Semi-retired

Thanks for your input; much appreciated. Yeah, on the "where'd the good stuff all go?" comment........funny how corporate America doesn't want your fingers to be dripping off your hands into the parts-washing tray.....then suing THEM!! :-) Edit: But, isn't that the way with a lot of commodities? Take Grape Nuts, for example: they used to be nice, hard, crunchy, tasty little nuggets. NOW, they're bits of pelletized, corrugated cardboard! :-(

Funny you should ask that, Don; I was going to make the same comment with reference to "disconnecting the battery" while performing ANY of these suggested cleaning procedures. (Mind you, that was probably a big DUH! for most of you guys who actually know what you're doing!! LOL)

I like the concept of your solution... But that last clause has me nervous. Don't most brake cleaners dissolve almost everything? Including your skin? P. S. No offense, but both you AND KiteSquid have referred to "powered" graphite. Is it POWERED... or POWDERED?

You're right on both counts. And long-term insertion of the key would be the BEST possible cause... since it might even suggest we were riding a lot of the time! The worse... and more plausible reason though, is that the WD40 some of us mistakenly applied, has combined with road dust and just turned the entire venue into a mucky mess!

:-(

HOWEVER..........now that I......and apparently a few others.......have ALREADY put all manner of liquid lubricants down into the key slot on our ignition switches......because things were feeling a little "persnikety" when we were/are attempting to turn the key (mostly to ON......but sometimes even to OFF), what should we do now? (Note: I put MY WD40 in it about 6 or 8 months ago, and although it doesn't seem any WORSE, it also doesn't seem much better/butter) :-) Tips/tricks/hints?

I'd like to get mine so that it only whines at around 100 MPH in 2nd gear. That should just about eliminate the problem, doncha think? :-)

You can't say Mother Nature doesn't have a sense of humour. (Humor, when she's on the US side of the border!) Wait until you hit 70, Leroy, like I am. Then you're REALLY gonna notice the difference! :-)

Wow. Closest I've ever come to ZERO PSI is when I used to run 4-6lb in my rear Metzeler on my 250 CZ motocrosser.......back in the day! On the UNINTENTIONAL front, I was running 4psi in one of the rear tires on my Hyundai Santa Fe last Summer. Crappy gas mileage.....but it's ALWAYS crappy. Crappy handling......but it's ALWAYS crappy!! :-)

OF COURSE I jinxed myself. What other possible explanation for a two inch screw in my back tire could there be?? After I whined enough about my fronts seeming "unresponsive", I thought for SURE you would try to make me do something to my brakes that would "improve performance by 75%".....but would require the inevitable "bleed procedure" to get it back roadworthy for tomorrow's epic journey to the shores of Lake Huron. Nope. While trying to move the bike about 5 inches deeper into the garage, so the door would close without snapping off my ONE REMAINING antenna, I realized that I WAS in neutral, but I STILL couldn't push the sucker. It wasn't till I checked to see if I was running into my garden hose that I looked down to see a VERY strange 'profile' on my E3. (FLAT, I think we call that!) After reading 30 opinions (about 50/50 mixed) regarding who WOULD and who WOULDN'T ever "plug" a tire on a motorcycle, my lumbar spine and my countdown-to-departure-clock teamed up and got the better of me. I PLUGGED IT!! So, it's either, "Farewell, guys.....been great hangin with you on the site"......OR, hopefully, I'll be one of the guys who (next year) says "I put a plug in my half-worn Dunlop last year and it's never run better!" Time will tell; my insurance is paid up. :-)

Hey, Carl, thanks for "chiming in". I appreciate your brotherly/fatherly concern and advice. 1. When you ask DID I "by chance swap the brake pads around?"....that sounds equally like it could be the WORST thing or a GOOD thing! LOL So, did you mean it to say, "For crying out loud, I hope to hell you DIDN'T swap the brake pads around......by accident....when you were playing with them???" Or did you mean, "Well, I hope the very first thing you did to try and solve your sticky brakes problem was to swap the pads around...cause EVERYbody does that first!!"?? And, if you DO want me to "swap" them, do you swap INNER for OUTER on each side? Or swap BOTH pads from the LEFT side of the wheel over to the RIGHT side of the wheel? (There are a FEW 'options' here. :-) 2. I actually don't even have the right side caliper/pads removed yet. But, what I DID notice on the left ones, is that the backing plate of the INNER pad only, is bone dry and covered with rust; doesn't even seem to have the thin, silvery, looks-like-an-anti-squeal clip attached to the back of it, as the outer one has; almost as though it is meant to be a "non-functioning", stationary, device. Is this the way it's SUPPOSED to be/look? 3. Pretty sure my brake lever IS lubed up; after all, it's the ONLY thing that moves that can be easily accessed. BUT, I'll give it another shot of white, lithium grease. Should I be calling you? :-) P.S. I did put 100k on the bike on Canada Day and it stopped at every corner. Just took a bigger handful than I'm used to applying. Thanks again for your ever-vigilant attention, Carl. You're the only one who looks after me since Squidley became a Suthener!

Thanks very much.......from ONE Scott to another! Coincidentally, I was just out buying the "real" brake cleaner when your post came in. (I had tried to do the job with brake fluid......but it just doesn't clean the way "cleaner" does! DOH!!) So, yes, NOW I will utilize your wrap around the t-shirt method of cleaning off that exposed portion of piston crud/crap....although I'm not putting new pads in at this time, so it shouldn't be quite as "critical" as it would be with new pads...where a big %age of the exposed piston HAS to get pushed back into the cylinder. I'm hoping that just by cleaning the crud off THERE......AND off the pad contact spots, that I MAY have my problem solved. You didn't mention anything about the Master Cylinder, so.......assuming there's nothing that CAN or SHOULD be done up there to smooth things out? Thanks again.......very entertaining! Mike SCOTT. :-)

Old thread, I know, but "everything old is new again"......especially weak brakes! Have read MOST of the posts under brakes and calipers and pads, etc, but not seeing much about doing an actual "tuneup" on the master cylinder. I'm getting ready to go on a three-day trip this weekend....and, YES, I should have thought of this earlier, but my front brake has been getting gradually "stickier" all season. By sticky, I mean the LEVER seems to be going step-by-step towards the grip when I pull on it, as opposed to a nice smooth, consistent travel. When I look at the "action spot", where the little adjustable pushrod moves in and out, it does it all herky-jerky-ish. Is there something that needs lubing in there? