Front brake too weak?

[tompat]

Got my Supercharger last week. This is my first experience with hydraulic brakes, so I really don't know what to expect. I've read that one should be careful with the front brake. If it is pulled too hard there is a significant risk of the wheel locking and the bike flipping over.

Well, not in my experience the last couple of days. No matter how hard I pull the front brake it refuses to lock even on fairly loose ground (gravel, turf). Some say you need to "break in" the pads with 30-40 hard brakes and they will get better. So I've tried my best doing so, still it lacks the power to lock the wheel.

I'm not looking to get into an accident, just want to use the maximum available brake power and learn to modulate the usage.

 

[Chris Nolte]

Congrats on the new ride!

How does the lever feel? Can you pull it to the grip? If the lever feels solid similar to the rear lever I would look at the pads and rotors.

It’s possible the brake pads or the rotor is contaminated. You could pull the pads and clean them with some Emory cloth. They could be glazed.

 

[tompat]

Thanks Chris.

It's possible to squeeze the (front brake) lever almost all the way to the grip. Almost. And still it doesn't lock the wheel completely. I'll try cleaning the rotor with some brake fluid and see if it gets better. If it doesn't I can try swapping the front and rear pads and see what happens, this would tell if the pads are damaged.

If nothing helps I guess I have to bleed the system. Have done my own auto repairs for the last 20 years so it will be interesting to see how this works in the bike world!

 

[Chris Nolte]

Thanks Chris.

It's possible to squeeze the (front brake) lever almost all the way to the grip. Almost. And still it doesn't lock the wheel completely. I'll try cleaning the rotor with some brake fluid and see if it gets better. If it doesn't I can try swapping the front and rear pads and see what happens, this would tell if the pads are damaged.

If nothing helps I guess I have to bleed the system. Have done my own auto repairs for the last 20 years so it will be interesting to see how this works in the bike world!

Just make sure you use the appropriate fluid. It could just need to be burped. Just open the reservoir and flick the lever to try to get the air to come to the top. From there you can just fill the reservoir. I would try that first as it sounds like there is just a bit of air in the system.

 

[tompat]

Thanks for sharing @JayVee
The bike is only 5 days old and I've not notice any leak yet. But I'll certainly keep an eye on this.

Are you sure your MT4 calipers are not defective and should be dealt with your dealer? Fluid leaking from a brake caliper (from my automotive experience) happens because the rubber sealing between the piston and cylinder is defective. On older cars leaks can also happen because of rust in the cylinder surfaces but this is hardly the case with our bikes.

I also have the MT4e with brake light switches. Do you think the MT5e would be better from a quality standpoint? It is an entirely different caliper.

 

[dwahunt]

Anyone have any thoughts on this Magura MT4 rear brake issue? While unlocking my new Homage from a bike rack it fell over on its right side on grass. There was no apparent damage, although the rear fender was knocked out of alignment, which was easily addressed. But as I started on my way I noticed the right brake lever no longer activated the rear brake. Stretched cable, perhaps? Did the fall cause a loss of brake fluid? As I said, there's no outward sign of damage, so I am flummoxed. Many thanks for consideration of my problem, any thoughts on solutions.