HOT BRAKE SOLUTIONS: MR. KNOW-IT-ALL

Dear Mr. Know-It-All,
My 2017 GasGas  300 has been giving me a headache lately. The problem lies in the rear brakes; they keep locking up from getting too hot. I’ve adjusted them and made sure that the pedal isn’t too high up. While riding trials sections they’re fine, but, as soon as I pick up speeds over 5 mph for a few minutes, they lock up the rear wheel from getting too hot. What could be making them get so hot at speed?
Vern Tillman
via [email protected]

Okay, remember that the brake pedal height is crucial. Too high and you’ll tend to ride the brake, which heats things up, which is not a good thing. But, I believe that the drama could lie in your master cylinder. When you apply the brake, the piston is forced up into the master cylinder, and I think that it is not returning, resulting in pressure on the pads engaging the brakes and causing immediate issues. There could be debris inside. The fluid could be tainted, or the seals may have gone brittle and are not doing their job. Get a rebuild kit for the master cylinder. With this and with fresh fluid, you should be back on the rocks in no time.