STOP! Clean Your Motorcycle's Brake Calipers 

Remember that, when putting the brake calipers back on, finger tighten the bolts, and pull the brake lever until they’re well seated in the discs, and with the brake lever pulled tighten and torque the bolts, this makes sure the brake pads are well aligned and wear evenly, don’t just put them on and torque everything down.

“With some soapy water” me who watches Chris fix almost religiously *HEY GUYS*

Channel is so criminally underrated on god. Well I can say I was here before he blows up

Hint about the stiffer bristles: Trim them down with a good knife or scissors. Shorter bristles tend to be stiffer. Also, generally when cleaning brakes you need to re-grease the slide pins that the calipers ride on and a smidge of it on the places where the pads touch the spring plates. Only use grease made for brake applications.

Man this guy is the best motorcycle RU-vidr you do professional reviews very artistic editing hope the uk is good for you

cleaned mine out just yesterday, definitely notice the difference. as always, great vid man!

Be warned: Many brake cleaners should never be sprayed onto rubber parts. The cleaner might dry out the seals, which in turn will lead to leaking calipers. And that’s far worse/more dangerous than dirty and squealing brakes.

Awesome!!! I learned a lot from your channel bro! Looking forward to watch more of your DIY’s and cleaning stuff with your new MC. Cheers!

well after watching this video, my OCD kicked in too.... I am cleaning my calipers tomorrow.... Thanks again !!!..... Best satisfying vlog on youtubr ..... CHAOS CAUSES !!!

Nice job Dude!! I have to do a front fork re-seal this weekend and now I know I will be cleaning that front brake... In fact that's how I knew I had a oily fork cause even though it was the right fork oil got all over the front disc... The front instantly did not want to do its thing, but no noise or pad sounds... It was the oil... Thanx dude!!!

Seems to make sense and approach seems logical and effective. Following Dave Moss suggestion for properly seating the pads also seems to make sense and I can’t see any downside for following Dave’s procedure. Good advice and video.

Another quality video chaos!🙌

Well done this a very good video for Motorcylists and definitely gets my approval!

As always dude really enjoyed your video 😊 you’re channel has grown greatly over the last couple of years and might i say very well deserved to 👍🏻. Don’t think it’s going to be to long before you hit the 100k mark 🤗🤗🤗🤗 Adam 🇬🇧

Love your videos, very informational and fun to watch!!

Always love what you do with your videos

Bro, nice content and thanks for sharing the good tips in your video 🤗👌

Best thing to happen on a Friday!

Love your videos bro , keep em coming 💪

It is so cool to see how much u love your bike

Thus video came at a great time! I was just starting to notice that my rear break is getting slightly spongey, so i was thinking that i either needed to change the pads, or clean the calipers

It is always a good practice to keep your braking system in optimal working conditions. I always clean mine at every oil change and go even further. First I remove the majority of the dust just like you are showing. then I push the pistons out just enough to reveal the grime that seats just above the seals. Then with a lot of patience, I rotate all pistons one by one to ensure that everything is perfectly clean and with a bit of rubber grease I moisture the seals and exercise all pistons in and out until they move evenly inside the caliper. That is OCD! But I don't regret it!

Man !!! Its 2 am I can't sleep and I now have the need clean my much loved guzzi brakes !!! Lol cool vid keep up the good work

Another great video buddy!🤟🏼

he knows stuff. using "soapy wooder" 🤟

Very nice job with this vid sir! The more I watched, the more inspired I got, even to the verge of frenzy, then my heart sank like a brick in water. The issue? Within a 1000 miles they will probably be filthy again, but I am undaunted. I will clean my KLR brakes as per your instruction, then let the chips fall where they may. Thanx again sir!

Very helpful and enjoyable video!

Thanks a lot, my front brake and my clutch feels almost the same for me inspite of changing my pads. I'll definitely give this method a try.

Your video presentation is awesome dude.

Old tooth brush works good for cleaning the inside of the pistons (as it’s right angled), nice vid man

I think it's time to get cleaning then... Nice work! 👌🏻

Miss the sound of the R1, its good that the sound of the R1 is on the intro❤

Loved this AD for muc-off.

Kudos Bro. This cleaning is "maintenance".

