How to inspect, adjust rear drum brakes on motorcycles

Drum brakes

[@brendanchapman3]

thanks for the video! You're a good instructor, you know what to point out and explain things well. Just bought my first bike last year (a 93 cb250) and this was exactly what i was looking for to learn how to do some of the basic work on my brakes. thanks again!

[@slothtx]

Thanks, man! Coming to find out you have no rear brakes while riding is scary as heck. Watching your video to confirm what I thought I knew help me feel better.

[@tycash99]

This comment is a little late but thanks for this video it's awesome! I'm inspecting a 1996 Suzuki savage 650 for sale and one of the problems was that it's rear drum brake was sticking or locked up so this video really helped :)

[@boogywoogynigah]

once again! max to the rescue! just cleaned my brake drums and gave it a go! now it works great! thnx dude really owe ya one

[@chayton94]

Just took min apart and replaced!! Adjusting worked great thanks man

[@formegolf]

Very nicely done as usual my friend. Sometimes I like how simple the older bike were made.

[@mrmaxstorey]

Yeah, this video was a while back, before I had my new camera, tripod, etc

[@tonydoberman21]

Great job man, working on my XR100 you really helped me a lot

[@swapmeetlus4096]

I had no fucking idea this was that simple man, thanks a lot! I’m about to start restoring a 1974 Yamaha TY250A. Cheers! Thanks again for the informative video

[@AdamRoberts92]

This is a great video, taught me the basics so I can rebuild my sr125

[@justinbrumley7769]

Excellent video. Short and sweet. Thanks for the info! Just changed the tube on my 81xs400 cafe needed to make sure I did it right hahah

[@spelunkerd]

Another video going over just what I needed, thanks.

[@toddboden972]

Great info! FYI they're still making bikes with drum brakes. Just bought a 23 Shadow with drum.

[@sebastianpinzon8505]

Thank you for this videos, just saved me a hole lot of time not having to go to the mechanic

[@CEOTerminator]

This video beats all service manuals - Thanks.

[@Mechanic44]

Very helpful, nice and clear and to the point. Nice work mate.

[@Dinonuggets90]

im planing to buy this bike 82 Yamaha maxim 650 the owner said the rear break get stock if used so he just used the front break..what do you think is the problem. .thanks

[@fortheweekend1]

thank you for video, wanted to check brakes and understand better, good job ty

[@RiderForge]

Drum brakes can stop as well as a disc, they just tend to heat up faster. The reason they feel inferior on a motorcycle in terms of stopping power is because most drum brakes on motorcycles use a cable instead of a hydraulic line. Drum brakes are also significantly lighter than discs. Unless you're racing you likely won't ever overheat a drum brake, but I have seen them used successfully.

[@mrmaxstorey]

You can check and see if the pads are glazed, if so rub it off with some 1000 grit sandpaper. Sometimes it also helps to apply brake grease to the back of the pad or shoe

[@pdk005]

Very helpful. Thank you!

[@mrmaxstorey]

I do have a video for how to adjust a clutch cable, and a video on how to replace a clutch. I have a video on bleeding hydraulic motorcycle brakes, which should cover your bike's fronts. Good luck

[@mrmaxstorey]

Yes. To get the rear tire off you need to remove the rear wheel, and to remove the rear wheel you gotta remove the chain

[@josegrande8856]

Great video, thanks. I'm working on a 1985 Honda Shadow VT700 and just replaced the rear tire and was wondering how the brakes worked.

[@TheBrendon1982]

Thank you, this video has been very helpful

[@stepbrotoksik6907]

hello there, how does the spring in the back end of the rod doesnt jump inside the leaver hole(?) and get stuck?

[@mrmaxstorey]

there should be a little notch which prevents that

[@larry3099]

Very helpful video....anythin on front brake and clutch adjustment for an 83 honda shadow? Thanks

[@plinkbottle]

Well I have a bike with drum brakes where they recommend 20-30mm free play on the pedal. When they tighten it right up I get glazed pads and squeaks.

