front brake lever doesn't actuate the rear

hello all, bike is a week old now, 2000 vfr. Got the wheels off the other day for some new tires (michelin pilot power 2ct, the front one that was on it was actually one of the recalls from 07, score one new free front tire for me!), put on new brake pads as well. After putting the machine all back together, in order to make sure everything was working properly, with the bike on the centerstand i started it, put it in 1st gear and let the clutch out. Pressing the rear brake pedal does as it should, it stopped the rear tire and stalled the engine. I started it back up to test the front lever......nothing. The rear just keeps spinning with no slowing down whatsoever. I'm new to linked brakes so please be gentle with me. I didn't know if it was possibly a speed dependant process to actuate the rear with the front lever, or did i possibly damage the calipers by pressing them back out (by hand, with a plastic pry tool) to make room for the new pads. I gave a quick search in the search pane but yeilded no results for this paticular problem. Thanks!!!!

 

Read the following link, with specific attention to Stosh's comments. Hope it helps.

http://vfrworld.com/forums/general-vfr-discussions/34274-slow-speed-maneuver-lbs.html

 

i actually came across this post while searching. I would think though, that with the rear elevated and with the engine only at idle speed, there would be enough braking force applied allbeit with one piston to at least visually see the rear tire slowing, bringing the idle speed down. But, there is nothing, and i squeezed the crap out of the front lever.

 

I am by no means a mechanic, but something tells me that the front wheel needs to be in motion while using the front brake to generate enough hydraulic pressure in the brake line to activate the rear piston.

 

thanks hav, thats what i meant by speed dependent, you know, does the front wheel have to be moving in order to actuate the single rear piston with the front lever. I was kinda thinking that maybe it would have to be, i'm just paranoid that i maybe screwed something up somehow changing the pads.

 

I would say that as long as the rotor and pads are operating properly while you're using the rear brake pedal only, you're fine. It would very difficult to damage the LBS through a brake pad change.

 

after reading this post more carefully i see my answer, the first time i missed the part where it talks about the whole caliper moving up to actuate the secondary cylinder to actuate the rear....so, i quess my suspicion is correct in that the front wheel does need to be in motion to actuate the rear with the front lever.
Thank you sir for not ripping me a new one because i missed that!

 

You are Correctomundo Phil!!! :thumbsup:

The front wheel absolutely MUST BE ROTATING FORWARD in order to make the left front brake caliper mount rotate toward the fork leg to actuate the center piston in the rear brake caliper.

The Linked Braking System is a fairly complex piece of engineering Phil so don't feel bad my friend you aren't the first,and you definitely won't be the last,VFR owner to ask the question "How the hell does the %#@*&#ing Linked Braking System work?"

 

If you rotate the left front caliper forward on its pivot pressing against the little master cylinder mounted there while someone turns the rear wheel by hand you will be able to see if the system is working.

 

That's an affirmative Davis. :thumb:

Keep in mind that the flow path to the center piston in the rear brake caliper passes through the proportional control valve which cuts down on some of the flow.

Don't be surprised if the rear brake only drags but doesn't fully lock up the rear wheel when you perform this test,that's how that part of the Linked Braking System was designed to work.

 

The system was never designed to allow the rider to only use one brake lever to stop the bike. Some people think that when I tell them the bike has linked brakes. It is simply designed to make the everyday rider be able to stop better, and it works.