Honda Vtx 1300 C Owners Manual

							Honda DOT 4 Brake
Fluid brake
fluid
112Brake Fluid Recommendation
Brakes
Servicing Your Honda
The hydraulic braking systems on your
motorcycle dissipate the heat generated by
the f riction of the brake pads on the brake
discs as the wheels are slowed.
As the brake pads wear, the brake f luid
level will drop. A leak in the system will
also cause the level to drop.
Frequently inspect the system to ensure
there are no f luid leaks. Periodically
inspect the brake fluid level and the brake
pads for wear.
If the brake lever or brake pedal f reeplay
does not f eel within the normal range
while riding, check the brake pads f or
wear (page ). Worn pads should be
replaced. If the pads are not worn beyond
the recommended limit, there is probablyair in the brake system. See your Honda
dealer to have the air bled f rom the system.
The recommended brake f luid is Honda
DOT 4 Brake Fluid, or any brake f luid of
equal quality and performance. Use fresh
brake fluid from a sealed container. Be
sure to read the label bef ore opening the
sealed container. An opened container
may be contaminated or may have
absorbed moisture f rom the air.
115
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							(1) RIGHT HANDLEBAR
(Front Brake)
(1) lower level mark
113 Fluid Level Inspection
Brakes
Servicing Your Honda
Saf ety Precautions
Brake f luid can damage plastic and
painted surf aces. Handle with care. Refer to on page .
If your inspection indicates a low f luid
level, have your Honda dealer add the
recommended brake f luid.
Do not add or replace brake f luid, except
in an emergency. If you do add f luid, have
your Honda dealer check the system as
soon as possible.
Wipe up spills immediately. Avoid contact
with skin or eyes. In case of contact, washthoroughly and call a doctor immediately
if it contacts your eyes.
56
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							(1) RIGHT SIDE
(Rear Brake)
(2)
(1) lower level mark
(2) upper level mark
114
Brakes
Servicing Your Honda
Place your motorcycle in an upright
position on a f irm, level surf ace.
Check the fluid level.
Front : It should be above the lower
level mark ( ).
Rear : It should be between the upper
( ) and lower level marks.If the level is at or below the lower
level mark, check the brake pads for
wear (page ).
Worn pads should be replaced. If the pads
are not worn beyond the recommended
limit, have your brake system inspected
for leaks.
Check for deterioration or cracks in the
hoses and f ittings. Make sure there are no f luid leaks. Other Inspections
1.
2.
1
2115
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							(1)
RIGHT REAR (1) cutouts
(1) cutouts(1) RIGHT FRONT
115 Brake Pad Wear
Brakes
Servicing Your Honda
Saf ety Precautions Refer to on page .
Brake pad wear depends upon the severity
of usage, the type of riding, and road
conditions. Generally, the pads will wear
f aster on wet and dirty roads. Inspect the
pads at each regular maintenance interval
(page ).
Check the cutouts ( ) in each pad. If
either pad is worn to the cutout, replace
both pads as a set. See your Honda dealer
for this service.156
64
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							Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
causeacrashinwhichyoucanbe
seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding tire
inflation and maintenance.
116Air Pressure
Tires
Servicing Your Honda
Saf ety Precautions To saf ely operate your motorcycle, your
tires must be the proper type and size, in
good condition with adequate tread, and
correctly inflated for the load you are
carrying.
The following pages give detailed
informationonhowandwhentocheckyour air pressure, how to inspect your tires
for wear and damage, and our
recommendations f or tire repair and
replacement.
Refer to on page .
Properly inf lated tires provide the best
combination of handling, tread life, and
riding comf ort. Generally, underinf lated
tires wear unevenly, adversely affect
handling, and are more likely to f ail f rom
being overheated. Overinf lated tires make
your motorcycle ride more harshly, are
more prone to damage f rom road hazards,
and wear unevenly.56
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							117
Tires
Servicing Your Honda
We recommend that you visually check
your tires bef ore every ride and use an air
pressure gauge to measure the air pressure
at least once a month or any time you
think the tires might be low. Even tires
that are in good condition may lose one to
two psi per month if not checked and
adjusted regularly.