[@1966johnnywayne]

Agreed, it's very important to have properly adjusted rear brakes when stopping on grass...I wish they'd pave the roads where I live, I'm tired of having to dodge the city workers pushing their lawn mowers on the roadway.

[@josephsmith8649]

LMAO

[@travispratt6327]

Have you ever had a cable make your brakes drag and overheat? I just had this happen and wondering if I should take it apart myself or bring it to a shop, I see what looks like metal flakes coming up out of the hub so it doesn’t looks good, when I was riding and finally noticed they were dragging and pulled over it was too late they were smoking and very hot, think I ruined my rear rim?

[@mrmaxstorey]

Yeah pull it apart yourself and see what you find, if its not too bad you can just clean it up and put new shoes in and see how it does. Wheels arent that expensive anyway if you have to replace

[@travispratt6327]

mrmaxstorey mrmaxstorey thanks man good advice it will definitely need new shoes no matter what anyways think I’ll just order some and take it off and hope new shoes will be enough, and ya you’re right I’m looking on eBay I can get a used complete rear wheel assembly for under $200, not horrible

[@MrMambott]

I know this is old but what a cool and pretty rare Honda , Those and any of the old early 1970s CB Honda's are becoming extinct and very desirable to collectors , wish I still had my 1965 CB 350 that I sold in perfect condition in 1985 for $600 , O o

[@skinz1234]

Great vids man!!! i come back and watch your vids every so often just wanted to leave a Thank You and let you know your appreciated!!! :)

[@nailsinch9]

Nice video. Simple explanation on how the drum break system works. If they're really squeaky, what do you recommend?

[@mrmaxstorey]

Well that all depends on the rider. This is how I prefer to set my brakes, for a novice rider who is not as confident with his ability to apply his brakes, then yes you are right it might be better to set them a little looser. All depends on who you are, and how you want to ride.

[@dukmann1]

i got a 83 cm250c and i was wondering if i could get away with not taking the rear wheel off and out for changing the brake shoes?

[@michaelkennedy8573]

Do I have to remove the back wheel to open the case to clean the pads and contact place? I can hear my beaks squeaking and if i have to remove the wheel I'll take it go a garage

[@mrmaxstorey]

+Michael Kennedy Yeah wheel has to come off

[@michaelkennedy8573]

+mrmaxstorey thought so thanks

[@Brotherspringman]

I just got back from a ride and noticed my read brake pedal sticks down when I apply brakes and I have to lift it up with my foot to release it. Any suggestions? I did tighten the return spring last time it done it and that seemed to work.

[@Dr.M.Loganayagam]

bro what are the tool required for a long bike ride.. Please say

[@toblerorg]

I love my 76 Hondamatic 750..

[@TheADALWULF]

perfect!! exactly what i was looking for cheers

[@1234hellinthepacfic]

Great video I have a 1978 Yamaha xs 250 I am restoring I recently put new brake shoes on the rear hub which fitted okay then when I placed the hub into the wheel they fitted however when I tried to turn the hub it would move slightly then jam up this is my second new set of brake shoes is there some way of freeing them up as there is no adjustment for the drum unlike what there is on a car or do I fix the wheel to the bike and turn it to try to bond the shoes in ? any ideas ? and the hub itself on the wheel is all okay

[@mrmaxstorey]

+marketgarden holland Measure the inside of the brake drum and make sure it is perfectly round

[@michaelf8976]

Im glad to hear you purchased a tripod because the video was difficult to watch.

[@vapidRush]

Hey,...if breaks are squealing does that mean they need to be changed, cleaned or adjusted?

[@stockton350]

thanks for another great video. I've got a front drum on a 73CL350 and it is either off or totally locked up. What is causing that?

