Speed Twin - Has Anyone Sorted The Squeaky Brakes?

Discussion in 'Bonneville' started by Jet City, Mar 1, 2020.

  1. Jet City

    Jet City Noble Member

    Sep 24, 2018
    522
    343
    Seattle, Washington USA
    I have a 2019 Speed Twin. I frickin’ love the bike; I’ve had many but this one is tied for top of the list. It’s a pleasure to take it out.

    The bike was delivered last September and it has about 3,000 miles on it now. My only complaint is that the front brakes squeal at light pressures. Say you are coming in slowly to a stop sign, or pulling up to park at work: The brakes squeal.

    If you are coming in hot, no squealing at all. All is well.

    So I took the bike to the dealer (good people, I have no beef with my dealer), and said, “Fix it. I don’t care what it costs. Just fix it.”

    They cleaned the brakes, but no change. I then had them switch to different pads (a different compound). No real change. It’s slightly better.

    So I took it back to the dealer and got the “Sorry, sir, they all do that,” answer which really means “we’d fix it for you but we don’t know how” or maybe it means “in order to fix it you need to go get those $3,000 BST carbon wheels you’ve been pondering but we don’t want to piss you off by telling you that.”



    All right then friends... has anyone on the forum fixed this problem? What did you do?
     
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  2. Tigcraft

    Tigcraft Unheard of Member

    Mar 29, 2014
    2,620
    800
    Holmfirth West Yorkshire
    Think we all get it at times but I’ve never heard an answer. Sounds emerge from vibrations so possibly put copper grease on the backs of the pads very carefully and swap them around again.
     
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  3. nikolashka

    nikolashka Member

    May 21, 2019
    19
    8
    london
    no :(

    i've had new discs and pads from triumph under warranty and it didn't fix it

    they swapped the pads to ebc and no joy

    it's incredibly annoying and triumph have no answer to it

    i commute into london every day on mine so lots of low speed braking and it's driving me mad tbh

    really spoiling my enjoyment of the bike
     
  4. Tosgha

    Tosgha Noble Member

    Jul 31, 2018
    322
    313
    worthing
    After every trip (which tends to be short distances) I give the front brakes and discs a squirt with disc break cleaner and wipe with a tissue. Takes about a minute. Seems to be a treatment not a cure. Will be interesting when I tour UK this summer how bad the squealing gets without cleaning.
     
  5. Jet City

    Jet City Noble Member

    Sep 24, 2018
    522
    343
    Seattle, Washington USA
    Thanks, all. My guess is that it’s a harmonic vibration due to the particular configuration of the discs and way that they mount to the front wheel.

    The idea that it can’t be fixed is bogus. I’ve owned a dozen motorbikes from standards to sport bikes and this is the only setup that squeals.

    So, how to fix it? I’m contemplating new aftermarket discs, or simply just putting up with it.

    The OEM wheels are elegant; light and fitting to the bike and I’m reluctant to replace them. Although if one of us Forum members has done it and fixed the noisy brakes I would consider it.
     
  6. Wire-Wheels

    Wire-Wheels Elite Member

    Apr 26, 2019
    2,497
    800
    California - USA
    I would suggest upgrading the disc. ...J.D.
     
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  7. dilligaf

    dilligaf Guest

    This squealing happened with the T120 as well :(
    Triumph ended up replacing a boatload of front wheels with new ones :eek:
    It must of cost them a bloody fortune :eek:
    The new wheels have a rubber backing between the wheel and the disc :)
    It is a harmonics problem and later models come with the new rubber disc mount wheels :)
    My 2018 Speedmaster had the same type of set up :)
    Perhaps you should all get together and get onto Triumph to do something about it :mad:
    They’ll be reluctant because of the costs involved but they’ve done it before and if enough complaints are put together perhaps they’ll do it again :)
     
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  8. Wessa

    Wessa Cruising

    Apr 27, 2016
    11,640
    1,000
    North West England
    Yep as @littleade has said I had the same problem with my speed twin (sqealing brakes), in addition the gear linkage sheared on a ride out. Triumph were piss poor and despite numerous emails with them they only offered that it was a feature of the bike. I traded it for a tiger sport. The triple spins up better than the twin and rides like a dream.
     
