Brakes.......Necessary or Optional???????
Posted: Sat Jan 04, 2014 9:30 pm
Well the ZRX and I had an exciting morning today. In fact I truly believe the ZRX was trying to prove to me just what a capable handling beast it is......and to prove the point it threw a caliper off coming into a fairly nice right hander 
Interested? Read on........
So it was a beautiful morning, warm, dry and the Ducati riding brother and I decided to go for an early run up the old road. Down through Galston to the Berowra Ferry, up the other side and it was on to the old road, beautiful conditions and it all started sensationally. Nice little spirited ride north with the left knee occasionally caressing the tarmac as we heading down to the river. Up the other side and braking hard into a right hander noticed a bit of a scraping noise from the front right disc. Took it a bit easier cruised up to the cafe pulled up had a look at the front, didn't notice anything weird and all seemed to be in place.I've been thinking the pads need replacing so thought maybe that had something to do with it Had a coffee took off up to the North end, turned around and headed back.
Nice spirited ride back, couple of knee down corners but nothing too hairy, back over the river and up the hill and all is well. The noise is gone and all is well with the world. Come out of a left, nailed it and into a right hander go to grab the brakes and nothing. The levers back to the bars and I've got a rock wall on the left. Thinking to myself what would Wattie do and the immortal words came to me in an instant (just lean the farker!!!!) so that was the plan. Came out the other side, thought "that was interesting" and looked down to see the right caliper hanging by the brake line floating around in the breeze (well smacking off the side of the rim actually, taking nice little pieces of gold paint with every rotation). Got it slowed down, pulled up on the side of the road and got to thinking 1. How the phark did that happen? and 2. How the phark do I get this home.
I can only think that when I've put the Ohlins front end on I forgot to Loctite the RHS or just haven't torqued them up properly, unusual because I'm a bit anal about that shit but there you go. I presume the bolts have gradually vibrated loose and just looking at them didn't really show a problem. I presume the scraping noise was the calliper touching the top of the disc as I braked and the calliper moved up.
Anyway we took one of the caliper bolts of the LHS and used it to to hold the RHS caliper in place and got it home fine with one bolt in each side.
Damage is to the RHS of the front Rim with paint off where the calliper has bounced around and the caliper marked on the inside where it's bounced around on the disc. Overall, very fortunately not much damage done (other than to a pair of undies).
So there you go, could've been catastrophic but once again the old "just lean the bastard" theory pays off.
Now it's off for some replacement bolts, some Loctite and the torque wrench or maybe some radial calipers and then got to think about what to do with the wheel. Maybe get them painted black with polished lips ( I've always liked the look) or maybe it's an excuse for some Gold Carrozera's
All in good time.
Interested? Read on........So it was a beautiful morning, warm, dry and the Ducati riding brother and I decided to go for an early run up the old road. Down through Galston to the Berowra Ferry, up the other side and it was on to the old road, beautiful conditions and it all started sensationally. Nice little spirited ride north with the left knee occasionally caressing the tarmac as we heading down to the river. Up the other side and braking hard into a right hander noticed a bit of a scraping noise from the front right disc. Took it a bit easier cruised up to the cafe pulled up had a look at the front, didn't notice anything weird and all seemed to be in place.I've been thinking the pads need replacing so thought maybe that had something to do with it Had a coffee took off up to the North end, turned around and headed back.
Nice spirited ride back, couple of knee down corners but nothing too hairy, back over the river and up the hill and all is well. The noise is gone and all is well with the world. Come out of a left, nailed it and into a right hander go to grab the brakes and
nothing. The levers back to the bars and I've got a rock wall on the left. Thinking to myself what would Wattie do and the immortal words came to me in an instant (just lean the farker!!!!) so that was the plan. Came out the other side, thought "that was interesting" and looked down to see the right caliper hanging by the brake line floating around in the breeze (well smacking off the side of the rim actually, taking nice little pieces of gold paint with every rotation). Got it slowed down, pulled up on the side of the road and got to thinking 1. How the phark did that happen? and 2. How the phark do I get this home.I can only think that when I've put the Ohlins front end on I forgot to Loctite the RHS or just haven't torqued them up properly, unusual because I'm a bit anal about that shit but there you go. I presume the bolts have gradually vibrated loose and just looking at them didn't really show a problem. I presume the scraping noise was the calliper touching the top of the disc as I braked and the calliper moved up.
Anyway we took one of the caliper bolts of the LHS and used it to to hold the RHS caliper in place and got it home fine with one bolt in each side.
Damage is to the RHS of the front Rim with paint off where the calliper has bounced around and the caliper marked on the inside where it's bounced around on the disc. Overall, very fortunately not much damage done (other than to a pair of undies).
So there you go, could've been catastrophic but once again the old "just lean the bastard" theory pays off.
Now it's off for some replacement bolts, some Loctite and the torque wrench or maybe some radial calipers and then got to think about what to do with the wheel. Maybe get them painted black with polished lips ( I've always liked the look) or maybe it's an excuse for some Gold Carrozera's
All in good time.