[@mrmaxstorey]

Gotta open it up and check it out

[@MrCaptainstern]

Much like Kali below I have a SHadow 125 which I've just changed sprockets and chain for. After a couple of weeks I've noticed my chain was slack. After adjusting the chain it seems the back brake is always on. I've managed to localise it to the spline, which for some reason isn't returning the lever back to the off position - I can mode it by hand, but it seems the springs inside the drum may be faulty, or something else. Any suggestions before I whip out the tire again?

[@mrmaxstorey]

Did you try loosening off the brake lever? There is a long bar that goes from your brake pedal back to your brake hub. On the end of this bar is a nut, and you unscrew it to loosen it off, which is something you need to do whenever you tighten your chain

[@MrCaptainstern]

Yea I'd had the nut right off. Just sorted it my man. :D Was the spline that was stuck. Took it out cleaned it up and presto :)

[@mrmaxstorey]

Yeah you can do it either way, unless the chain is really super rusted and inflexible

[@bassen1979]

my breaks work fine but my drum gets really hot to the point it discolored my shell of drum ive tryed to clean breaks lube up my axle but still gets hot and have drag unless i loosen them to the point I have no breaks at all please help if possible thanks

[@mrmaxstorey]

You gotta find that sweet spot where your brakes arent dragging, and are still able to be activated by the foot pedal

[@bouny01]

Before you tighten your wheel axle. You have to apply the brake. It will pefectly center the brake to the hub.

[@bassen1979]

thanks for tips going to try next week. I moved the break arm back 3 set of teeth and is working alot better now.

[@Michiganborn1969]

great video Max! I had the exact same brake drum set up on my 85 Maxim. It even had a small wear indicator on the folcrum of the pitman arm just like the Virago. Btw, Starting at about the 2 minute mark, did you hear that weird chirping sound? I had to pause the video twice b/c I though it was here in my living room :D

[@davemaximo9952]

i bought suzuki brake shoes.but when i opened it there's no springs?does this mean that i have to buy springs separately

[@mrmaxstorey]

yea I guess so

[@dabprod]

So it looks like whichever way you push the lever it spreads the shoes out against the drum. Is that correct?

[@mrmaxstorey]

yes

[@dabprod4962]

Yeah, that's what I figured. That's great, I like simple. Working on a 1968 BSA chopper and the lever points down. I need to change it to pointing up so a threaded rod can run unobstructed to the forward mounted brake peddle. Nice video, thanks.

[@earnestbrown2643]

I just put new brake shoes on a 08 650 V Star, I hear squeaking , I have lubed the rods, and it still squeaks, could it be the springs have come loose?

[@mrmaxstorey]

Well thats easy enough to check, but I dont think so or else you would have other problems too. When does it squeek?

[@bug999ful]

me too i just buy new break shoes for my honda xrm125 but 1month later i hear squeking again i hate the sound of squeking brake....should i replace my wheel hub already or should i buy another brake shoe..pls elp

[@atotheroh]

Great video, I actually have a 81 virago project as well. Brakes will come after carburetors I suppose. You seem to have a pretty badass life, by the way. Quite envious as a college student trapped on campus for now. But! I'm curious, who do you freelance write for?

[@mrmaxstorey]

@CEOTerminator Glad to help dude

[@douglasdavis1612]

THANX refreshed forgotten points

[@Zombiripuli]

My problem is that with my er-5 i push the pedal , and it doesn't return it , it stays down + has practically no braking power

[@mrmaxstorey]

I would take it all apart and clean it, scrape all the rust off. Grease up the points where your brake lever rotates and the brake shoe actuator. Put in new brake shoes and inspect your return spring, possibly replace it. Then reassemble

[@ckgohil]

Thanks buddy for the video... very helpful :)

[@kalikali8511]

hi I have honda shadow 125 just noticed that my rear brake drum start squeaking,and also the rear wheel become stiff,I have adjusted the chain seems OK any advice on it,I would appreciate.

[@mrmaxstorey]

Have you adjusted the brake lever?

