Ducati Monster Forum

QUESTION:

Does the rear brake on my monster suck or do all of these bikes share the same weak rear brake setup ?
I just got the bike back together from getting powdercoated and the rear brake seems to be worse than it was before (even then it was horrible)..So my first thought is that there is air in the system, so it got bled, and bled, and bled. Go for a ride and it isn’t any better. So then I think that maybe oil/grease got onto the pads/rotor so I take the pads off and sand them down, & do the same to the rotor. Go take it for a ride and nothing changes..

I have pressure on the pedal, no signs of leaks, etc..
It does something, but not enough as it should be doing (my opinion)..
Even from day one I was never able to lock up the rear tire on the thing (no matter how hard I try)..

Anyone have any ideas on this ?

they are all this way. If you want to lock up the rear wheel, just downshift without matching engine revs

the rear brake is pretty shitty. you have to think about it though, if your using your front brake a lot, there isnt much weight on the rear to begin with and its very easy for the thing to slide once youve take most of the weight off, which is the only way ive ever managed to get it to slide. i got new ferodo pads in the rear, but i cant get all the air out so its even worst then before.

try bleeding the system (if you havent already) make sure and take the caliper off so that the banjo is in the right position.
and then be content with it. thats the way they are.

Like I said I bled the hell outta the rear brake thinking it was air - nothing..
Scuffed the pads and the rotor itself thinking some oil could of gotten on their - nothing..
I just dont remember the rear brake being as bad as it is before the bike got torn apart..

As far as downshifting/engine brakeing goes I am a big fan.  [thumbsup]

I'm not an expert, but your brakes can't be working as supposed to if you're not at all able to lock up ???

I've been able to lock up since and before the 12k (km) service. It takes a conscious effort, but that's a good thing so it doesn't happen too often.
Then again I almost never use it, so .....

I always thought the rear brake was pretty weak on the bike since the day I bought it.
No reason the rear drum brake on my 74 CB450 should work better than on my 07 Ducati  [bang].
Anyone sell a aftermarket rotor or something that actually works better than stock ?

change to a higher friction pad?

Any recommendations  ?
The less brake dust output the better  ;D

Ferodo sintered brake pads. They is the shiznit.

I-ve encountered the unbleedable system before. Find a way to zip tie the lever when it's actuated and leave it overnight. It worked wonders for my front brakes the last time I bled my system and did not have the pressure I wanted.

Don't know if it will work for a rear brake but I learned a trick from a friend that may help. Sometimes after bleeding brakes (especially after a full fluid swap) there are stuborn bubbles that refuse to leave the system. If you pull the brake or clutch lever in and let it "pop" back out a couple of times, you can shake those bubbles loose. I know it sounds crazy but I have seen it work more than once. The last time in particular, we had changed out front brake fluid on a friends sportclassic and bled the brakes to the point that no bubbles were coming out. The brakes still felt spongy though. Tried the old lever pop trick and they were as good as new. I would just push your brake pedal down as far as you can and let it pop back up a few times. It might not work but it only takes a minute to try.

Where abouts on the innerweb can I source some of these pads you speak of ?

ca-cycleworks, i got them on my rear. well not the sintered ones, i have the semi organics.

You can find them here:
http://www.ca-cycleworks.com/shop/catalog/ducati/brake_pads.html (http://www.ca-cycleworks.com/shop/catalog/ducati/brake_pads.html)

But I also recommend checking out Monsterparts.com it is the source of all monster yumminess. You can call Jeff and ask him to recommend you a set depending on what you need. Seriously though, dealing with monsterparts will restore your faith on customer service. Plus you get a 10% discount if you mention that you're from the board.  

This.  I noticed the same thing on my '06 S2R. Seems very goofy.

Plus it doesn't hurt that the owner of monsterparts actually posted on this thread  ;D

Ducati's have rear brakes? 

Seriously, except for infield excursions on the track and holding the bike still while stopped on a hill, why do you use it?

When I stop in a hurry my back wheel is barely touching the ground.  I recently had a car pull out of a parking lot and cross three lanes of highway traffic to get to the left turn lane.  I progressively squeezed the front brake until the back was barely skimming across the ground and the front tire started to wash out.  I slid the front a little, reduced pressure, and regained traction.  Had I even touched the back brake it would have stopped spinning.  The result would have been no gyroscopic force from the rear, no traction from the rear as it would be skidding, and a potential high side.

Some racers will install a valve spring on the rear brake to make it harder to lock up.  Unless you are a stunter, locking the rear brake is generally a bad idea.

only enough to get by US DOT regs...........

in all seriousness,...i sometimes find myself depressing the rear brake just to remind myself that it is there (in theory.)
have never used it except to test the brake lights before a ride

You should be able to lock the back brake.  Is the pedal hard or mushy?  How much travel?  If your caliper is mounted below the axle you need to remove the caliper, turn it so the bleed screw faces up and put something between the brake pads that is about the thickness of the rotor.  Now you are ready to bleed.

Drum brakes are actually more aggressive than discs and lock easily, particularly on motorcycles where they like using leading leading brake shoes.  They are also much more prone to heat and water fade.

While I realize the rear brake/engine brake is more like a rudder in some riding stituations, I use it as my primary when in sub-10mph parking lot situations. Real low speeds and good front brakes will wash the front end in a instant.

For more fun info on braking...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_braking (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_braking)

They lock on real good if you inadvertently adjust them for too little clearance on the return, so they can work  [bang]. But in normal use mine feels pretty weak compared to most other bikes I've owned.

I mainly use the rear brake (or wish I could) when coming to a compleye stop say at a red light, stop sign, in stop & go traffic, etc..And for the record the last thing I am is a "stunter", just need alittle more outta my rear brake (thats all)...

Going to remove the caliper and try bleeding it again this weekend.
If that doesnt do it I am going t try and get those other brake pads and see if that helps..

Whaaaa? Whatev dude. We know you be riding wheelies while shooting yo cannon. Stuntas represent.

http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=23939.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=23939.0)

We know who you are; we're on to you  ;D

Oh snap!

I am a ex drag racer (car), so I like to go fast in a straight line.
High speed turns and crap really arent my style (but are fun once ina while)...

So basically all I can do is re-bleed the rear and possibily switch to a different pad ?

Nothing wrong with that.  But, you should still be using the front brake to do 99% of your stopping on a Monster.

I was just messing with you.  ;)

Yeah, try the re-bleed with the banjo bolts facing up and you might want to leave the brake actuated overnight. If that doesn't work try the new pads

Believe me bud, I do..
Just want alittle more outta the rear if possibile...

Anyone running those "wave" rotors in place of their stockers ?
Would it be worth the cost to replace the stock rotor in the rear with one those wave deals ?

Because they are so small in diameter you won't notice much of a reduction in polar moment of inertia.  But they look nice.

My 1k has a decent rear brake.

I sometimes use it in slow speed corners.

i only use it on hill stops.