Hi there,

I've recently decided to get on top of servicing my Phantom. And learning how to do it myself. I've found mechanics in Thailand a hit and miss phenomenon in terms of thoroughness. Though no-one can complain about the price.

Whilst cleaning and lubing my drive chain I noticed that the rear disc brakes appear to be touching the rotor. If I set the rear wheel spinning it stops pretty quickly, and I can see it's partly because of this contact.

Is this normal? I looked in the manual and online about how to adjust disc brakes, but it seems they are supposed to be 'self adjusting'.

Thanks for the help,
Kit

Hello Kit,

Did you look into the Honda Phantom owners manual, you need to check if you can find the 'Wear Indicator Mark' often mechanics adjust and adjust until the pads are finished.

To work on the rear brake, especially when you're not using original brake-pads, can have negative effect on your health (the dust is very fine – and some people say that you can developed asbestos). For the cost to let an official Honda dealer look at your brakes I would not even bother to do it myself.

Quote by: ThaiDesign

Hello Kit,

Did you look into the Honda Phantom owners manual, you need to check if you can find the 'Wear Indicator Mark' often mechanics adjust and adjust until the pads are finished.

To work on the rear brake, especially when you're not using original brake-pads, can have negative effect on your health (the dust is very fine – and some people say that you can developed asbestos). For the cost to let an official Honda dealer look at your brakes I would not even bother to do it myself.

Thanks for the advice. I finally went and got that manual printed out.

I checked both sets of pads, which I have had replaced relatively recently. There is still a lot of life left in them.

Is there anything I can do to adjust the spacing between the pad and the rotor? Nothing in the manual talks about that. I'm sure I sound like a complete beginner...

I'm starting to look into motorcycle mainenance as a hobby. I know this is not done too much in Thailand, but I just enjoy it. Regarding damaged lungs due to asbestos, well, I'd rather do it myself one time, rather than force a mechanic to do it one MORE time. It's repeated exposure that is key with this kind of thing, and I feel sorry for the mechanics if there really is a danger.

I would love to find a Hayne's manual, but I am pretty sure there isn't one for this bike. There are so many things that this manual tells you to take it to the dealer for. It doesn't have any details about torque ratings (except for the axle). I already snapped one bolt by torquing it too much. (Thanks to my local mechanic who welded a tail onto the end of the snapped off bolt and managed to get it out.)

There is so much good information on the internet about motorcycle maintenance, I'm just thinking it's going to be hard to get going without more detail than can be found in the TA-200 owner's manual. Valve adjustment for example. I can get the principles from the net, but I'm pretty sure I need specific details that this manual doesn't give.

Take brakes as another example. It says how to check the indicator marks, but says to take them to a dealer to change them. Honestly, how hard can it be?! I'm a newby to mechanics, but I managed to change the rear wheel bearings on my old Honda CB-125 without a problem...because I had a Haynes manual. It's all about having the right information.

Sir,

The disk brake pads are designed to stay in contact with the rotor. This prevents items such as rocks, water, and dirt from coming between the pads and the rotor. The contact is without pressure so it does not decrease the life of the brake pad. You are correct in the comment of self adjusting, however they do not fill the resevoir themselfs. As the pad wears and becomes thinner the brake caliper piston travels out further. This area behind the piston is filled with the brake fluid from the resevoir. Just keep an eye on the fluid level and the thickness of the pads and you are peforming the preventive maintenance for the brake system.

Hope this helped.

Sam is correct, otherwise the only time you will have a problem with pads binding, is when the calliper piston is semi seized, the pressure from the pedal makes the contact but it will not rellease properly, get it checked. Good luck!

Thank you Sam and radnoc. That clears things up. I was not expecting any contact at all, which made me suspicious. In general I'm very happy with the performance of these brakes.