A couple of rides ago we were going through a long switchback section where you are on the brakes a lot. The rear brake started to howl and get louder and louder. Then the fluid boiled and I lost the rear peddle all together. When I got home I changed out the fluid thinking that it was old and absorbed water. I replaced it with Maxima Dot 4. The next time we went thru this section the rear started to howl again telling me the rear brake was getting hot. So I tried not use the brake so much to let it cool. No peddle failure this time. Last time we rode I did however loose the rear peddle again. Do I need to change to Dot 5 or am I missing something here. Is this bike prone to this. Peddle is adjusted correctly but I have not experienced this before. 2007 wr 250.
They are getting warn. Another thought I do not know the quality of the pads that are on there. I will replace them with good quality pads. Better bite = less braking = less heat.
I had this exact issue happen to my front brakes and someone on here recommended the motul dot4 stuff and haven't had this issue since then
I think I read that these bikes do have a smaller brake caliper and are more easily prone to boiling the fluid and loosing the rear brake. Not sure on any sounds coming from the brake ... Losing the petal is the normal reaction to boiling the fluid. If the fluid has been boiled a few times, it might tend to boil easier in the future and many here use a fluid that has a higher boiling point ... These guys will probably chim in later with the fluids they are using... -- I used to boil all my bike rear brakes often but now I just make a big effort to keep my foot off the rear brake now. Saves the pads also.
I've boiled my rear brake several times, never changed the fluid yet, almost 17,000 miles. Guess I need to change it....
Received the new pads today. Looking at the old ones they are really worn out. I'm guessing this was the problem.
If the brake is working, it is working ... But its easy enough to change ... Just use the bleeder fitting to pump new fluid into and through the system. Be sure not to allow the master cylinder to run out of fluid and no air should be introduced into the system. Drain enough that you need to refill the reservoir a few times and it should be good ... Same for that hydo-clutch.
