. Further more, it has a much lower boiling point, increasing the risk of dangerous vapor lock. So you have managed to contaminate the brake system => that’s why I would highly recommend to carefully reflush the brake system.

I‘m afraid I don‘t know the PN for the repair kit. Google was not very helpful with that, so I would recommend to contact a Brembo sales office, possibly via a local motorcycle dealer, and ask for that.

[most]

Just last week I have done a 20mins YT video on brake caliper service. It‘s in German but if you watch it via web browser (not iOS or iPadOS App) then the auto CC does a fairly good job. Maybe worth watching?!

[DonTom]

Don‘t ride it like that!!!

For assembly of brake caliper pistons and seals there are special lubricants that can be mixed with brake fluid. Motor oil cannot, mainly because Motor oil can damage rubber parts in the brake system incl. ABS block (!!!), leading to leaks and failure. Next, it's much thicker than brake fluid, hindering proper brake function. Further more, it has a much lower boiling point, increasing the risk of dangerous vapor lock. So you have managed to contaminate the brake system => that’s why I would highly recommend to carefully reflush the brake system.

I‘m afraid I don‘t know the PN for the repair kit. Google was not very helpful with that, so I would recommend to contact a Brembo sales office, possibly via a local motorcycle dealer, and ask for that.

The entire thing will be flushed again when I receiver the new brake caliper which will be in a couple of weeks. I figure since I need to change the brake pads anyway, I will change the caliper then.


It is less than a drop of motorail on the seals only, for reassembly.  And the seals I have in there are NOT even designed for brake fluid, but for oil.   I doubt it will hurt anything, and I almost believe it cannot be as bad as it got from the pure brake fluid where the stock seals which got eaten away to the point there is almost nothing left of them.


But this is just for temporary use. Don't need much rear brake anyway with the high regen along with the fact I ride much like a little old lady (which gives much better range on electrics!).

I am surprised what I did today works at all.  But I doubt I will ever get the rear brake hot enough to cause any issues.


-Don-  Auburn, CA