ADV Workshop - How to Properly Adjust KTM Rear MC Brake Pedal Free Play

Don't cook your rear brake. A quick run down and demonstration of the importance of adjusting free play properly on KTM motorcycles.

[@aditya.khapre]

The owners manual has the worst description of this! Thank you for this tutorial!

[@andrewshanbrom6567]

Good explanation. Way more clear than owner’s manual.

[@chrisk3754]

Damn! You just saved me a trip to the dealership and $400! You rock bro. Much respect and appreciation. I just had to adjust the lever-get some free play and bam…ni more brake freezing. So satisfying. : )

[@MobilitySRU]

Good video Windblown. After having a 1090R, I'm having to learn all the good stuff all over again for my 890R.

[@thomasbansberg8469]

i have shortened the 54603068000 PRESSURE ROD some mm's with a file on the thread side and use a thin nut to even lower the brake pedal some more.

[@damytzeus]

great vid. this is very easy to screw up and can progress dangerous. i totally screwed this up by improperly adjusting the plunger and not having enough free play. my rear brake totally locked up. very luckily, it happened as i was slowly rolling through a parking lot near home. ended up towing bike home on a dolly. now, i give plenty of free play -more than 5mm.

[@Windblown]

Thanks! Yep, I think it catches a lot of folks out. Many bikes don't an adjustment for rear brake free play. It is set by the factory and the bikes have a push rod that can adjust the brake height without impacting the free play. It's awesome that KTM does have a separate adjustment because as you mentioned, that allows us to tailor the free play to our own preference. But it does mean it has to be checked and verified anytime the rear brake lever is changed or adjusted. Not a bad idea to check it regardless to make sure it's in spec on new bikes as well. ;)

[@dadjorts6018]

Just had the same happen today. Rear completely locked on me. I have owned bikes for years but this was my first KTM and the owners manual wasn’t crystal clear. I know what I’m doing tomorrow.

[@Knockelhead]

Ty!!! I just got my ktm 890 2023 my rear brake was hot when not using but previous owner did not knew this :) ty!

[@gregs5433]

Great video, am finally going to adjust my brake pedal down now!

[@Windblown]

You got this! :)

[@BesharMohamed]

Thank you! Will check mine tonight. My rear rotor is finsished. Maybe cuz of free play...

[@AmenMoto]

Saw you on ADV Rider. I WANT THIS BIKE!!!! Thanks for the cool vid, ttyl

[@opusdei51]

Thanks for the awesome video. Now I only need to find a manual on how to adjust the clutch lever as the std adjustment screw still has that lever a tad to far for my liking.

[@54zk]

My solution was take the screw-out, file down the area that made contact with the back of the screw

[@princekhut]

Thank you soooo much for this video, it has helped me a lot!!!

[@germangod2357]

this happend to me.. i cooked my rear brake till it stack up...need to coll it down before it loosen . ill try to adjust it tom.. thank you for the vid

[@juanposada9319]

Very clear. Cheers!

[@mikesbigadventures194]

Great video. Good news if you don’t adjust the free play right the wheel won’t lock up from the calipers seizing. However the calipers will heat up to the point of melting and catching fire, requiring new brakes and new abs sensor. Ask me how I know....🙁

[@UnicornViking]

Thank you!

[@greatfallskam]

Hi Windblown. I went back to review your excellent video posted on ADV.. I had a question. What's easiest way to measure that 3-5mm. free play at the plunger pin? I am thinking maybe bring to put a sharpe tick mark when the plunger pin is down and then when it goes up. Happy 4th. Kam

[@fabienpics]

I make this mistake whit my r1200gs.... same system thand ktm.... my caliper, maybe 15 minutes after I do the adjustment, catch in fire.... I m lucky where I just make an emergency stop, some one wash is car in is driway ... we stop the fire with the water hose.....

[@TheeMisterspain]

Wonder if this is the same set up on my 790 duke? Looks it. How much adjustment does the adventure have? Mine needs adjusted at least an inch higher as it sits far too low as standard

[@Windblown]

Haven't looked closely at the Duke but it's likely the same or very similar. The separate height and freeplay adjustment is common on KTMs. Don't know if you can get a full inch of adjustment upwards or not but it's possible. Just depends on where it happens to be now.

[@rabbigabrielbenor6795]

My 890 Adv R brake lights come on ONLY if I press hard on foot AND hand brake controls. Is it a defective light switch or is it cured by adjusting like you show in the video? Thanks.

[@Windblown]

If the brakes themselves are working then it not the adjustment most likely. The pressure sensors used to turn on the brake lights are located on the ABS housing under the tank. Normally I would say if it takes a lot of pressure to get the brake light to operate then one of them is bad. However this usually only affects one brake or the other and doesn't require pressing both to get the light to turn on. So if you press down on the rear OR front brake by themselves the light will not turn on? But it will turn on if you press both? That's a bit odd and not sure off the top of my head what would cause that.

[@rabbigabrielbenor6795]

@@Windblown No, they light goes on, with either handle pulled, but they have to be pulled hard for the light to on. If I was decelerating to a stop light tapping the brakes to slow down, would not turn on the brake light. Thus the car in back of me would not see any warning that I was slowing. If I squeezed either brake handle hard enough to Illuminate the light, I would come to an abrupt stop.

[@Windblown]

@@rabbigabrielbenor6795 That sounds like bad brake light pressure sensors for sure.

[@rabbigabrielbenor6795]

@@Windblown Ok, Thank you.