Motorcycle Repair: 82 Honda Magna front brake is not letting go., caliper pistons, honda magna

Question
Mark,

I have an 82 Honda Magna that I just received last week.  When the front brake was applied, the bike would lunge and not be smooth. I looked at the fluid level in the master cylinder and it was ok but dark, so I ran new fluid through, one caliper at a time until I had light colored fluid coming through both calipers.  I took it for a ride and it seemed not to jerk so much when the front brake was applied.  It now seems that the front brakes are not letting go of the rotors because the front wheel is very tight and is all but locked up.  Even when going down the road it seems that the brakes are still on slightly, and when turning a corner, you can tell that they are on a little. Is it possible that I have too much brake pressure from when I changed the fluid?  Is it more likely that the pins on the caliper need to be greased?  The bike has over 45,000 miles on it and I got it from my dad who had it since new.  It has new brake pads on it, but I don't think that he probably greased any pins when he put them on.  Thanks for your time.

Matt  

Answer
HI Matt,

The brake fluid in the calipers has gummed and is causing caliper pistons to stick.

The calipers will need rebuilt with new seals, system flushed, new fluid installed, and system bled.

To ease mobility, tap the calipers with a soft mallet to free them.

Respectfully,
Mark Shively