low bar blues

[Patrick_Krivacka]

as if frank' n' beemer doesn't have enough problems. A friend gave me some low bars and I decided to try them out. they went on easy enough, but now the front brakes are tight. is there anyway to adjust the front brakes, or do I need to switch back to the standard bars, or buy a new front brake line? as always, thanks.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Do you have a master cylinder on the throttle perch?

The older airheads had the master cylinder located under the tank, with a cable operating the piston.
If this is what you have, it is possible that the cable is binding.

If you have a MC on the handlebar, with a hose going either to a junction or straight to the caliper, then it might be kinked, especially in the former situation.  Where is your brake light switch located?

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

This is what mine looks like.  That hose length is correct for BMW low bars (Euro or 'S' bars).
You can see the hydraulic brake light switch to the right, on the splitter.
This was unique to the 1st generation bikes.  In 1981 they went with a mechanical switch on the perch, I believe.  That is easily differentiated by the rectangular MC.

[Patrick_Krivacka]

thanks rob. it's under the tank. So it should work if i can get the kink out? thanks again.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Yeah - just try rerouting the cable.

For maximum braking performance, you might consider shopping for a handlebar mount MC.

The MC's under the tank get neglected and leak fluid all over everything, really making a mess, IMHO...

[Patrick_Krivacka]

again rob, thanks. I messed with the cable a little last night. the front wheel is no longer completely frozen, but there is some drag. Is that normal? Front wheels have some drag, right. I mean you can't just spin them like on a bicycle?

[bruce_launceston]

You should be able to spin your front wheel without any binding so it seems something is still not right.

[montmil]

...Front wheels have some drag, right. I mean you can't just spin them like on a bicycle?

You should be able to get several revolutions with a good twist of the wrist. A little bit of brake pad contact with the disc is not abnormal.

Monte

[Patrick_Krivacka]

thanks y'all. I'll dig into it before I ride.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Now I realize you may not have a R65 fork on that bike, so it may not do like mine.  Or at least, mine before I wrecked it.  I haven't checked it since the crash.

(turn your volume down a little)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=961A4V371sc

The real action starts at 1:00.

[Patrick_Krivacka]

took off the tank and adjusted the cable, now all is well. thanks for the help. I think I'll keep a look out for a handle bar mounted MC. thanks again