Hey guys,
I read a post a little while back about a 'first ride' gone wrong. The situation was that the poster had the rear brake lock up due to a mal-adjusted rear brake master cylinder. In his case, simply adjusting the M/C so that the fluid could return was the correct fix. I'd like to share my experience.
My first ride was the other day (I know, I know!!) and I experienced a rather strange sequence of events. The bike rolled just fine, but I almost never use the rear brakes when pushing the bike around. I checked the rear brakes and they felt okay. Started the bike up, geared up, and set out. First rear brake application caused the brake to apply, but the pedal stayed down!!!! I tried to pull the pedal up, but those who know the mechanical specifics of the rear brake system know that this did not help.
Upon disassembly of the system, it was found that the rear brake caliper was working correctly, but the master cylinder was seized. After disassembling the M/C, what appears to have happened is, because the bike was outside quite a bit over the last two years, corrosion occurred in the bore of the M/C, causing the white plastic bushing to compress, lodging the piston in place. The spring was not strong enough to overcome this pressure.
I spoke with someone at www.yoyodyneti.com (//http://) and was recommended to buy a new M/C, as the rebuild kits are 'a pain in the @$$ to install'. For $50, its a pretty cheap solution. I will post updates when the bike is fixed up.
DS