I've got a 2003 DS650 with very crappy rear brakes that will not stop the bike! I've done the following with little to NO effect.

1. Changed stock brake lines to Stainless steel braided lines - Little to no effect
2. Replaced the fluid with new DOT 4 fluid - No change
3. Bled the lines numerous times - No change
4. Cleaned the rear Caliper and checked for leaks - all okay.

I'm no light weight and I own two other Banshees so I know how a ATV is supposed to stop. To get this 650 to stop I've got to really muscle the rear brakes like I'm the Hulk! I can get it to stop and lock up in the dirt but only after I mash them VERY hard and then I get what seems like fad. What should I do?

Does anyone make an "After- Market" Caliper or Pad or Rotor change? Should I change the Pads and Rotor? If so to what? EBC makes 2 or 3 different pads. Which one do I choose? the Carbon pad, the sinistered pad or the "Sport Pad"? What pad is best and will give me better stopping power? I don't care if I have to replace pads once a season, I just want to stop better!

I was mashing the rear brake foot lever so hard to try to get it to stop that I bent it under the engine case! I went out and bought another DS-650 brake lever and welded them together so it won't Flex like before and it still won't stop as it should.

Where do I go from here? What do I do next and how do I get this ATV to stop? Should I replace the rear master cylinder and Pads? I need help and advice. I'm out of warranty and on my own.

Best Regards, one slippery DS-650 owner, as I've no Brakes!

GLWBEAR

 

Are you saying that you bent the lever without locking the rear brake..?? If so, you have a problem with the hydraulics. I use the front brakes the most, the rears for sliding down hills and such. If you are trying to stop the bike from speed using only the rear brake you will only smoke the rear pads. Maybe what has already happened. Take the old pads out and put a piece of sand paper on a piece of glass or another very flat surface and sand the pads against the flat surface. Reinstall the pads and see if this didn't help.

 

Dear Spincycle: Yeah, I think your right I'll replace the pads first and see what I get. As I asked in my earlier post....what pads do you recommend? EBC has three different pads. Stock pads, Sinistered and the Carbon pads. I don't mind if I've got to replace the pads once a year. What stops best? I ride in the dirt and sand, no mud. I know that sometimes the pads that don'tlast the longest stop better. What do you think?

Thanks,

GLWBEAR[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

 

Go with the stock replacements, metalic type pads can be hard on the rotors. The difference in stopping power wont be worth the extra money for the metalic pads and the cost of rotors sooner than needed. I rarely use my rear brake except for going down a steep dune or tree shot slowly. You should be able to stop from speed using only your fronts. On hard ground I can stand mine on it's nose.

 

wow i don't think i've ever seen a post on brakes being a problem. well good thing the fronts work good.

 

I would replace the pads first.

Does the brake feel "Mushy" or does it feel pretty solid.

if it's not the rear pads, the next place I would look is your master cylinder. it is possible that the seals are bad letting fluid bypass past the piston back to the reservoir. However I've never ever heard of a bad master cylinder on a DS.

Did you buy the bike new? if so I would be all over the dealership to fix this problem.

If not, you may have to flip the bill to do some parts changing to find out exactly what it is.

On mine, I can lock them up on any surface with very little pressure.

 

Thanks for your comments on the Brakes. Yeah, I think I'm going to replace the Pads and see how that works. Next I'll try the Master cylinder and go from there. I mean I can get them to lock up but only if I MUSCLE the hell out of the brake peddle. I even took a another rear brake peddle and doubled it to make it thicker and stiffer so I could really get some pressure on the peddle.

I hope the new pads will give me better stopping. I'l let you know.

Regards,

GLWBEAR

 

Hold on a second. Check these two things first.

jack up the rear of the bike so the tires are off the ground. See if there is any play in the axle/carrier bearing. I had a loose collar and the only time I could tell was when the rear was off the ground. What happened was that the rotor would (because the axle had slop) knock back the piston. The rear would work again after it was pumped. Trust me on this one, very easy to overlook.

Next check the little plunger that the lever pushes into the cylinder. If there is any crap up there or a simple water mark from water getting up there, it will keep the plunger arm from coming back out, thus not getting any fluid on compression. This is the toughest to look at cause it requirs getting under the bike, using a mirrow or taking off your heal guard.

There is not a lot to go wrong with the system. My breaks worked perfectly, until a couple of months ago. After both of these things have happened, troubleshot and then fixed, I'm bike in tune with the universe [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

the brakes on the DS dont work half as well as the brakes that come on YAMAHA's thats just the facts.. So if your hope'ing to get them to work like your Banshee's, it aint going to happen without aftermarket caliper.. Anyone who disagrees with that statement has not rode a Banshee or Raptor lately.. I ride my friends Raptor all the time in the dunes, and i dont have much good to say about it.. But the brakes are worlds better than the DS.

 

Sounds like it is time for a four piston calipers. No body makes one for the DS so it will have to be a custom job. It can be done just need the brackets. They due make kits for the DS http://www.braking.com