  9. Nickhall

    Nickhall Active Member

    Sep 17, 2017
    59
    33
    Bedford
    The parts guy at my local dealership advised going fast and then braking hard to clear residue on pads. I did this and it did sort the squeal for a while but it's only a temporary fix.
     
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  10. Wessa

    Wessa Cruising

    Apr 27, 2016
    11,640
    1,000
    North West England
    My view is for a £10k bike you should not have to put up with sqealing brakes, that is just piss poor. And Triumphs response to this problem across the world is woeful....
     
  11. nikolashka

    nikolashka Member

    May 21, 2019
    19
    8
    london
    agreed. it's clearly a design flaw
     
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  12. Nickhall

    Nickhall Active Member

    Sep 17, 2017
    59
    33
    Bedford
    I agree too. However it's such a well sorted motorcycle otherwise, brilliant balanced machine that I can overlook a bit of low speed squeal. I could let it wind me up but I don't, it may even make other road users more aware of me in traffic.
     
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  13. nikolashka

    nikolashka Member

    May 21, 2019
    19
    8
    london
    the decat and weslake pipes do that on mine ;)

    the squeal just makes you look like a nob
     
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  14. Wessa

    Wessa Cruising

    Apr 27, 2016
    11,640
    1,000
    North West England
    #14 Wessa, Mar 1, 2020
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2020
    I agree it is a craking bike, but you are a lot more tolerant than I am, if you are prepared to put up with the squealing brakes. It got to the point after at least five attempts by the dealer to fix mine that I lost patience with the speed twin. I still love the big twin, so I have a Thruxton R to keep my tiger company.
     
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  15. TonyG

    TonyG Noble Member

    Dec 1, 2016
    822
    443
    Bucks
    Bit off topic, I was advised to do that once with a Ducati I had which had just had a major service including the Ohlins forks. Brakes weren't squealing but were mildly juddering. Drove everywhere braking like a maniac, then had a look myself. Of the 4 axle pinch bolts on each fork, 1 was completely missing and all the remaining ones were not even finger tight. Always check the basics.
     
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  16. Shaun64

    Shaun64 Senior Member

    Feb 23, 2020
    651
    243
    England
    Try mintex ceratec on the back of your pads and retaining pins it’s very good at getting rid of a squeal, I first used it on my old 2009 street triple R which had a an annoying squeal which triumph couldn’t fix, I’ve had the same with my Street triple RS which cera tec has sorted,also scrub your discs clean.
     
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  17. Wessa

    Wessa Cruising

    Apr 27, 2016
    11,640
    1,000
    North West England
    I do wonder if it is simple as applying ceratec or another copper grease product, why triumph dealers have not been able to fix the problems with the speed twin. There has to be a more fundimental issue with the bike....
     
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  18. Shaun64

    Shaun64 Senior Member

    Feb 23, 2020
    651
    243
    England
    cera tec isn’t a copper grease but it is a grease of sorts, Apply it on the back of the pads and also on the ends were they touch the Calipers and on the retaining pins or clip,I clean my discs every time I wash the bike with warm soapy water making sure to clean those small rings on the discs (can’t remember there name).
     
  19. Wire-Wheels

    Wire-Wheels Elite Member

    Apr 26, 2019
    2,497
    800
    California - USA
    I love my Triumphs. But like all affordable bikes, they have areas where they cut corners to save cost. Thier brakes are not the best. I have upgraded brakes on two of mine. ...J.D.
     
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  20. Jet City

    Jet City Noble Member

    Sep 24, 2018
    522
    343
    Seattle, Washington USA

    I also own a 2018 Bonneville, and one of the first things I did was replace the stock discs and calipers with Canyon Motorcycles’ kit. No squealing at all ever on that bike.

    There isn’t an equivalent kit for the Speed Twin, however.
     
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