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Cruiser
Posts: 55
Las Vegas, NV | I posted the following on "The VMC", so I apologize for repeating. I'm very worried and would appreciate any help:
OK, so I have posted here before. I love my bike. Riding it brings me a feeling of complete joy. It has only about 4500 miles on it now. Starting in November, I noticed my back brakes failing. Not just feeling weak, but totally and completely failing to work. Now as you all know, they're linked with the fronts, so when I press the back brake (all the way to the floorboard), I get SOME braking power from the fronts.
I took it into the dealer in November (Arlen Ness in Vegas). I was told they've seen this on one other Vision and bleeding the brakes will remove the air and make restore the brakes. Sure enough, I got the bike back and it rode great.
About 3 weeks later, again, no back brakes. The fronts were strong, but nothing from the back. Again, I returned it to Ness and they did the same thing. They said it's never happened more than twice, so I'm good to go.
Early January, I come out to my garage to find fluid under the bike in my garage. To my untrained eye, it felt and smelled like motor oil, but who knows. This Monday (after multiple storms in Las Vegas), I check my fluids (oil is full and brakes look ok). I ride the bike and notice THE BACK BRAKES ARE OUT AGAIN!!!
I again ride it to Ness in Vegas and tell them. I've had enough. I call their GM (Bill) and tell him I don't want it back unless they can fix the cause of the problem. He tells me "We'll do what it takes and get it fixed"
It's going on Friday and i still don't have it back. A call to the dealer tells me they're still waiting on word from Polaris on what to do.
This is not a rant against the dealer. I know they do what they can. But dammit, I've had enough. Small electrical glitches? I'll deal with that. Clucky shifting? Ok, that's the bikes personality. NO FRICKING BRAKES?? Sorry, this is a major issue and I won't ride it until it's fixed.
Has anyone else seen this problem? If so, what did you do?
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | wait for the dealer to get the answer.
if you are finding fluid, hopefully they will find the root of that problem as there should be no fluid at all. if it is the brakes, i heard tale of the line going to the rear rubbing against something and wearing a hole in the line. a simple bending of the line will get it off the rubbing. I've got over 61,000 miles on the bike and just like all mechanical/electrical devices it has its quirks, but nothing that has not been overcome or enough to make me stop riding. |
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Tourer
Posts: 374
Tucson, AZ | There was a post awhile back about the brake line rubbing right above the kickstand area. I remember pictures of it on this site. You might want to seach for that post and it could help you.
mike |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 619
Southeast Iowa | You SrBiff simply have a brake problem...........the fluid on the ground should be a dead giveaway to at least part of the problem. Brakes are not an overly complicated technology and are in use on almost everything with wheels. Your bike happens to be a Vision but I'm fairly sure whatever problem you have is not unique to a Vision. If it was, many more of was would be having the same issue. I'm sure any competent bike mechanic can diagnose and repair any brake issue on the Vision.
Sucks that you have a brake problem that was not diagnosed or corrected the 1st or 2nd time......but so goes life. Sounds like past experience led the mechanic to believe the issue was one thing when it really wasn't. They will probably look a little harder this time around and fix it. A wise man once told me......."If it has Tits or Tires it will cause you pain and cost you money!" that's just how life works. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 65
| For them to suspect air in the lines on 2 occasions but not look for how the air got in the lines, makes no sense. If a brake system that has not been opened up for a repair gets air in it, it has a leak somewhere. Bleeding it is only gettin the air out till it leaks some more. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 114
Southeast, AZ United States | I had the same issue with my 08 and didn't have any issues with the dealer telling Victory that the rear master cylinder was bad. It was replaced under warranty in about a week or so.
Ride Safe,
Ken |
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Visionary
Posts: 1484
LaPorte,Tx. | SrBiff, in 2008 a fellow Vision rider had an issue with a small crack in the rear brake line. There is a brake line bracket mounted to the motor case near the kick stand. This bracket is welded to the brake line, and at that weld there developed a small crack. May have been a little to much heat on the weld during the fabrication. With a small amount of vibration on the line, it produced the crack in the weld. This may have happened to yours, if your seeing fluid under the bike. To help prevent that from happening on mine, I placed a small strip of double sided 3M tape under the line at the leading bend of the line.
There also have been issues with rear brakes that need to be bled after sitting for awhile. And I don't know when you had the exhaust pipes wrapped, but in certain places on the bike, the rear brake system comes very close to exhaust pipes, something may have moved during that wrapping. With extra heat, when cooled, the system may draw in moisture or air causing brake issues.
Hope your dealer gets the brake issue solved for you soon. Take care. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | Here is the old thread on the brake line failure..
Ride Safe
http://www.vision-riders.com/bb/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1421 |
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Cruiser
Posts: 55
Las Vegas, NV | Thanks for all the tips folks. I'll forward this info to the dealer. Wow, I'm amazed at how great this forum is! |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 40
Oppelo, Arkansas | There also have been issues with rear brakes that need to be bled after sitting for awhile.Apparently that's what has happened to mine. The Vision has set since last September. Got it out today to get it ready for a ride tomorrow and the rear brake pedal goes almost all the way down. Plenty of fluid and couldn't find any leaks. Hard to believe it could get air in the lines by just sitting.
