removing the front brake pads

[cugsy]

Weellll....I'm in the garage with a couple of pairs of new pads for the front and I'm reading the book (copy I got from Boomer..ta George). The manual shows a single piston - that doesn't bother me. Its the fact that I can't seem to get the inner pad free. There are springs at the top and bottom of the piston side pad (inner?) which seem to be stopping me getting the pad out.  But it looks like if I try and get the springs out then they will get damaged.  Is there a knack to getting the pad out? I've done loads of calipers before but I'm scratching me noggin' here gents.   John

[connie_rider]

I don't remember the trick, but I do recall it frustrating me.
First thought: Use something (screwdriver/pry bar) and push the piston back. may give you the clearance you need.
After you get them out, use a C Clamp and push it all the way back.

Ride safe, Ted

[cugsy]

Ted, I found an alternative ....of sorts. The other pad has two locating holes for the pins on the caliper. The angle grinder took care of one of them and then it was a case of lift and twist and then the inner pad was 'gently' levered off...
  A quick clean up and wipe off of all crap and inner pad back in. Then a teeny point I forgot. The outer pad will only go in so far over one of the caliper pins....I'm sure those pins (the ones at the back with rubber boots on) should go in to allow the outer pad to locate over them and then fit. But I can't get them to move..Bleeding hell!  Ideas folks?

[Uded2me]

d e a d

[cugsy]

Yep - its a 99 model. It looks like I need to push the caliper holder shafts back....do they move? I would think so. this could be another 10 minute job that takes a week.

[cugsy]

They're in. There is a knack to it. First - don't try to do the worst caliper first!  The 2nd caliper was easier...
  Anyway. There are 2 caliper pins with boots on. One of them has a rubber bit sticking out and the other doesn't. Easy peasy..I used a 4" G clamp to push the pin without the rubber bit back in about 1/2" or so. That allows you to put the bottom of the outer pad on and then swing it up and onto the top pin. Make any sense? Then push the inner pad into the caliper. I had to clean everything up and copaslip the springs but its done now.  The trouble is that its absolutely p*ssing down and even I'm not stupid enough to bed in a set of brakes in the rain on a quarter of ton     john

[Boomer]

You could have called, but I've never done the late model brakes so that wouyld have been a waste of a call. <LOL>
Mine used to have the early single piston calipers but now has 4 piston Nissins from a Fireblade. 
Still has the single piston rear (same as yours) which is very similar to the front calipers on the 86-93 bikes.

[cugsy]

I thought of calling - but it was sunday....never bother a bloke on a sunday!
  Hopefully the bike will stop as well as slow now. The pads I took out were minging.  But I'm interested in the fireblade upgrade George. oh yes

[connie_rider]

For us Colonials,,, Err, whats a Fireblade?

Ride safe, Ted

[cugsy]

Ted - a Fireblade is made by _honda ....one of those cbrr900rrr things

[Boomer]

Sorry guys, Fireblade is a Honda CBR900RR. 

John, mine is an early model and I got my brackets from Russell (Enim57).
I'm using some chinese Asashi brake disks with the 'Blade calipers and EBC HH pads.

For the late model apparently you can buy some DL650 brackets from SVR in the USA.
http://www.svracingparts.com/products/#!/~/product/category=465963&id=10245069
These combined with Nissin or Tokico 4 piston calipers and the OEM disks do lead to a bit of overlap.
See the comment by Wingboy (on the other forum) near the bottom of this page:
http://forum.cog-online.org/index.php/topic,17890.75.html

[cugsy]

George - in a nutshell, will a pair of cbr600 calipers bolt straight on? What improvement is there? Lots. I haven't tried the new pads yet. If they turn out to be crap I'm keen to upgrade.

[MAN OF BLUES]

hmmmm
I've never used anything but my fingers to push the pistons in.... with the cover loosened on the master cylinder and a rag wrapped roubd it...

I always liked the 86-94 front calipers, when mixed with EBC UltraLite rotors, and Galfer Green pads.... great combo...

oh. I hope you sprayed the pistons down with BrakeKleen, and scrubbed them well before shoving them (and any nasty grit attached to them) back in thru the caliper seals......

[cugsy]

  Yes 

[Boomer]

George - in a nutshell, will a pair of cbr600 calipers bolt straight on? What improvement is there? Lots. I haven't tried the new pads yet. If they turn out to be crap I'm keen to upgrade.

Yup, the difference is vast.
My C10 brakes are now as good as the C14 except for the lack of ABS.
Vastly better feel is the biggest difference which means you can brake later and harder.
The stopping power of the OEM brakes is already good but they are wooden as a tree.

I've not used those brackets as they are for the late bikes but as you can see plenty of others have.
My bike also has braided hoses and a rebuilt stock master cylinder.
I am about to upgrade my front forks (new springs, oil, seals, bushes) as the brakes have shown just how bad the front end now is.

[cugsy]

I'm waiting to fit the braided hoses later if I need to fit some bars raisers. I'm getting some wrist ache. Wish I'd bought the Suzuki.....ooo...fighting talk.

[Boomer]

I have the risers on mine. Mine are 35mm high and suit me perfectly.
If you are getting wrist ache it's normally due to either gripping the bars too tightly, or assuming the sports bike crouch which bends the hands upwards.
On the GTR you need to keep a straight line from the elbow to the palm when cruising.
If you are playing in the twisties it's more than likely you are gripping too hard.
If it's on straighter roads & motorways normally the wrist position is the culprit.

[cugsy]

George - I've riding for over 30 years. Lots of bikes under that bridge. The GPZ1000rx,FJ1200,CBR1000 etc never gave me wrist ache.  Methinks the bars are a little low for me. if they were tubular jobs i could rotate them .

[enim57]

Just as well you haven't got the '86 model which has 25mm lower bars. Another problem I found was the bars are too far forward giving an unnatural wrist angle. To fix this I slotted the holes that clamp the bars to the top triple clamp which allows the bars to be pivoted back toward you. Very comfortable for me but maybe not for others. Unclamp the bars and move them around to find if it's better, no point in slotting the holes if it doesn't work for you.

Regards, Russell

[Boomer]

There are lots of options for the C10 from bar-risers to bar-wedges, tubular bar adapters to Heli-bars.
The Heli-bars are the best as they are multi-adjustable but are very $£$£$£.
Also, if you are getting a buzz at the bars, fitting heavy weight bar ends can help as can gel grips.
If you want to try tubular bars I have a Storz adapter you can have for £60.
I was going to use it on my streetfighter GTR1000 project but I have given up on that now.
http://www.storzperf.com/jpgs/page23.html