I recently aquired some second hand V2s and after servicing and fitting them the front lever comes almost all the way back to the bars before biting.

Things it isnt……
-I have the bite point ajuster all the way in
-There was a leak but this is now fixed
Brakes are properly bled and no air in the system (bite is nice and firm once you get there)
-Both slave pistons seem to move together and I have centred the caliper by pulling the brake and then tightening the bolts
-there is 50% wear on the pads

Anyone else had this problem – Iv run out of ideas

Sticky piston in caliper?
I’ve not got V2 brakes but find that if the leave starts travelling more then it’s usually time to clean the pistons.
Maybe worth a shot.

I think you could be right
I was wondering along the same lines
What method do you use for cleaning? – I dont have time to change seels as im entered into a silly race on Ben Nevis this weekend

Usually I try and get them out as far as I can without ‘popping’ them out of the caliper and squirt some silicone lube on them and give them a good scrub with an old tooth brush or similar. Push back in and then out again and see how much muck comes out. Repeat until they come back out nice and clean and that usually sorts it. Some people use brake fluid instead of silicone lube to do the cleaning.

Take the caliper off, give the lever a squeeze & bring the pads a bit closer togther (make sure they will still fit over the disk when fitting back on bike).

Pop back on, top up reservior.

Are you using the thicker V2 rotors? (apologies if this sounds like a daft question).

Tried that one thanks HobNob
Yes I have V2 rotors

Both of these 2 should make no difference with an open system anyhow

Hob Nobs suggestion works on my V2s athough I see no need to top up as they’re self adjusting. Did you bleed with the bite adjuster wound in or out?

… and I have centred the calliper by pulling the brake and then tightening the bolts

This is where you went wrong. Look at the Hope videos on YouTube about setting up their Tech brakes (might be linked from their website too). They make a point about how to centralise Hope brakes and it is definitely not that method. You end up centralising the pistons rather than the calliper, I think it allows them to ratchet in evenly so that pad wear is taken up (however that magic works!).

When I had the same issue as you (on X2 if that makes any difference) following their method of bleeding and centralising made a lot of difference.

HTH

… and I have centred the calliper by pulling the brake and then tightening the bolts

This is where you went wrong.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akIWGqEE0PY

+1

Its makes a massive difference to both feel, lever throw and power of the brake. Once you have the caliper centralised, then set up the pads/pistons so they are aligned evenly with the rotor and then mess with the lever adjust screws to how you feel comfortable.

I agree that centralising the caliper is really important on the Tech brakes, but I’d be surprised if it effected lever throw that much.

My guess is that they need a proper bleed. 3 things to watch out for, only two of which are in the Hope video on brake bleeding:

1) On the Tech caliper, the mounting and angle of bike on a stand can put the bleed valve below the lowest point of the caliper so you can get trapped air
2) The bleeding must be done with the bite point adjust screwed all the way OUT
3) You need to do the finish action of turning the reservoir through 90 deg before final fill, and roll the diapraghm on, as per the video on the website

tech levers need to be bled with bite point turned all the way out 😉

Thanks for all the tips- Il have a look at the vid later when im not at work but have been bleeading hope brakes for years.

whats the deal with rotating the resevoir? for what pupose and in what direction. Im not convinced bleeding is the issue – poor bleading means air in the system and spongy feel – I have neither of these.

Il try the calliper alignment again when iv seen the vid

Hope service silly good value from what I hear

whats the deal with rotating the resevoir? for what pupose and in what direction.

It might not be the issue in your case, but to explain the reservoir thingy…..once the brakes are bled with the reservoir level, but the cap back on and rotate the lever 90° so that the leaver is pointing to the floor and pump the lever a few times, this encourages any tiny bubbles that are in the reservoir to rise to a screw in the reservoir body to get rid of them. its these tiny bubbles that over time can work their way back down the hose and cause poor spongy braking.
Then level the res again top up the fluid to max, roll the diaphragm and jobs a good’un.

But I think your problem is caliper alignment and if not that a slow piston, I had a similar issue, stripped and greased the pistons seals with Red Rubber Grease….perfect ever since.

Il have a look at the vid later when im not at work but have been bleeading hope brakes for years.

whats the deal with rotating the resevoir? for what pupose and in what direction. Im not convinced bleeding is the issue – poor bleading means air in the system and spongy feel
You may have been bleeding Hope brakes for years but the Tech reservoir is different, and all your questions will be answered in the video.

IME, levers coming to the bar with the bite point screwed right in and the reach screwed out can only be bleeding, not caliper alignment

honestly – its not bleeding
there is plenty of fluid in the resovoir and no sponginess (I can endo with my little finger)
Please explain how this can be bleeding……?

My symptoms of the non centralised pads (not caliper) were, lever back to the bar on the first pull and then the next few rapid pulls the lever was firm well away from the bar. Wait a second or two and then the first pull went back to the bar again.
The left pad/piston was more retracted than the right. After a few pulls the left pad met the disc, the rapid pulls made up the difference of the gap between pad and disc on the left side. Once they’d retracted the gap was back.

In my experience the slightest of mis-alignments can be felt instantly at the lever. Once set up properly though you shouldnt have to touch them again.

those are my symptons exacly – I also notice the disk flexing slightly
should be able to fix it now 🙂

My tech V2’s are at home so I don’t have access to them at the moment and I set my brakes up then didn’t touch the bite point adjust again….but shouldn’t you be adjusting the bite point adjustor outwards not inwards to stop it from hitting the bars?

I also notice the disk flexing slightly

That’s probably the fact that the pad on one side is out more and hits the rotor first.

Align the caliper as in the vid first and then once that’s set align the pads/pistons so they are equal distances from the rotor…..job done 🙂

Hope that works, let me know how you get on.