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 39
Brighton, MI | SrBiff had the same problem on a friends bike, we replaced the rear master cylinder and have had no problem since. see it quite a bit on this type of master cylinder on our service equipment |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 40
Oppelo, Arkansas | So the Master Cylinder is probably shot? I was hoping just air in the lines. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 154
| Eric is a good guy to deal with at Ness but Polaris always gives them a ton of crap when they put in warranty claims. Ness fought with Polaris for damn near a month to get a warranty issue settled for me and the repair took less than 2 hours. Polaris customer service sucks.. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 271
Belding Michigan | I must admit this is a little dishearting and I got my bike out for a ride yesterday and when i got to the corner by my house I had no back brake. I use back brakes a lot more than front so it threw me for a minute but got my head together and stopped with the front. I will call my dealer tomorrow and find out what they will do but this appears to happen more than it should. let you know the out come. Archie |
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Cruiser
Posts: 260
| Hey Amessen, we would like to have you here for a while longer. Start grabbing the front brake and use it more than the back. Hope they fix your rear quickly! |
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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| Been a small problem since the first year and only 3 report on the fix from what I recall: Air, Master Cylinder, and one guy chaffed through the brakeline on the clutch side (rubbed against board mount). I park mine every winter for an extended period and so far no issue with brakes (knock on wood). With that said it is not unheard of for linked brake systems to develop air/moisture in the lines. You need to remember you heat and cool the brake fluid a lot if you ride a bunch of stop and go type riding which in turn creates air/moisture/contamination. I'll probably have my fluids changed out when it is in for the headlite fix in a few weeks. Just waiting on some snow to melt off. If you store for cold weather I believe the recommendation is replace fluid yearly, all others every 2 years max. I normally do mine every fall before storage but I'm getting lazy. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 40
Oppelo, Arkansas | amessen - 2010-03-07 9:51 AM I must admit this is a little dishearting and I got my bike out for a ride yesterday and when i got to the corner by my house I had no back brake. I use back brakes a lot more than front so it threw me for a minute but got my head together and stopped with the front. I will call my dealer tomorrow and find out what they will do but this appears to happen more than it should. let you know the out come. ArchieDid you happen to check to see if you've got brake lights? Not only are my brakes not working right, I now have intermittent brake lights. Work sometimes. Also my Cruise Control is not working now. All from sitting up for 6 months. Everything worked fine when I put it up for the winter.
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Iron Butt
Posts: 741
Central New York | Well Road Runner, I would say the Vision Gods are angry that you lock one of it children away for 6 months. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 40
Oppelo, Arkansas | glighto11 - 2010-03-07 8:45 PM Well Road Runner, I would say the Vision Gods are angry that you lock one of it children away for 6 months.Well, with only 4600 miles on it and if things are going to go out on it by just sitting up, the Vision Gods will have to get used to being angry at someone else.
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 5
North of Phoenix, AZ | Just saw this thread today - I've had the same problems over the last year or so with my 08 Vision. I've had to have my rear brakes looked about a number of times. The mechanic truthfully told me that he's seen this in Visions after they've been left on their side stands a few weeks without riding and that he's had to bleed the brakes of a number of Visions over and over. We'll see what happens next time I get on my Vision. It's been on its side stand a few weeks now. If I have the same problem, I'll suggest getting a new master cylinder. It seems like this solves the problem from what I've been reading here.
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 40
Oppelo, Arkansas | hdjoe - 2010-03-08 2:20 PM Just saw this thread today - I've had the same problems over the last year or so with my 08 Vision. I've had to have my rear brakes looked about a number of times. The mechanic truthfully told me that he's seen this in Visions after they've been left on their side stands a few weeks without riding and that he's had to bleed the brakes of a number of Visions over and over. We'll see what happens next time I get on my Vision. It's been on its side stand a few weeks now. If I have the same problem, I'll suggest getting a new master cylinder. It seems like this solves the problem from what I've been reading here. Thank you for the reply! I called the Victory Mechanic today and supposed to take it to him one evening this week if weather permits. Curious to see what he finds. I'll suggest a new Master Cylinder also if this keeps up. Last winter it set and was fine when I got it out last Spring. When you get your bike out, you might check to see if you have Brake Lights. Mine worked fine yesterday for a while, but then got to where they were intermittent and now they don't work at all. Even with the front lever. Don't know if this is related to the rear Brakes being low or not. Thanks again!
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Cruiser
Posts: 247
| Had this problem on my '08 last year when i went for the first ride after the weather warmed. i will be sure to test it out safely this year. |
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New user
Posts: 4
Okotoks,Alberta | 2009 Vision - stored on center stand ( after market) in heated garage. Last two years I've had no rear brakes in the spring. Had the brakes bled last spring - after riding about 10km, the rear brakes locked up - had to do a roadside repair - backed off the brake pedal adjustment and have been playing with it ever since. Taking the bike into the dealer tomorrow (Cyclworks, Calgary) since I have no brakes again. When is Victory going to address this issue? Is someone is going to have to get smeared first? |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 10
baltimore | needs a mastercylinder my was replaced when the bike was new 08 vision |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| I was told you bleed the center piston on the front brake and the rear will come back. The reason being is the rear brake does work the front and for some reason it looses pressure.
In all rights when we have these life threatening problems we should file a complaint with the national hwy safety board. If we do this it just might save some one life. We don't need a Toyota problem on two wheels.
I did see a master cylinder on ebay
Edited by john frey 2011-05-04 12:52 PM
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2008 Vision Tour - NO BACK BRAKES