What did you do to your Concours today?

[maxtog]

Hell is about to freeze over......

Yes, I actually, finally flushed both brake and clutch lines today.  7 years, ~33400mi.  The front was yellow, the rear was pretty dark orange, the clutch was a little darker yellow than front brakes.  I was miffed I had to pull the plastics to get to the clutch bleeder [grrrrr].  MotionPro bleeder thing worked like a charm and no air in system.  Used about 1/2 bottle of DOT 4 across the three lines.  Coolant overflow tank too low, so filled that halfway.

And my reward?  Finding out I have almost no front pads left

[banditrider]

Stuck on my 3rd set of PR4's last week.  Ordered front pads today.  Probably going to look at my brake/clutch fluids at some stage.  Possibly need to get the steering head bearings looked at in the near future.

[Conrad]

Hell is about to freeze over......

Yes, I actually, finally flushed both brake and clutch lines today.  7 years, ~33400mi.  The front was yellow, the rear was pretty dark orange, the clutch was a little darker yellow than front brakes.  I was miffed I had to pull the plastics to get to the clutch bleeder [grrrrr].  MotionPro bleeder thing worked like a charm and no air in system.  Used about 1/2 bottle of DOT 4 across the three lines.  Coolant overflow tank too low, so filled that halfway.

And my reward?  Finding out I have almost no front pads left

The fluid was yellow? I'm thinking that you had a couple more years left on that stuff if'n it was yellow/orange and not black.

Well done. 

[gPink]

Sounds like max could have drained it out the bottom and poured it back in the top.

[maxtog]

Sounds like max could have drained it out the bottom and poured it back in the top.

I think I will stick with the new, clear stuff for a while...

[tweeter55]

200 pages! Who’da thunk it.

[Conrad]

I think I will stick with the new, clear stuff for a while...

Another 7 years? 

[Conniesaki]

200 pages! Who’da thunk it.

Yeah ... but what happened to the OP? 

[maxtog]

Yeah ... but what happened to the OP? 

She got upset for some reason, apparently with something Brian said (I saw nothing wrong, so I am not sure what the big deal was) and left months ago, deleting her account.

[Conrad]

She got upset for some reason, apparently with something Brian said (I saw nothing wrong, so I am not sure what the big deal was) and left months ago, deleting her account.

Meh, they come and they go.

[maxtog]

HA- another first!  Last night, I finally triggered the ABS for the first time (that I know of).  Decided to stop for a light without much notice and going a bit too fast, nobody behind me.  I was braking to what I thought was the limit and right before I was stopped, there were three fast "ticks"- that's all!  No buzzing, no pulsing.  I don't even think I felt anything.

[Rubber_Snake]

HA- another first!  Last night, I finally triggered the ABS for the first time (that I know of).  Decided to stop for a light without much notice and going a bit too fast, nobody behind me.  I was braking to what I thought was the limit and right before I was stopped, there were three fast "ticks"- that's all!  No buzzing, no pulsing.  I don't even think I felt anything.

Maybe it kicked in just as you were coming to a stop.  I was going to suggest testing it by rear braking only, but since yours is linked, that might be tougher to do.  I haven’t triggered ABS on mine (‘09) yet, but I know our ‘09 RTs definitely let you know when the ABS engaged.  The ABS system and suspension made so much noise, it was obvious. 

And don’t get me started on those Harleys...

[lather]

HA- another first!  Last night, I finally triggered the ABS for the first time (that I know of).  Decided to stop for a light without much notice and going a bit too fast, nobody behind me.  I was braking to what I thought was the limit and right before I was stopped, there were three fast "ticks"- that's all!  No buzzing, no pulsing.  I don't even think I felt anything.

I think I triggered it on my 08 for the first time this week. I had tried several times without success after fitting the sensor to my non-abs ZX fork. I think I am just too good at threshold braking. Then the other day I just intentionally hamfisted it and I got three quick letups, no noise or pulse at the lever, the brakes just let off and came back 3 times.

[Eupher]

As I said in the post that you quoted above, I changed the oil last Fall just before I put my bike up for the winter months. I think that was sometime in November.

Whoops, missed that little nugget.

Changed the oil and gear oil on Sunday. Inspected the gear oil drain bolt washer - no striations, so I plugged it back in. No leaks. Same with the engine oil drain plug.

Next time, however, I'll change out both washers.

It's a bit chilly, but have been commuting to work -- lots of practice in avoiding idiots.

[maxtog]

Maybe it kicked in just as you were coming to a stop.

Yes, I expect that is exactly what happened.  Those three clicks were right before I stopped, at my maximum breaking (I increased the braking through the event until I thought I was near maximum for this size/type bike, and I was likely right on the money).

I haven’t triggered ABS on mine (‘09) yet, but I know our ‘09 RTs definitely let you know when the ABS engaged.

Yeah, I didn't see any light or flashing.  When the C14 kicks in TRACTION CONTROL, however, it flashes big time- no way to miss it, even when never looking at the dash.  I don't think ABS has any active indicator- it is all just sound and some feel.

The ABS system and suspension made so much noise, it was obvious. 

I think the C14 does it "right" (smooth, simple, effective... just no visual indicator).  I still find it hard to believe that it took perhaps 7 years before I encountered it [for sure].  But it is subtle.

[Rubber_Snake]

After my trip to Tombstone AZ a couple of weeks ago, I decided to replace my rear tire.  So last week I bought the harbor freight motorcycle tire changer in the hopes of teaching myself how to change my own tires.  I didn’t want to spend the money on the base tire changer, so a welded my own trailer hitch mount at my buddy’s house with scrap metal he had lying around.  I bought a Mojobar from the mojo dude.  (I made my own mojoblocks).  I’m just learning to weld, so I figured I could weld my own motorcycle tire bead breaker.  Yesterday, again with scrap metal, I welded together a bead breaker modeled after the Unit Motorcycle one. 

The mount, blocks and bead breaker were made with all scrap stuff lying around the shop, so zero cost. 

Today, I tackled the job and although it took too long, I’m pretty happy with the results.  I had to do the ratchet strap method to get the tire to bead. 

The local cyclegear balances wheels for free, so after a trip to the shop, it’s balanced and back on the road!

[lather]

Good on ya! Went with the harbor freight and mojo myself for years. Then the ole Lady bought  me a nomar...

[just gone]

I had trouble with that method. Only tried it twice.


 It made sense when I thought of it. It was before I realized others did it too, so yeah, dumb as I am I thought it was my own idea. When I couldn't get it to work, I thought that is why I hadn't heard of anyone else doing it. Since then it seems like the world is doing it when I can't. When I tried it, the strap would get so much traction on the tire, that it wouldn't slip and tighten all the way around the tire. Instead it would just tighten right at the clamp and deform the tire so much right in that ratchet area, that there was no way that it would seal the rim. I finally got some saran wrap and put it around the tire so the strap would slip and that's the only time I got it to work. Since then just to avoid that pain, I bounce the tire fairly hard on the floor going all around the rim and it has sealed enough to get air in it. I haven't had to get the ratchet strap and saran wrap out again. Still, I sure would like to know why I can't make it work when everybody else can. My curiosity is not so strong that I'll try it when I don't need to however. So far ..so good...

[banditrider]

Tried that on a front that wasn't playing ball the other day.  Just couldn't get the bead on.  Ended up using hairspray and an ignition source...

[Eupher]

Rode to, and attended, the 2A demonstration in my area.

Whoops, maybe this oughta go into the Arena........