[@kalikali8511]

Hi thank you for replying no I don't think I have adjusted brake lever,do you think that might be the reason

[@mrmaxstorey]

yep

[@mrmaxstorey]

@atotheroh Lol thanks dude hang in there, I know living on campus has its disadvantages, nothing beats your own house. I freelance in a bunch of different capacities; research, travel writing, essays, journalism, mostly pretty dry stuff but it pays the bills and helps me through school. BTW let me know if you need any parts for your Virago!

[@cmjags1]

very helpful thanks fella

[@StoneMelber]

The problem with my bike is that when I push on the rear brake it goes all the way down with no effort.

[@kirktonscorpius]

Mine does the same

[@PaulaStreet]

would adjusting the nut at the end of the thin rod (behind the spring) help?

[@EvenThere]

mine too

[@EvenThere]

i just sanded the inner drum and clean it, lube the arm hole, back to normal again

[@nismo2ful]

sr does that apply for most bikes rear brake system

[@mrmaxstorey]

+Christian Vasquez If it is a drum brake then yes. A disk brake operates differently

[@philmanwarren3666]

is there a front and back on the virgo ones ?

[@mrmaxstorey]

Im not sure but I doubt it

[@Lonehillbagger]

Great Video Man!Thanks for your help!1 thing please STOP shake that camera for godsake!!:-)))

[@mrmaxstorey]

@TheFawawa Thanks

[@mrmaxstorey]

@spelunkerd Glad to help dude

[@mrmaxstorey]

Lube up all the linkage with wd40 and rock it back and forth real hard a couple times

[@envisionluke]

Thanks a lot for the vid!!!!!

[@cliffrevalde8150]

can i ask which is better drum break or a disc break?

[@mrmaxstorey]

disc

[@cliffrevalde8150]

+mrmaxstorey thank you buddy

[@mabast007]

the lever or the rod is frozen on my 98 shadow. What should I do?

[@mrmaxstorey]

Lube it up and work it loose

[@mabast007]

Thanks.

[@fred_e]

Nice video, good tips. I like your video, but I was looking for a video on how to dismantle the drum brakes. I've gotten as far as I dare with dismantling mine, but I'm kind of at a stand still now. If you haven't already, would you mind making a video walkthrough? Thanks.

[@mrmaxstorey]

Fred E OK, well they are just about the simplest part of a vintage motorcycle. What seems to be the problem?

[@fred_e]

mrmaxstorey​ Wow! That was super fast! Details in a moment.

[@fred_e]

mrmaxstorey​ I've unscrewed and loosened everything attached to the mechanism but there is a bar at the bottom of the front piece that won't budge. It's attached to the off-shoot from the circular shape. If it helps any, the bike is a 1979 cx500 that sat in almost par storage for ten years. It's been running fine for the year and a half I've been driving it.

[@mrmaxstorey]

Fred E Take a look at this diagram and let me know what parts you are referring to: www.bikebandit.com/oem-parts/1979-honda-500-custom-cx500c/o/m151826#sch404603

[@fred_e]

mrmaxstorey​ Just for the record, I haven't tried prying anything yet. I don't want to damage anything.

[@masoomjan6200]

how to give power while climbing on high region

[@robertbrandywine]

I just got a bike and the first 2 or 3 times I apply the rear brakes, they make a noise and want to grab. Then everything is fine. What do you think is going on?

[@mrmaxstorey]

What kind of bike? Is it drum or disc brakes? And what kind of noise is it making?

[@robertbrandywine]

Sorry, it's drum. It's a Honda Nighthawk 750. I'll have to listen to the sound tomorrow and report back. I plan on just doing the 2 or 3 initial brakings on the driveway to clear things up before hitting the road.

[@mrmaxstorey]

Robert Brandywine You might need to take out the brake shoes and see if they are wore down, if that noise is a grinding then yeah definitely time for new brakes

[@robertbrandywine]

Well, big surprise today -- the rear brake functioned perfectly from the get-go. I am guessing that the guy I bought it from hadn't ridden it in a while and it was perhaps rusted up a little. Although that wouldn't explain why it smoothed out into the drive.

