Anusha125

I have been driving a Suzuki Access 125 for about 5 months. I drive it pretty fast (about 50 kmph) and recently took it on a ride and pushed it beyond what is was intended to do (about 90 kmph). Already I am noticing that the brakes seem "soft" -- they're not responding as fast as I would like, and it seems to take a lot to get them to fully engage. Not that I have to brake suddenly a lot, but I'm a bit concerned about it. Maybe it's just that I started out driving slow so didn't notice as much, and am more used to drive a car, but I definitely want to make sure it's riding at 100%.

Anyway, I'm due for another servicing, and will have them check everything, but thought I would ask here first: Are there any improvements that can be made to get the best braking power possible? I obviously don't want to stop so hard I fly off the bike, but I want to be able to trust the brakes if I need them as well -- and not replace the brake pads every 6 months!

ken cool

Approved

Firstly, what kind of braking procedure do you follow? Is it mostly rear, mostly front, combination of both. I know we have been through this discussion before, but much depends on the way you use your brakes.

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Anusha125

Usually a combination. Rear brake first, more forcefully, then easing down the front brake as well. Never front brake alone, rarely only the rear brake unless just slowing down a tiny bit.

animeher

Actually you should try the opposite, first the front and then back (just a moment's gap, not long). You will be surprised how smoothly the scooter stops, without any sharp jerks. Rear brakes should be used as means to stop fishtailing, not for slowing down.

jd666

^^ +1.

Get the brake cables adjusted during the service, and the brake drums and brake shoes cleaned. Also check that the brake pads are within wear limits.

Its very important to use the front brake to effectively cut your braking distance by half!! or maybe more!

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dcs

See Anusha, there are ways wherein you can use the brakes more efficiently and then there are ways to improve the brakes too. But ideally, as they say, its not the machine, its the rider that makes the difference. Try to extract the maximum of what you have already.

Understanding the difference between the brakes of Suzuki Access with that of any other bike:

• your bike's brake work on the outer& inner cable for front and rear both, where in bikes work on rod brakes for the rear( most of the Indian bikes) and front brakes are hydraulically operated disc brake set up( again most of the Indian Bikes). There is a considerable loss of braking force exerted by the hands and lever in the process of expansion of the shoes inside the drum via the cable mechanism as a significant amount of force is used up in the contraction of the outer in few of the cases. That is one of the limitation of the drum and cable brake set up.
• secondly, the rear drum is not that well exposed to open air as in the case of most of the bikes which again decreases the efficiency after the drum heats up significantly. This hurdle can again not be over come any which way, lest you install a liquid cooled braking system( if such a thing exists)
• so what we are left with is, finding a way to get the maximum from what we have got. Now try not to use the brakes unnecessarily just to slow down. Use the engine braking instead, which is not very wonderful anyhow for vehicles running on CVT( continuously variable transmission).
• This will ensure the drums are not heated to the earlier extent and resulting in efficient braking. Also Keeping the braking system free from rust, debris, dust would ensure smooth running and less loss of force.
• Lastly, though I dont particularly recommend this, try to increase the friction between the drum and the shoes( Brake). (Ask me HOW!!!) Also, ensure that you always use the Original spares as replacement. Off market and local spares may affect adversely.

Anusha125

Well, I've been practicing using the front brake more, and it seems to help. I've been warned to not use the front brake at all or at least not with the back brake, so I'm a bit confused as to why that advice was given previously.

I'm going to get it serviced this weekend, so I'll be sure to have them check all the brakes and lines, and make sure they're all 100%. Then I'll look into the adding friction and whether that's necessary or not.

nipunblaze135LS

use front 70%
and rear 30%
at the same time!
it will help u to stop in minimum possible time and distance