Motorcycles BS Thread 2.0

Those look good, nicely done. If you're looking at bag ideas for outside pockets, check out adventure spec magadans, if you haven't already. Looks pretty similar, to be honest haha similar shape, size, attachment, and roll top. They have molle webbing on the fronts and rears so you can attach whatever pouches and pockets the situation calls for. I bought some about a month ago and have really liked the versatility of them.

 

Alright, shameful bike owner time:

The front brakes on my CB750 have been fucked for a while, they've never worked great and for many years I didn't know any better when it was my only bike. A few years ago, had the bike out and pulled over for a picture and noticed one of the caliper bolts about to fall out. Tried tightening up both bolts and they seemed to be stripped. Big ugh, but slapped some thick grease on them and they've never backed out again. Shrugged and said yolo, sketchy floating caliper I guess hah (i know, i know, i know...) I really didn't have any of the knowledge/skills 8 or 9 years ago to do anything about it anyway.

Now though, being a better mechanic and while I was waiting for the bike to cool down today so I could put it away (yay air cooled bikes in summer heat) I decided to take a closer look and maybe figure out a solution finally

Boys I am flabbergasted at how insanely sketchy the situation actually is.

It wasn't just stripped mounting holes.

- I'm pretty sure the calipers are off an 82+ cb750, with an about 5mm wider mounting pattern
- PO drilled out the caliper mounts, off center, to make them work with the 81
- spacing is off, so the disc has actually rubbed away part of the caliper
- whole caliper is misaligned and was only sweeping through about about 60% of the pad
in addition to the whole stripped out mounting points (that actually didn't seem to have more than a couple mm of thread engagement to begin with

82 is a dual piston, 81 is a single, I'm guessing thats why they tried to make the swap but fuck, I'm glad nothing happened while I've owned the bike. Going to take some measurements today and try to find an ebay correct caliper to throw on. Hoping going to single caliper improves the brake feel, y'know, along with them actually being really bolted on.

Edit: I'm also now fairly certain its supposed to be a twin disc, single pot caliper on each. Mine is currently a single disc. wtf....

Edit 2: Nope, I was wrong on the dual disc, definitely don't have mounting tabs for a second caliper.. I'm now more confused

 

Rode with a crusty older guy for a couple of years who could kill the back roads on his KLR. One day, he mentioned that he had changed his front pads and that something was now scoring his rotor. I took a look and "scoring" was a kind term because I would have said "massively gouging". I couldn't see anything wrong at the time and he kept riding it. A few weeks later, he found out what was wrong but, for the life of me, I can't remember what it was...

 

Sheesh cleaning out my attic. Found a picture of 18yr old me. And my first street bike 03 honda cbr600rr. Owned for less than a year and totaled it. That same year I bought my and still own 04 cbr1000rr. Not sure if it was the brightest idea after totalling the 600 n go straight to a litre bike. But I'm still here so that says something.

 

Look up David Silver Spares. He's from UK but has a shop stateside here in PA. Specializes in pre 2001 Hondas. He's big enough that he offers reproduction parts for certain models. I kept fighting with front calipers for my CB400F and now have one of his reproduction parts on it. No more problems.

 

Thanks for the resource. Doesn't look like he has calipers for my year, but tons of other good parts in there that have been hard to find elsewhere

 

Gentlemen!

I feel like today, I went from a 54 year old boy to a 54 year old man! I got the OE brake fluid flushed AND... soldered the brake switch wire (despite shaking like I had palsy!) without catching anything on fire! Put some heat shrink over it and BAM! I got brake lights at the hand and foot levers!

Oh, and found out that the reason it seemed wonky when all apart is because the lever keeps the little clicker pushed in and lets it out when pulled.

Now, who wants their house re-wired???

 

OnXOffroad is not a GPS for tracks. Only stayed on for a few miles. Maybe apple car play isnt so hot for everything

 

The satisfying triumph of what seemed daunting at first. Huzaah!

 

The wife and I did some exploring today. Found an old cemetery. Found someone who was born in 1810, that was the oldest. A few soldiers from WW1.

 

Thanks, man!

I really find myself wishing I hadn't been such an arrogant slacker in high school. Thought FFA was for rednecks and vo-tech was for kids who just weren't smart enough to take regular classes. Now, almost 40 years later, I'm redneck as hell and playing "catch up" on gardening, wildlife, and the trades...

 

Friend of mine always says "Every day is a schoolday". Glad you picked up something new! Never too late to learn a new skill

 

New beginnings…

 

@w.adventures did the chain on your grom keep stretching beyond "normal" standards at 1k miles? My wife's grom seems like the chain keeps stretching to an extent of sloppiness regularly, especially when I ride it. Tighten it and it seems to stretch quickly, meaning at the end of our 60ish mile ride today it was loose, not needing tightened just yet but probably soon. And the markings on the swing arm and axle blocks are still in the same spot as after the last tightening. Trying to figure out if it's normal or a lemon chain.

 

did you make it across the puddle safely?

 

You crossed I hope?

 

oh yea!

 

Atta boi!

 

It was a puddle like @uurx said. I think the one that I crossed with @AR15xAR10 was longer. Maybe not deeper though

 

Yeah, the stock chain is terrible. New chain and rear sprocket are on my list of things I want. The chain adjuster is the worst thing in the world as well.