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Still can't get the spongey feeling out of my back brake

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bvogel7475

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I can't figure out what's going on. I am going to take apart the whole back braking system including the master cylinder and inspect everything. I have already proved out the caliper and pads. They work great. I used a vacuum bleeder last weekend and it worked great and i got the fluid flowing out crystal clear with no air bubbles. Still didn't fix my problem. I can get the back brake to work if I pump it a few times, but that's ridiculous. My bike only has 4,500 miles on it and I'm super frustrated with this issue. I'm starting to wonder if air is trapped in the master cylinder. Do I need to pump the brake pedal to get that last bit of air out before close the system up? This is a simple system and I can't believe I am having this much trouble with it.
 
Does your bike have ABS - also you might be feeling the "valve opening" to push fluid to the front brakes. My pedal feels somewhat soft but that's just the way it works, there is a major difference between the response of the front brake to the rear since the rear is linked to the front on hard application, and the front brakes is directly coupled to the caliper.
 
I have abs but it's not the linked system. They didn't link the brakes on the 2015 model. My brakes didn't feel this way until I took the caiiper off and accidentally depressed the brake pedal. The piston move a little but no fluid came out. The reverse flush sounds like a possibility but I do worry that it could damage the master cylinder. I am running out of options right now though. I'all also try the tapping and locking the pedal fully depressed overnight.
 
Ok thanks for the reply - however if you have ABS in order for it to work, it has to be linked in some way to modulate the brakes.

I hope you find the problem, in any case, I would ride with a few fingers on the front brake just to be safe. Keep us posted!
 
lootzyan said:
No. You should push down the brake pedal and hold for couple of seconds, then close the bleed valve.
Did you try "traditional" bleed method as described in service manual?

View attachment 31498
Click to expand...

This procedure shown seems to apply to the linked brakes with 3 piston front caliper. Step 1 has you opening the center piston bleed screw. OP indicated having a 2015 model without linked brakes. Doesn't the 2015 have a 2 piston front caliper?

I'm not trying to nitpick, but rather avoid confusion.
 
Last edited:
bvogel7475 said:
I have abs but it's not the linked system. They didn't link the brakes on the 2015 model. My brakes didn't feel this way until I took the caiiper off and accidentally depressed the brake pedal. The piston move a little but no fluid came out. The reverse flush sounds like a possibility but I do worry that it could damage the master cylinder. I am running out of options right now though. I'all also try the tapping and locking the pedal fully depressed overnight.
Click to expand...

Pushing the brake pedal with an absent disc will move the piston out some, but will have no impact on the brake fluid. It would still be a closed system until you ran the reservoir low or pushed the piston past the seals. The remedy is to simply push the piston back where it was. I'd think your soft brake problem would stem from pad alignment or binding, rather than a hydraulic problem. However, if you have since messed with bleeding the fluid, it now enters the picture as a source of additional problems.
 
670cc said:
This procedure shown seems to apply to the linked brakes with 3 piston front caliper. Step 1 has you opening the center piston bleed screw. OP indicated having a 2015 model without linked brakes. Doesn't the 2015 have a 2 piston front caliper?

I'm not trying to nitpick, but rather avoid confusion.
Click to expand...

Sorry. How about now?

View attachment 31499
 
I have the full manual and of course didn't read it about holding the pedal down to get the rest of the air out of the system. That is the step that I have not done. I'm off to try it right now and will let everyone know what happens.
 
Thank you to all who provided the shop manual air bleeding instructions. I followed them to the letter and the rear and front are working like they are brand new again. Good lesson for me to read the shop manual. I tend to just go for some repairs without consulting the manual and everything is fine. I am going to stick with vacuum bleeding for cleaning out old fluid and will follow the Honda air bleeding instructions in the future.
 
On my 2012 NCXD I couldn't use vacuum rear brake bleeding because of Proportional Control Valve used with combined ABS.
 
lootzyan said:
On my 2012 NCXD I couldn't use vacuum rear brake bleeding because of Proportional Control Valve used with combined ABS.
Click to expand...

I have a 2015 NCXD and i didn't see any physical connection between the front and rear master cylinders or calipers. So, the vacuum bleeding worked fine. I had just missed those those last air bleeding steps. Works fine now
 
The problem you may be having is the OEM brake lines. They are rubber and will have a tendency to expand and contract when applying the brakes. I have gone through 5 Honda bikes and I have found that the best way to get the sponge feeling that you describe is to get rid of the OEM brake likes. Get some braided stainless steel brake lines like CORE or something similar, I do not know if CORE makes them for the NC700. This was the best upgrade that I ever did when dealing with what you describe. They are relatively a cheap alternative and easy to install as long as you have a bleeder to deal with the fluid.

Motorcycle superstore sells them for the NC700
2013 Honda NC700X Brake Lines - Motorcycle Superstore
 
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