Kz1000j3, Rear Brake Peddle Stiff, Poor Braking

Hello,
Pulled bike out today...first time riding it in about 11 months and it was short lived. Noticed rear braking poor and peddle is stiff. OEM master cylinder was installed and fluid replaced 2 years ago and up until the end of last season she worked fine. Since master cylinder, brake fluid install I have only put about 500km on bike. Rear brake light engages when peddle is pushed and I noticed the brake rotor was hot hot. Any ideas? Thanks guys.

Brake lever (pedel) pivot. Take it off, clean and lube it.
Steve

Could be lots of possibles here. Is the rear wheel free to turn when off the ground or is the brake dragging? Make sure brake pedal is free to return completely. Are the pads hanging up? What condition are the pads in? Are they glazed over or worn?

Rick H.

Was the caliper rebuilt when the master cylinder was replaced?

RickH is correct that ther are several possibilities. To summarize----
Brake lever pivot rusty or packed up with dried grease and dirt.
Piston in the caliper not retracting, often due to grunge, rust, petrified or incorrect seals.
Tiny back flow port in master cylinder clogged with debris.
Caliper shafts rusted so that the caliper cannot slide properly.
Physical damage to the pads, preventing retraction.
Old flexible brake line full of barnacles or delaminating internally, preventing reverse flow of fluid.
Midget zombie apocalypse.

Please keep us updated.

Hey guys thanks for the comments. I lubed the brake lever and it works well now along with the brake. I do hear some rubbing of the pad on the disk which I had heard before; this has been the case since new OEM pads and disk were put on under 1000km ago. The wheel moves freely but I do notice the disk warms up. I have heard with new pads/rotor the pads need to be bedded and if not they can rub. Is this normal? How would I fix this if not?

I'd try a few hard stops to see if it goes away.
Steve