When my XM-3000 was new, I got a little squeaking from the front brake. I had heard that this was common, and so tried to ignore it. It actually went away! Alas, for the last couple of months I've now been getting a sort of rattle in the front brake area. The brake still operates smoothly, but while I'm riding with the brake off it will start to rattle, and I can just barely feel a vibration through the bars. Quickly activating and releasing the front brake will stop the rattle, sometimes for a few minutes, sometimes only for a few seconds. I've also heard that some of the brake pads on these scooters don't fit properly. Is there anyone who recognizes this problem, and can offer a solution?
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No direct help, but remember that these brakes will be a standard Chinese scooter part, and any scooter mech that is used to the Chinese scoots will be familiar with them.
I'd get it looked at. Brakes can be pretty important at times... :)
Mark
Here in Upstate NY, Chinese scooter mechanics are a bit rare. There is one in the area, but not close to me. There is another guy I've used who mainly assembles them for dealers, so he isn't a real "mechanic." The front brake works smoothly, but I rarely use it. I do intend to fix it, but have my hands full right now trying to get the ZEV roadworthy.
Leftie,
Check if there is a washer (shim) between the brake bracket and the bike frame. If there is, reduce it's thickness by 1/16" (about the thickness of a SS washer). This will bring the caliber closer to the disk and might solve the rattle. If no washer/shim there then add one between the fork and wheel; by moving the fork out slightly you will be moving the caiber out the same way reducing the bracket shim would have.
Good luck
Motorcycles: 2011 ZEV Trail 7100, 84V, 60AH, 60+mph, Cycle Analyst, TNC throttle, modified charger. 2013 Kymco GT300i
Bicycles: 2017 Sondors Thin
Cars: 2016 Leaf SV, 30KWH pack. 2007 CR-V
Solar array: 5KW. Cost per lifetime KWH produced $0.073
Bi
First thing is to find exactly which part is loose/rattling. this could be Bike to caliper, caliper arm to pad, or possibly even cable to caliper connection, with a weak return spring. Its very important to find and fix this, as if its a loose pad making intermittent contact with the rotor, that can unduly heat the rotor leading to warpage, and pad wear. It may be as simple as a weakened return spring, which would leave slack and needs to be replaced if adjustment isnt possible.
Now that I can venture outside with only a jacket again, I want to get the XM-3000 working right. Does anyone have a source for either the front caliper return spring, or for whole caliper units that are actually tested good? All that scooter needs is to have the front caliper fixed and I can ride it while I try to sort out the ZEV and Lepton.
Sorry this doesn't address your actual questino, but...
OUCH! I just re-read this thread and saw this thought:
Oh, PLEASE make a habit of using your front brake! In an emergency, that will supply 80 - 95% of the stopping power. If your brain doesn't have a robust "stop=front brake" synapse active, it can mean anothwer 1/4 second delay before you begin stopping - BANG!
Mark
I can see how you would interpret that post to mean that I'm not in the habit of using front brakes, but what I meant was that, between riding at low speeds most of the time and knowing the front brake is Iffy, I rarely use it on that particular vehicle. I've been riding motorcycles for 40 years, and know to use the front brake when serious stopping power is needed. Now I'm going to upset you again, having just reassured you: while it's a good idea for new riders to always use the front brake, I think that some discretion is actually better for experienced riders. Newly wet roads, for example, make use of the front brake dangerous unless maximum stopping power is needed, because it's much easier to control a rear wheel skid than a front wheel loss of grip...
So nobody has a good source for these things? Hmmm, since it's apparently identical to the ZEV's front brake, and since that brake is only one of about three or four perfectly functioning parts on that scooter... well, I won't do anything until I see if the ZEV only needs a steering bearing adjustment. But think of it: an XM with an 8500 watt hub motor, better brakes and shocks, bigger tires..... ;-)
I had a decent batch of photos, and they either got lost in my hard disk wipe, or they are on a backup drive that tried to dump all the files in the main directory when I tried restoring with it. So I took some new ones tonight. I need an exact match for this caliper!
The distance between the mounting plate bolt head centers is about 2.75". That side is the whole mounting plate is about the 3.3" described as the hole spacing in the link that JDH (IIRC) provided. Also, my brake levr is only about 4.5", not the 7.1" described in the part listing. So is this it, or not...?
Just for comparison, here is a photo of my ZEV's front caliper. It's mounted on the other side, with shorter hole spacing, but the distance between the cylinders (and their size) appears to be identical...
Contact them and check their return policy. Your best bet might be to get one and see - I'm sure they're used to folks having to exchange things if they're not right.
I'll buy you a beer if it's not right. Will you buy me one if it is? ;-)
John H. Founder of Current Motor Company - opinions on this site belong to me; not to my employer
Remember: " 'lectric for local. diesel for distance" - JTH, Amp Bros || "No Gas.
Clarification! I'll buy you a beer of it won't work (i.e. it might not be 100% identical - but I bet it will work).
Oh, and all beverage exchanges are purely virtual in nature...
John H. Founder of Current Motor Company - opinions on this site belong to me; not to my employer
Remember: " 'lectric for local. diesel for distance" - JTH, Amp Bros || "No Gas.
We're both going to need virtual beers by the time I have this part. I'll ask the site about exchanges. Meanwhile, the parts person from X-Treme is claiming to have been unable to reach me on the phone. My housemate was home today, I have an answering machine, and I had asked for an email anyway. I sent them one of the photos, and if I can't get the OEM part quickly, I'll try the aftermarket one. I don't need the master cylinder/lever, so would it be a good idea to separate them, use mine, and put fresh, real brake fluid in it? That would also avoid having to reroute the hose.
The seller, of course, has a 25% restocking fee. I may buy it anyway, but I'll see if X-Treme can come through first.
Well, I just ordered the aftermarket brake that John found. If I'm lucky (as you may have noticed, this is not exactly guaranteed) I'll get a new brake that fits and has an anti-lock unit I don't really need. If not, it won't fit and I'll have to return it. I still can't believe it's this hard to find a common brake unit for a major Chinese brand...
Literally hours after I ordered the $55 aftermarket brake, the dealer parts service rep got back to me with a price for the OEM: $90. I would rather get that unit if it's a perfect fit, but what are the odds of that? Do you folks think the aftermarket place would cancel my order? This all happened because the woman who is supposed to sell parts is apparently terrified of email...
I've been waiting for some sort of indication that they have shipped the new aftermarket front brake set, and yesterday I got one - the part arrived. They shipped it Priority Mail, apparently the day I ordered it. Just eyeballing it, the mounting bracket looks a little large, but we'll see...