Good video my bro keep up the 🔥🔥🔥 content

This is very helpful bc i do have problems whit my front brakes right now

I was waiting for your video...Good work

Nice video to watch and very useful, indeed. Thank you. I do clean my calipers in the course with every tire replacement since I noticed how sticky my front wheel was on my Ducati SS a couple of years ago. Since I have adopted the habit of regular cleaning up to twice a year, I never again noticed the stickiness. BTW, I was afraid to use break cleaner in the first place because of potential damage to the break piston sealings. (No clue how the solvent reacts with the rubber of the sealings.) Instead I do the first round of cleaning, targeting the excessive dirt, using a rim cleaner gel which I let soak in for about 5 minutes, then soapy water for the final wash and finally plain water.

Nissin calipers looked quite easy to disassemble. Might try it on my street twin. Any useful tips?

Little tip .. push the pistons out a little, then clean :) good video !

i almost forgot those.. i'll check it soon..

That Was A Sneak Peak Of New Handle Bar Coming On The Beast From ProTaper!⚠️

Any 44 teeth fans notice the JHS Racing sticker on the front forks?

If you are going to the level of removing pads you may as well take the pistons out, strip the caliper and then do seals and regrease the pin and the seals and if your doing that you may as well check the discs and bleed the brakes and this is how a 20m clean becomes an 8 hour job.

Thanks dude! Mine are definitely due. 7k never touched the brakes

Thank you!

I just cleaned my caliper before this video. One tip is, the detailing brush doesnt really clean the surface. What u can do is put a cable tight on the top part of the bristle to make it hard and really clean your intended surface.

Nice advise 😃👍

try a toothbrush next time. and wow that front wheel really spun for so long?? on the stock bearings?

I got my sport bike 4 years ago, and never once I cleaned the brakes. My front brake has started making brushing noises even when the brakes are not actuated. I guess this is the right time to get those bad boys cleaned up

Just cleaned rear caliper yesterday! Well I am not using the break cleaner stuff...and it was more rebuilding than cleaning. I dismantled ever single part, cleaned and polished to better than new before reassembling with new pad...that were just too big to fit. Using a file was the cure...

You should really regrease the spring plate pins and backs of the pads to make sure nothing will seize and to have to clean less regularly and maintain smooth movment

Now that you mention it I could have only 3 out of 4 pistons working in one caliper without realising if the grime is causing an issue and I am OCD so when I next change my breaks I will DO THIS. BUT another warning. my girlfriend had her caliper cleaned by a garage and her only front brake caliper for her 125 failed while she was riding. Very scary for her thank god she was going at low speeds but this was due to them scratching the piston or potentially scratching a seal somehow. This is why I don't like to clean the calipers as I feel you may do more harm than good but now I think of it... it's probs worth doing if you want the best out of your breaks. P.S When the pads are removed you should of pumped the break to extend the pistons all the way to clean all the pistons. :) And after cleaning I would recommend reassembly and then pumping the breaks loads to make sure nothing is leaking.

Just love to watch your videos 🤩🤪

a short 10mm bolt, and a couple of washers come in handy, tighten it in to the bobbins, so the bobbins can be rotated, and sprayed with brake cleaner, as the brake dust seizes them up if not cleaned out!

Hi there, I keep a few large cardboard cartons that I have carefully cut the tap lengths and the glued/stapled bit. I lay the whole thing out flat and use it as a “shitty stuff” catch all when cleaning/maintaining chains and brakes, changing engine oil or brake fluid This way anything that hits that lovely cement floor won’t have black carbon or graphite deposits in it to make life depressing after the massive high of sparkling clean rotors and callipers The cardboard dries out and can be used many times

I see a JHS Racing sticker, looks like that bike was / is being well looked after!

Force pistons out slightly after caliper clean and scrub pistons with brake fluid and roothbrush helps lubricate and clean. Nice vid

What make are those paddock stands? They look nice

I start with iron fall out wheel cleaner and hot soapy water. Remove any rubbers, clean and a dab of rubber grease. Brake cleaner and stiff bristle toothbrush (not on the rubbers obs) I use a little thread lock when the bolts go back in.

Mate thanks for the video. This procedure is often neglected by riders. The rear is always dirtier. My last clean was a week ago after a 2000 km trip. And I used the soapy water and an old toothbrush. Brake cleaner adds the final touch to this crispy well sleeping feeling. Stopping the bike is as important as all the other things we like to do on2 wheels, right?!?

