87 honda vfr700 front brake pulsates

My front brakes pulsate when engaged. I noticed a slight pulsating months ago. I have had two mechanics inspect the bike (one being the Honda dealer) and said they could not find anything wrong. I stopped short the other day and felt the incredible pulse. Now the pulsating is obvious. Plenty of pad left and the rotors are smooth. Wondering where to start. Calibers? Could it have anthing to do with the anti-dive front suspension? Tire? HELP!

 

Most likely cause would be bent or warped rotor/s. Nothing to do with anti-dive. How many miles on the bike ??

You could check the rotor runout with a dial gague or similar.

 

Great to hear from you. Mileage on bike is 16,200.

 

You could always try a brake tune-up. Bleed both calipers just a bit with 2 or 3 lever squeezes. Use spray brake cleaner on the rotors and pads, followed by sanding rotors and pads with #400 paper, then clean and re-grease the slider pins.

Won't cure a warped rotor but might improve brake action.

 

I agree with the Squirrelman. Number one warped rotor or some form of crap on rotor or pad which causes the brakes to grab and release in rapid succession. If it is a lot of warpage you may not need a dial indicator to detect. Hold something like a business card or a pencil point as close to the rotor as you can without touching. Brace this on the fork leg. Rotate the wheel by hand and see if the rotor moves in and out towards the card or pencil.

 

I ordered brake pads on Friday. Once they arrive I will begin the "tune up". The rotors may be deceiving me. Thank you both for steering me in the right direction. I will likely have to ask some more questions as I proceed. This ought to be interesting. It's a learning process for me. Thank you again.

Squirrelman: Not sure if you remember but you gave me advice when I lost my only set of bike keys. I was fortunate to find a locksmith to charge me only $65 to make me a new keys. Locksmiths wanted as high as $250.00 to make me a key. I was able to trailer the bike to their shop because I hadn't locked the handlebars. It would have been more expensive if the service performed was mobile. Thanks for the great advice.

 

Yep, i remember and remember that i said my local Honda dealer (Hamburg Honda) will cut a new key if you have the code # for just $7 !!!!

Key code is stamped under the ignition lock setup.

When fitting new pads it's best to spray-clean and sand the rotor to eliminate traces of the old pad material. Do some research on how to bed-in new pads.

 

my 87 vf700f2 does that at low speeds with light brake pressure..new stock nissan metallic pads..factory oem ..wierd like at 5-8 mph light braking in traffic...i did have the rotors off to repaint the wheels and re-installed them in the same location they came off ..i dunno feels wierd but doesnt do it at high speed braking..spose if it aint broke dont fix it..87 with 11k mi on it..pearl white..gregg in ohio

 

It's doing it at high speeds also, but at high-frequency the amplitude gets attenuated by the damping of the fluid. You just notice it more at low speeds.

How to warp a rotor: put lots of heat into the rotor with some high speed stops or a dragging pad, then grab a handful of brakes while stopped at a light.

 

Can anyone tell me how to remove front brake pads on an 86 honda vfr 700. I can remove the caliper, but the pads are secured into the caliper with a rod running thru the pads. Do i need to open the caliper or what. I was able to open the caliper but what do i do about the rod going thru the pads?

 

Question suggests this is your first time and that you haven't read the FSM ??

To remove pads, first remove a slot-headed screw, then use 5mm allen to screw out the long pin.

 

thanks. I tried the slot headed screw, but it is very tight. Ill try removing it again. Thanks for the conformation.

 

Vfr world rules !!!!

 

Those slot-headed screws can be a bitch to remove, so employ your best technique and tools, and try to avoid damaging the screw head.