Tubeless tires have some degree of self -
sealing ability if they are punctured.
However, because leakage is often very
slow, you should look closely f or
punctures whenever a tire is not f ully
inflated.Always check air pressure when your tires
are ‘‘cold’’ –– af ter the motorcycle has
been parked f or at least three hours. If you
check air pressure when your tires are
‘‘warm’’ –– even if your motorcycle has
only been ridden f or a f ew miles –– the
readings will be higher. If you let air out
of warm tires to match the recommended
cold pressures, the tires will be
underinf lated.
03/03/07 13:16:06 31MEM600_126 
						

							ÎÎ
Î
36 psi (250 kPa ,
2.50 kgf/cm
) 33 psi (225 kPa ,
2.25 kgf/cm
) 33 psi (225 kPa ,
2.25 kgf/cm
)
includes the weight of the rider,
passenger, all cargo & all accessoriesfront
rear
with less than
200 lbs (90 kg) of
added weight
with more than
200 lbs (90 kg) of
added weight
118Inspection
Tires
Servicing Your Honda
Saf ety Precautions Refer to on page .
Whenever you check the tire pressures,
you should also look f or:
Bumps or bulges in the side of the tire
or the tread. Replace any tire that has a
bump or bulge.
Cuts, slits, or cracks in the tires.
Replace the tire if you can see fabric or
cord.
Nails or other f oreign objects embedded
in the side of the tire or tread.
Excessive tread wear. The recommended ‘‘cold’’ tire pressures
are:
56
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							0.06 in (1.5 mm)
0.08 in (2.0 mm) front
rear
(2) (1)
(1) wear indicator
(2) wear indicator location mark
119 Tire Repair
Tires
Servicing Your Honda
Saf ety Precautions For the best perf ormance, you should
replace a tire before the tread depth at the
center reaches the following limits:
If the wear indicators are visible, replace
the tire immediately as it is no longer saf e.
Refer to on page .
We strongly recommend that you replace,
not repair, any tire that is punctured or
damaged. As discussed below, a tire that is
repaired, either temporarily or
permanently, will have lower speed and
perf ormance limits than a new or
undamaged tire. Also, if you hit a pothole or hard object
while riding, pull to the side of the road as
soon as you safely can and carefully
inspect the tires for damage.
Tread Wear
56
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							120
Tires
Servicing Your Honda
If You Have a Flat Tire,A permanent repair, such as an internal
plug patch, can be made if a tire has only a
small puncture in the tread area. With such
a repair, you should not exceed 50 mph
(80 km/h) f or the f irst 24 hours, or 80 mph
(130 km/h) at any time thereaf ter. In
addition, you may not be able to saf ely
carry as much weight. If you choose to
have a tire repaired, be sure the repair
work is perf ormed by a prof essional and
that the wheel is balanced before you ride.
If you have a tire prof essionally repaired
at a non-Honda f acility, we recommend
that you have the work checked by your
Honda dealer. A temporary repair can sometimes be
made in an emergency situation.
However, since a temporary repair may
not hold, you must ride very slowly,
pref erably without any cargo or passenger,
and have the tire replaced or permanently
repaired as soon as possible.
(For more inf ormation on temporary
repairs, see page
.) 150
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							Installing improper tires on your
motorcycle can affect handling
and stability. This can cause a
crash in which you can be
seriously hurt or killed.
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in this owner’s
manual.
121 Tire ReplacementServicing Your Honda
Tires
Saf ety Precautions Refer to on page .
The tires that came on your motorcycle
were designed to match the performance
capabilities of your motorcycle and
provide the best combination of handling,
braking, durability, and comf ort.
You should replace the tires with tires of
the same size, load range, and speed rating
as the originals.56
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