Liked & subscribed, great fun & informative video, look forward to all your content, gonna do my brakes this weekend, speed safe, Aloha, Kenneth

Wouldnt spray brake cleaner straight onto the caliper, can dry out the rubber seals... However cleaning the pads and disks with it could likely make a difference if they are dirty

Nice, cool and usefull tutorials.. Btw u really are a funny guy.. 😂😂

How do you know JHS Racing bro? I just assumed from the accent you were in RSA. Awesome crew aren't they? Great vid, thanks mate.

Soon: in 5 minutes, after I grab a bucket, cloth and brush. Thanks for the simple video and enjoyable clean brakes :)

Shouldn't you lube the guides and pistons before re-assembly?

That's so weird, literally cleaned mine yesterday and replaced my pads lol

I'm in the process of re-building my front caliper at the moment. This comprises a complete strip of all components, of which there aren't that many, pistons, slide plate, and bleed screw, a thorough clean out of all gunk, grease and general grime. Then re-assemble with new rubber slide boots, bleed screw and pressure and Dust seals (The dust seals are missing completely!) using a re-build kit which has all the nessecary parts for the job. Brake calipers are generally pretty simple assemblies and this job shouldn't pose any great challenges to even the novice mechanic. The most difficult part is the removal of the piston/s but if you pump the brake lever until they are quite a long way out (Not too far, mind...) it makes the job a lot easier.

Dang I didn't even know you had to clean brake callipers. Thanks for the info!

4:08 I shit u not their chain lube smells like berries, idk wtf they are snorting over at Muc-off but it makes me love to lube chain cos it smells so good lol

love from India brother!!!!!!

Wee bit copper grease on the pins and back of the pads, when replacing them. Clean the calliper with soapy water just and have the bucket over it then your floor not get covered in Shite. A tiny spray of brake cleaner then, no need for over kill

Buy brake cleaner in 5l container and use a plant sprayer, it’s a lot cheaper than little cans

what if my bike is brand new? should I grab a nice master cylinder and steel lines anyway?

Can i use break/disc cleaner while the caliper are still on the bike with breakpads inside?

Can we use chain cleaner as break cleaner ?

How do you put the reatining clip back on I didn't see that? Or will I know once I take caliper off? Haven't took mine apart yet..wanted to make sure i could do it properly. Never done this before. Bikes been stood few yrs for multiple reasons. So need to give it alot of attention to bring it back to life. Thanks. Loved this video

Nice Video 👌🏻👌🏻

A few minutes cleaning makes a world of difference. Hate seeing dirty bikes. 👍🏼

where did you get that bike stands from?

I am wondering if steam cleaner could make cleaning easier and bring better results

Clean brakes feel the best :D

Did you notice any difference in braking performance after cleaning?

what are the sizes of those break pad star bolts

100k play button coming soon

Great content, I have a question. Is there a specific time to do that, like after a few months or years? Or that depends on your covered distance. I'm asking you that because I haven't done that yet.

How frequently we have to clean the brake calipers?

best channels on youtube "chaos causes" & "fortnine"

Your content always grabs my attention. You could review a hat and I'd watch at least half of the 10 min vid

Yeah they sell the stuff at the auto parts store called brake cleaner. Works wonders. Use that.

The tips in this comment section are extremely helpful! Thanks all.

Any ideas why my new brake pads squeek at low speed under trafic lights?

Brother just because ur an experienced rider. Pls guide me. In My cbr250r . C-abs the brakes even upon pressing hard does not make the motorcycle stop effectively. The brake pads gives a sound of a sort of slipping. I have opened up the brake callipers and cleaned them. Also I have bleed the front and the rear brake s. Also the second bleeding nipple on the front callipers. Is it because of the brake pads or something else in the brakes system. I am unable to locate the cause of this ineffective brakes that even on pressing the brakes too hard the bike does not stops immediately. It slows down but does not stops immediately and therefore the abs is not working because of that.Can anyone suggest the solution?

Just pressed on the notification

isopropyl alcohol + toothbrush and don't forget to push the caliper cylinders a bit out to clean them properly

I find cheap firm toothbrushes get into alot of the hard to get places

So does it brake better now?

I clean my calipers and disks every time i go for an oil change. It's part of the process i follow. Drain the oil Remove the oil filter let it drain some more check all the main bolts - including caliper's after a good clean

Carb cleaner and lighter, whoosh! job done :D