Front Brake lever hard to squeeze

[OpFlash]

Ok just wondering how your brakes feel on your XJ1100's. Ive had my xj for 2 years now and just rode it for the first time the other day. The front and rear master cylinders were rebuilt and new brake pads applied. The bike is stopping fine i would say but I have to apply alot of "squeezing" pressure to the front brake lever. Im wondering if this is normal for a 25 year old bike. I know that the front brake lever is operating only one caliper. Could this be a situation of the brakes needing time to be broken in? Am I just not used to "older" technology? I can squeeze the front lever on my 600 Bandit with ease using two fingers and on the XJ I have to pull much harder.

[DiverRay]

If you just rebuilt everything, I would say the rubber brake lines are a part of the problem. When I went through "daily ride", I replaced the front MC with a parts-n-more unit. I also put in new stainless steel lines, and I can stop in a hurry with one finger.

[Erik the Red]

Is it possible that the caliper is all nice and gummed up, and needs to be taken apart and cleaned?

It would stand to reason that crud against moving parts would increase the resistance of those parts to movement, thus taking a stronger squeeze up top.

I don't know it for a fact, but I'm wondering if that's a possibility, so I'm throwing it out there.... anyone w/ more experience care to confirm or deny my attempt at logic?

[OpFlash]

Hey guys was out there today checking out the front brake issue. To note the caliper was cleaned out however and front master cylinder rebuilt however the brake lines are still the original lines. One thing i noticed was the spring that goes into the actual lever and makes contact with body of the master cylinder was kinda creaking i took it apart and lubricated the spring. the brake lever seemed to pull a bit easier. One thing i did notice was that the spring did not appear to be the same one that was there before i had the brakes serviced. Im wondering if the original spring was misplaced and then a new one was inserted because the spring that is there now appears "beefier" and longer than the one i think was there before. anyone have an idea of the proper length of the spring for the brake lever?