Are your Surron brakes not working? The LBX brake system is similar to motorcycles and pedal bikes, and over time can start misbehaving. Everyone talks about power upgrades, but brakes are just as important. Brakes are what stop you!
Let’s look at troubleshooting, what could be wrong, and where to start looking. There are a few components within your bike’s braking system that could be the culprit, if you can hone in on what you need to fix or replace, things get easier. This list isn’t exhaustive, but we will cover the most common issues found with Surron brake systems, particularly the LBX.
If you’re not sure, ask! If you don’t have a dealer or independent e-moto shop in your area – or even if you do – you can always give our techs a call or email with any questions about your Surron, and we’ll do our best to help.
The first thing to work out is what is going on:
What’s wrong with my Surron’s brakes?
If you’re not sure what’s up with your brakes, have a look at these symptoms to see if you can work out what’s going on. How do your brakes feel? Does it get worse while you’re riding, or is it a problem from the start? Once you work out what’s potentially causing the problem, then we can work out how to fix it.
Mushy or spongy feeling brakes
If you squeeze your brake lever, you should feel some resistance. If you don’t, you probably have air in your brake lines or contaminated brake fluid. If any of this is true, your brakes need attention:
- No brake lever resistance when parked
- Mushy or not firm feeling brakes
- Brake pressure changes if you hold the lever longer
This can either be due to old contaminated fluid, or you could have damage to your brake system which is letting in air. Look at bleeding the brake lines first to replace the old fluid and purge any air from the system.
You have normal lever resistance, but the brakes are not stopping you
If you pull the lever in and you can still spin the wheels with ease (especially with the bike on a stand), you may find either the brake pads or the disc (or both) need replacement. Look at the brake pads for excessive wear or contamination. Check the disc for excessive wear, contamination or deformation.
Brakes work at the start of the ride, then lose effectiveness
Commonly called brake fade, this can happen due to the fluid in the brake lines becoming contaminated and boiling. Water can enter the brake lines over time due to condensation. The water heats up quicker than hydraulic fluid, so it will boil quicker.
If the fluid boils, it produces compressible gasses. Hydraulic fluid isn’t compressible, so your brakes stop working like they should. Look at bleeding and replacing the brake fluid for a quick fix. However, if you ride hard and brake hard, this will likely keep happening.
The Surron LBX is known to experience brake fade more readily than other bikes. The factory brakes are simply outpaced by the power of the motor. Surron really should have put stronger brakes on the LBX from the factory, and thankfully the aftermarket has sprung into action to address that. Check out these LBX brake upgrades to make brake fade a thing of the past.
Strange pulsing or vibration when braking
This can happen if your brake rotor is bent. If you’ve had a crash or even just a simple tip-over, you may have deformed a brake rotor. You’d be surprised how easily that can happen on even a less intensive ride. Why not grab some aftermarket brake disc guards to keep that from happening? They look pretty great to boot.
A rotor can also become uneven over time, if it’s been on your e-moto for a while and you’ve done some miles, especially if you ride hard, it can wear unevenly. Excessive heat can also add to uneven rotor wear. Consider replacing the rotor. If you are going to replace your rotor, always replace your pads at the same time.
Weird noises coming from your brakes
This could be due to a worn-out brake pad, or perhaps contamination on your rotor, or even a small rock wedged in there. Check brake pads or rotor surface. Clean the rotor surface with the correct cleaning solution. This is very important – the incorrect cleaning solution can make your problem much worse.
Leaks coming from your brake line
This one is pretty easy in some ways – fluid is being lost. Look at where it’s coming from, is it from the line, caliper, or master cylinder? The harder part comes from knowing how to fix the leak. See if you can trace back the leak to the part that’s failed.
For a detailed explanation on any brake system part, check out this article here for an in-depth explanation of the Surron brake system.
How to adjust Surron brakes
Once you have worked out what is going wrong with your brakes, we can look at fixing it. Have a look at the options below. If you don’t want to try to fix the brakes yourself, give your local Surron dealership a call to book a brake service.
You can ‘brake’ (lol!) the system down into different sections, fluid, brake pads and rotor/caliper.
Tips: Brake fluid can either be DOT fluid or mineral oil. Make sure you replace the fluid with the correct fluid, don’t mix them!
Fixing Surron brake problems
Brake pads
Check to see if your brake pads have enough remaining. If you’re not sure, and it’s been a while since you’ve done this, it’s probably a good idea to replace the brake pads anyway. They’re not overly expensive, and when you want them working, they need to be working!
To replace your brake pads, check out this video from Cory. He shows you how it is possible to replace the brake pads without removing the caliper. However, if you have the time, it is a good idea to remove the caliper as you can clean it at the same time.
Brake Fluid
To change or ‘bleed’ your brake fluid, there are a few steps involved. If you suspect you have air in the brake lines, you can remove the air bubbles without replacing the fluid. However, if you’re going to the trouble of getting your bleed kit out to remove the bubbles, I would seriously consider changing the fluid at the same time – saves a job for later.
This video here is a great one to watch:
Before you start, you’ll need to get yourself a brake bleed kit. Here is a quality one from Hayes, complete with DOT 5.1 brake fluid. Remember to always check for the correct fluid. Don’t mix different types. If you’re not sure, contact the team here to have a chat.
There are a few different ways that a fluid change can occur. As long as you change the fluid in a way that gets all the air bubbles out, it doesn’t matter what method you use.
Tip: Avoid getting any oil on your brake rotor. Oil is slippery – you can probably guess what would happen! If you do, clean it off with a suitable brake cleaner.
Brake rotor
If your brake rotor is bent, or discolored, it’s time to get a new one.
- Remove the rear caliper
- Remove the rear wheel
- Remove the rear rotor
- Replace the wheel and caliper
Logan Taylor does a great job explaining brake rotors in this video.
Lever position
Firstly, sit on your Surron and get yourself comfy. Hold the handlebars and brake levers like you would while you’re riding. Do they need to be adjusted up or down? (Did you put them back in the right position if you moved them during your brake fluid change?)
Set the levers up to suit you – ergos are very important for a good riding position.
Secondly, if you pull in your lever, does it hit your hand or handlebar? Adjustment may need to be made to give yourself enough room so you have full braking capabilities without anything getting in the way.
Here is another great video to watch:
Replace or upgrade?
Why replace the same part for the same part? Now is your chance to upgrade!!! There are a few things to keep in mind – all your components need to work together, so have a think before buying a single component. For example, if you upgrade your rotor, you may also need to get an adapter for your wheel.
There are a few complete brake systems you can purchase – these make it easy to work out what works with what.
The question that you always need to ask: Why do you want to upgrade? If you’ve got a big power upgrade on your e-moto, complete with awesome suspension, then yes, upgrade your brakes! If you’re considering to up the power, also upgrade the brakes!
However, if you’re enjoying the simple commute and lazy days through the woods, then it’s probably not necessary to upgrade. To keep your e-moto in tip-top shape, just make sure you do the proper maintenance and troubleshoot as soon as you notice anything not quite right.
Can I fix my brakes myself?
With enough time and patience, anything is possible. Have a read of this article, make sure you’re in the GritShift newsletter community for hints and tips, and watch some of the suggested videos. Get yourself the right tools. Give it a go. Always test ride carefully and check anything you’ve loosened after the first ride.
However, if you’re not sure, then ask for help. Ring your local Surron dealer or shop and book in a service. The GritShift support team is always available to help – send them a message here
And like always, we’re here for you when you need any e-moto parts to make your Surron even better.
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