[@mrmaxstorey]

Robert Brandywine Haha naturally. Well it still might be worth opening it up and checking it out

[@andysanchez1117]

Thank you for this

[@philmanwarren3666]

ok thanks for everything have a great night

[@mrmaxstorey]

Good luck Phil

[@bouwmatic]

Actually you can't really adjust the rear arm on its splines, it's toothed to fit only one way, so that it can't be installed way wrong. At least on my bike it was that way.

[@mrmaxstorey]

awesome

[@mrmaxstorey]

Glad to hear it

[@fernandoagostinelli]

Hi, nice video. I hope you can help me. I don't have any return on the rear brake of my 77 hondamatic 750. it just stay down after I applied. how can I fix that?. thanks in advance.

[@mrmaxstorey]

Try working some lubrication into all the moving parts (aside from the brake shoes themselves) and get them moving a little easier. If that doesnt work your spring may be in need of replacement

[@fernandoagostinelli]

Thank you I'll try that

[@fernandoagostinelli]

+mrmaxstorey That worked nicely, I used WD40 but I don't think that's the proper solution. What type of lubricant should I use?

[@mabast007]

Mine is jammed. I will try to lube it with dw-40

[@aashesh7277]

hii. I have the problem with my bike's rear drum brake. It's not work properly even after fixing the new brake pads. Can you just help me about this problem.

[@mrmaxstorey]

OK. How can I help you?

[@aashesh7277]

mrmaxstorey . Tell me the solution for this problem

[@mrmaxstorey]

Most likely your kickback flange is distorting between the pingot valve and the overdrop lever.

[@aashesh7277]

mrmaxstorey not at all. that's in good condition.

[@mrmaxstorey]

Oh ok did you try redressing the foreward grapling nut? If it goes out of torsion, one of your inverted brake pad spreaders may oscillate, causing unpredictable hydration

[@philmanwarren3666]

hey i was wondering if you know how to fix a muffler with a hole in it on a 93 yamaha virgo

[@mrmaxstorey]

Grab a welder and go nuts

[@philmanwarren3666]

mrmaxstorey i don't have one is there any other fix

[@mrmaxstorey]

Phil manwarren Well there is this exhaust putty stuff but it doesn't last too long. Ride the bike over to a welders shop he can do it in 10 mins and might charge you $30

[@philmanwarren3666]

its the part under the belly of my bike not the pipes

[@philmanwarren3666]

and i just put new break shoes on my bike and now i have very little breaks can you help is my drum no good

[@mrmaxstorey]

Im not sure, give it a shot

[@PaulaStreet]

thanks, looks like the cg125 back brake

[@frodomoto2496]

thanks

[@ashrafzaki30]

great! thanks max

[@larry3099]

Thanks...I will look for them under your name

[@spottyconiglietto2523]

Thank you for your good video, why is everything green?

[@mrmaxstorey]

Cause drum brakes are envious of disc brakes

[@mrmaxstorey]

@formegolf Me too dude

[@mrmaxstorey]

@TheADALWULF cool

[@Justsum1Else]

Hahaha in your opinion. Good one friend 😂

[@mrmaxstorey]

Cool

[@mrmaxstorey]

Not necessarily, check out my video on sqeeking brakes

[@mrmaxstorey]

Some bikes it is, but many bikes it is not

[@mrmaxstorey]

@skinz1234 Awesome man thanks

[@HellFreakRIP]

Awesome.

[@nopowerlaboratory]

For the first This will be very green

[@sabrom]

Good deal judt got new brakes on my SECA xj750r.

[@alvinjacobe7962]

So manny xplain i need point point to how to....

[@KnowledgePodiumSystems]

#KnowledgePodiumSystems

[@mrmaxstorey]

@Michiganborn1969 Cardinals in my trees :)

[@TheFawawa]

mtoorcycles