Soft and mushy front brake

[szabgab 10]

Dear all,

 

I have just acquired a2014 NC750D with very low mileage. The bike works and looks brilliant, however the front brake feels mushy to me and can not get the ABS to kick in, like I can on the rear (although it is obvious even for a noob like me, that the rear locks up so much easier). The seller obviously told me they are all like that and maybe they are, as I drove for the last few years a 91 Africa with a dual disc setup up front and that bites just great. However the mushiness of the lever tells me there is air in the system. I am reasonably well versed of bleeding brakes on a non-ABS bike and I am led to believe, it is not much different here, however I am wondering, if it is normal to have a really low mileage bike (from 2014) with air in the system? Thanks!

[Wedgepilot 727]

It's possible that the brake fluid hasn't been changed for a while. 7 years is plenty of time for brake fluid to absorb water. I would start there. 

[Defender 3,838]

I don't have a NC750D and have never ridden one, but I have owned and ridden my 2012 NC700X for some 8+ years now and I have activated the ABS on only a couple of occasions in that time and almost 30,000 miles.

However on my 2017 BMW G310R I've had the ABS 'kick in' several times more in far far fewer miles, it's a much lighter bike and has a different riding position, more forward, towards the forks and therefore weight distribution, which contributes to the overall braking and feel etc.

On the many non ABS bikes I've owned in my 40+ years of riding I've locked up the rear wheel too many times to count and the front a couple of times and got away with it!

[jeremyr62 2,598]

I have a low miles 2016MY NC750S and I find the brakes a bit wooden all round, front and rear. They work OK and I can get the ABS to kick in with no trouble but the levers don't give much back compared to other bikes I have ridden. I am on the OE pads and I have some EBC HH ready to fit so will see if that makes a difference. To answer your question, I suspect it is just a characteristic of the budget nature of the components used.

[szabgab 10]

19 hours ago, Wedgepilot said:

It's possible that the brake fluid hasn't been changed for a while. 7 years is plenty of time for brake fluid to absorb water. I would start there. 

That's probably right, although bike went back for it's check-ups before... I would have thought, dealers exchanged the brake fluid, however it is amber coloured, so I doubt, anybody touched in the past few years

[szabgab 10]

19 hours ago, Defender said:

I don't have a NC750D and have never ridden one, but I have owned and ridden my 2012 NC700X for some 8+ years now and I have activated the ABS on only a couple of occasions in that time and almost 30,000 miles.

However on my 2017 BMW G310R I've had the ABS 'kick in' several times more in far far fewer miles, it's a much lighter bike and has a different riding position, more forward, towards the forks and therefore weight distribution, which contributes to the overall braking and feel etc.

On the many non ABS bikes I've owned in my 40+ years of riding I've locked up the rear wheel too many times to count and the front a couple of times and got away with it!

Yes, you are right, if I'm not careful (which I'm not) I lock up my bike's rear wheel daily during my city commute. Recently I replaced my front tire and it surprised me a few times since, as it skids ever so easily. On the test ride I did not want to scatter the bike's parts around in case ABS does not work properly, but once I will have it my hands, I will test the limits surely 

[szabgab 10]

8 hours ago, jeremyr62 said:

I have a low miles 2016MY NC750S and I find the brakes a bit wooden all round, front and rear. They work OK and I can get the ABS to kick in with no trouble but the levers don't give much back compared to other bikes I have ridden. I am on the OE pads and I have some EBC HH ready to fit so will see if that makes a difference. To answer your question, I suspect it is just a characteristic of the budget nature of the components used.

Maybe you are right, but one of the main reasons I bought a modern bike is to have a modern braking system. Folks can stop on a two-pence with traditional bikes with no ABS, but I am not one of them... Anyway, I will know more, once I replaced the fluids and bled the brakes, as the rear felt reasonably adequate compared to my old bike

 

Edited September 8, 2021 by szabgab

[szabgab 10]

Another question slightly off-topic, does anybody know, how to download the manuals on the site? It says, you need two posts minimum, I have a few, but it still won't let me get the files...

 

Thanks! 

[MikeBike 5,007]

1 hour ago, szabgab said:

Another question slightly off-topic, does anybody know, how to download the manuals on the site? It says, you need two posts minimum, I have a few, but it still won't let me get the files...

 

Thanks! 

PM sent

[MatBin 5,109]

By comparison to my previous bikes I find the single disc NC brake somewhat less effective and a bit mushy/soft. I replaced the brake fluid a few weks ago as the bike is 4 years old and no idea if it was replaced at 2 years (as it should have been) by previous owner, although I suspect it was. New fluid front and back made no difference to the feel of the brakes, I dont think I let air in.

My thoughts are that Honda have deliberately made the brakes a bit soft as the bike is seen as a first big bike/commuter and they didnt want claims from people falling off due to excessively efficient brakes as per a full on sports bike. However mine will activate ABS if I brakes progressively harder after initial application (dry road test, not tried it in the wet), so I am pretty sure the brakes are fine, they just "feel" a bit less effective than my previous massive twin disc 4 pot calipers I had before.

[Xactly 5,495]

The front brake on my NC750X is satisfactory, no more. The rear brake is good. Neither is mushy; nor should they be. They’re a bit wooden though but adequate for the modest performance.

[davebike 943]

I find the front brake quite good but I running really good pads not the CRAP kevlar supplied by Honda

 

[Steve Case 969]

EBC HH, give good enough feel and stopping power. Honda pads were a bit 'lifeless'.