2008 Master Cylinder Recall and problems

[JoeFriday]

Purchased a 2008 GL1800 / Hannigan trike the other day... Noticed the rear brakes were a tad spongy so showed it to my dealer and he wheeled it into his shop to bleed the brakes for me. After well over an hour he tells me that this model was up for a recall and since he wasn't a Honda dealer I'd have to take it to Honda to see if the work had been done... Well, that was no problem, the Honda dealer was about 3 miles away so here we go... Turns out my bike showed up as having the recall completed on both the rear master cylinder as well as the air bag last year... Said my trike guy probably didn't know how to bleed the brakes properly and could I bring it back to Honda today to let them try... Well, they worked on it all day, bled the brakes 9 ways to Sunday, even replaced the master cylinder that had previously be done in the recall and bled 'em some more, but the petal is still spongy...

Does anyone have a suggestion?... The tech even had the audacity to tell me that since the brake lines were higher than the caliper that you could never get the air out of the system... I asked him if he had ever seen the front brake line on a motorcycle... He thought for a minute and had no more excuses...

[rhino 2]

Welcome to Trike-Talk......Joe.......

[radismukes]

I would suggest you verify all recalls have been completed. Not all Honda dealers will honor the recall if the Goldwing has been triked. I called Honda before talking to a dealership. They did verify it was covered, some dealers do not want to work on a trike.

Just enter our VIN#

http://powersports.honda.com/recall-information.aspx

Good Luck

Robert

[JoeFriday]

I would suggest you verify all recalls have been completed. Not all Honda dealers will honor the recall if the Goldwing has been triked. I called Honda before talking to a dealership. They did verify it was covered, some dealers do not want to work on a trike.

Just enter our VIN#

http://powersports.honda.com/recall-information.aspx

Good Luck

Robert

Yes Robert, the dealer printed out a copy of all the recall work that had been done on this bike.. It showed all as being completed... That does not necessarily mean that it was actually done or even done correctly, only that Honda reimbursed a dealer for the work...

[Jack Klarich]

Joe, do you know if they bench bled that master cylinder first?

If not they may not have gotten all the air out OR if they pumped the heck out of the brakes they may have rolled a seal.

Also pumping too much and too fast can create MORE air bubbles

[JoeFriday]

Joe, do you know if they bench bled that master cylinder first?

Unfortunately they don't allow customers in the shop so I saw nothing... I have found a good explanation of what they were supposed to do. I'll take this to them tomorrow...

TRIKE CONVERSION BRAKING SETUP

Brake controls and how they function after a conversion to a Hannigan Trike differ slightly after a conversion. When the front brakes are applied via the front brake lever, the brake system pivots the left front caliper upward activating the SMC which transitions braking power to the rear wheel as well. In the case of a Hannigan Goldwing Trike Conversion, the front brake lever no longer will trigger the SMC function resulting in only front brakes being applied via the front brake lever. In regards to the rear brake foot pedal, when the pedal is depressed, the linked braking system on the bike will proportion the brake pressure between the front and rear calipers resulting in balanced brake application. This function of the rear brake pedal assembly does not pass through the SMC after your conversion.

WHAT TO DO

How does this relate to your Hannigan Trike and the recall? Simply put it is Hannigan Motorsports’ request that owners of our trike conversions still respond to Honda’s recall and have their motorcycles inspected by a certified Honda Dealer. This is to ensure that Honda has inspected the braking system and will result in them marking the VIN number on the motorcycle to show it has been thoroughly checked with regards to the recall.

DEALER INFORMATION

When taking your conversion to a dealer, they might inquire as to the proper brake bleeding procedure on the Hannigan Trike Conversion. The steps required to thoroughly bleed the system are listed below.

1. left caliper upper bleed port
   
2. Right caliper lower bleed port
   
3. Rear caliper lower bleed port (trike brakes)
   
4. Rear caliper upper bleed port (line that is capped off on trikes)
   
5. Secondary Master Cylinder (SMC) port on left fork leg
   

Location of the rear brake master cylinder is under the right side chrome cover above the driver foot rest. Keep the reservoir full when bleeding. Failure to do so will allow air to enter the master cylinder.

[Lee H. Mann]

Originally Posted by Jack Klarich



Joe, do you know if they bench bled that master cylinder first?







Unfortunately they don't allow customers in the shop so I saw nothing... I have found a good explanation of what they were supposed to do. I'll take this to them tomorrow...

TRIKE CONVERSION BRAKING SETUP

Brake controls and how they function after a conversion to a Hannigan Trike differ slightly after a conversion. When the front brakes are applied via the front brake lever, the brake system pivots the left front caliper upward activating the SMC which transitions braking power to the rear wheel as well. In the case of a Hannigan Goldwing Trike Conversion, the front brake lever no longer will trigger the SMC function resulting in only front brakes being applied via the front brake lever. In regards to the rear brake foot pedal, when the pedal is depressed, the linked braking system on the bike will proportion the brake pressure between the front and rear calipers resulting in balanced brake application. This function of the rear brake pedal assembly does not pass through the SMC after your conversion.

WHAT TO DO

How does this relate to your Hannigan Trike and the recall? Simply put it is Hannigan Motorsports’ request that owners of our trike conversions still respond to Honda’s recall and have their motorcycles inspected by a certified Honda Dealer. This is to ensure that Honda has inspected the braking system and will result in them marking the VIN number on the motorcycle to show it has been thoroughly checked with regards to the recall.

DEALER INFORMATION

When taking your conversion to a dealer, they might inquire as to the proper brake bleeding procedure on the Hannigan Trike Conversion. The steps required to thoroughly bleed the system are listed below.

1. left caliper upper bleed port
   
   
   
2. Right caliper lower bleed port
   
   
   
3. Rear caliper lower bleed port (trike brakes)
   
   
   
4. Rear caliper upper bleed port (line that is capped off on trikes)
   
   
   
5. Secondary Master Cylinder (SMC) port on left fork leg
   
   
   
   
   

Location of the rear brake master cylinder is under the right side chrome cover above the driver foot rest. Keep the reservoir full when bleeding. Failure to do so will allow air to enter the master cylinder.

[paws]

Hi Joe! Just wanted to welcome you to TrikeTalk from west Texas!

Hope you get it all resolved and running soon.

Love your avatar!

[JoeFriday]

Well finally found someone that understands this braking system!... Took him less than half hour and it's good to go!...

[papa3smurfs]

I just purchased a GoldWing 1800GL trike and have noticed that the braking is not as strong as I thought it should be, just started riding the trike after years on a 2004 R1200C BMW. This bike would stop very fast. I realize the Trike is a lot heavier but not sure how much it should affect the stopping. I feel that if I had to emergency stop I would not be able to do it as fast as I should. The recall has to be done and I will get the brakes bled. Just want to see if it is a common concern? ABS or not. Thx Kirk

[Lee H. Mann]

I think you are referring to a CSC. It has individual front and rear brakes. No linking of front to rear. If the pedal is spongy feeling, bleed the brakes. It may stop better after the recall. Get the recall done regardless. Different brake pads (compound change) may be the answer too. An extended brake pedal might help too. It might also be you own expectations of how well they work. If you know someone with a CSC, see if they are amicable to a test ride.

[papa3smurfs]

Yes I meant CSC. I don't know of any trikes close to Fort St John B.C. Lucky we even have paved roads up here. Spring will tell once the snow goes away and I get the work done. Ground is white this morn at work.