"needs brakes"

[Vamisk]

The words the Previous Owner said to me when i asked if the bike was still available.

"it's a heavy bike" he said as it took 4 of us to push it on the trailer.

I wondered why it just stalls out when i tried slipping the clutch.

Now i find out why the brakes are locked up

20190326_154617.jpg

How does something like this even happen?

[Guest]

Does it smell as bad as it looks?

[Vamisk]

Unfortunately it smells like urine.

[Big T]

Years of neglect
I'd be going thru every system on the bike before even trying to ride it

[cowboyup3371]

More worried about looking cool at the local bike night than really taking care of and riding the machine

[dorkburger]

As noted - lack of maintenance. The calipers and hoses are likely equally as foul. Brake fluid needs to be changed periodically - it absorbs moisture.
I change mine every few years or so. A few years ago, I opened up my calipers for inspection. Because of the regular fluid changes, they were surprisingly clean for being 30 plus years old.

[Guest]

The words the Previous Owner said to me when i asked if the bike was still available.

"it's a heavy bike" he said as it took 4 of us to push it on the trailer.

I wondered why it just stalls out when i tried slipping the clutch.

Now i find out why the brakes are locked up

[ATTACH=CONFIG]57564[/ATTACH]

How does something like this even happen?

Probably easier than you would think. Depending on the grade of brake fluid used, you're supposed to change it every two years, and a 40+ year old bike could have missed a change for the last who knows how many years. When I got mine it didn't look quite as bad as that, but it was close. It still had the stock 40 year old brake lines, pads, and seals (maybe the original brake fluid?). You will need to do a full cleanout of the brake system, new hoses, and all new seals for the calipers. I would budget for new pistons because there is bound to be so much water in the "brake fluid" that yours will have a lot of rust pitting issues and may not work properly anymore even with cleaning. I just did my full brake system rebuild last year, if you need any tips or parts sources, I can probably point you in the right direction.

[Vamisk]

20190328_144801.jpg


Unfortunately the grunge reached the caliper although there is much less of it. Gunna go ahead and just order all new brake parts

[salty_monk]

Why not upgrade it whilst you're there?