Hi Guys,

Just got my motorcycle license and an 18 KLX250 last month. Unfortunately, I suck and keep crashing each time I ride off road.

Today, I tried going up a hill and my front wheel lifted off the ground and I did like a one legged u-turn wheelie before crashing on a pile of rocks.

I thought it was minor, so I picked up the bike and rode down the hill but the front brake had zero pressure so I ate crap again, this time cracking my fairings.

Limped home with only my rear brake.

No obvious leaks. I bled the front for an entire hour, going thru a whole bottle of brake fluid. Pressure never built. Still no leaks from master, lines, or caliper.

I push the bike a few feet forward and brakes instantly work again. Wtf? Could bent rotors cause this? Or could it be my wheel/hubs?

I want to try replacing the front rotor first, but it's like $230+ for a single rotor!

Any ideas? Thanks

 

check after market rotors, they are a lot cheaper! and if your not building pressure then there is a leak somewhere

 

First, keep playing off road, you will get better. If you haven't already, get some motocross boots, money well spent. If you don't have a lot to spend look for some good used ones on ebay. There are new low line boots for under $200. I got a pair of near perfect Alpinestar Tech6 boots for $150. Cheaper than x-rays for broken ankles or feet.

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Second, if your rotor is bent a bit it will push the caliper pistons back so far in the caliper that the master cylinder cannot move enough fluid to work the brake, plus the fact is the waving action of the rotor will never let the rotor clamp properly anyway.

Third, any KLX250 or 300 rotor will fit your bike. My 2009 has KLX300R rotors front and rear, I got the older model rear carrier to work with the 20mm smaller rotor. The rear rotor was $20 and I swapped out the carriers to another rider. I wanted the smaller rotor to increase feel and reduce braking on the rear - personal preference. They don't have the petal cut, but they work the same and can be had for around $30. Here is one identical to the one on my 250 for $30, click here. I didn't read the listing but make sure they guarantee it is not bent. There are some Chinese rotors listed that are not floating rotors (those little button joints on the OEM type), there is also a petal cut rotor for about $100, but the best buy is that $30 rotor.

Hope that makes your day better.

 

Get some off road training.

 

After you have either verified that your rotor is not bent or have replaced it, bleeding the front brake is a bitch, especially when trying to do it from the brake handle end of the line. It's hard to get all of the air out of the line because air doesn't want to go down hill in fluid. Get a cheap brake bleeding tool that pumps the fluid in from the caliper and make sure the brake line is all uphill, no loop to trap air.

Ride on
Brewster

 

Mityvac https://www.harborfreight.com/mityva...ump-39522.html they work really really well. Beats a coke bottle and squeezing the brake lever umpteen thousand times.

 

Harbor Freight also sells a lower cost bleeder too. Best money I spent when working with brakes. 3 minutes to bleed my rear brake on my 550. Once I figured out not to draw too high suction when bleeding I did a double disc front brake on the bike in about 10 minutes. If you use a vacuum system don't draw too hard. It can suck the reservoir dry fast and I think it may suck air past the seals since they are designed to seal tight one way.

 

Check the lever push rod in back of master. May be bent. Crashing in no way would induce air unless system was opened.

 

Thanks for the recommendations guys.

The culprit was my rotor, which was severely bent

I picked up some used tech 7s off eBay and handle bar guards. I got a new EBC rotor for only $114. Lol

After installing it, brakes work perfectly now, no rebleed necessary. Bent my shifter, clutch, and brake levers back to their original positions and off I went.

Just 2 more questions.

1. My new rotor looks like a two piece floater, but the clamps holding them together interfered with the foam dampener. I installed the rotor without the foam. Any potential ill effects from this?

2. Anyone run crash bars on their bike? I looked up this kit

https://www.t-rex-racing.com/2018-20...18egcombo2.htm

And was thinking about getting it since I suck so bad. Any negatives besides the cost, weight and looks?

 

No problem no foam. It is just there to deaden any squealing from the rotor, which is no big deal.

I don't know about the engine guards and axle sliders, more supermoto on the sliders, the engine guard just looks like something to catch on stuff if riding trails. The one thing to get is a good bash/skid plate that protects the water pump. Looks like the plate is available for a bit over $100. There are other brands maybe someone here has some tips. Or do a search for KLX250 skid plate for sale. Heck you might find one on ebay for reasonable money.