Rail 5 brakes: HD-E725 lever free play

[Hamina]

I'm running the Rail 5 stock brakes Tektro HD-E275 with EBC CFA 493 (red) organic pads. The braking force is good and the feeling is not spongy. I'm using Pentosin LHM+ mineral oil.

The problem:
The freeplay in lever so big that the lever touches fingers. I'm quite sure that as new the freeplay was not so huge. I've done the bleeding process couple of times by pressing the fluid up from the brakesaddle, pressing the lever etc.

Moving the brake levers closer to stem kind of fixes the problem, but I think they should work without this kind of trick. Motorcycle brakes never had this kind of issues I guess.

Anyone else has this problem? It would be interesting to know what has changed. I can buy new brakes anyday, but that doesn't tell the root cause.

 

[VWsurfbum]

Sounds like the pads are not staying out and are returning too far in to the calipers?

Try taking the wheel out, pump the lever 2-3 times (pads should be seen moving) and hopefully they will stay out a little further. re-install wheel, Re-centralise the caliper and repeat.

 

[Hamina]

So I made a kind of full service:

• Disassembled the front caliper to two pieces (nothing special really..)
• Took the pistons out
• Cleaned the pistons
• Lubed the pistons with brakefluid
• Bleeded the brakes with Jagwire Tektroset with two syringe

The front brake became better and the lever doesn't touch fingers. I think the main cause for this "piston stickness" might be that the bike has been (unfortunately) been outside the whole year.

Brakefluid: Pentosin CHF 7.1

What I also found when looking for the root cause: Bike Tools
Nice little tools!

 

[Hamina]

Update: The reach adjustment screw loosened couple of times during a little downhill session. The bite is good with the EBC pads but the lack of adjustment in the lever doesn't suite for my needs.Too much hassle for me so I bought new brakes.

It could be that the spring between pads is too strong. If I look at the pads they withdraw too far away from the rotor. Maybe with different lever they could work well. I'll keep as reserve parts and maybe use for some future project.

I never had anything like this with motorcycle brakes.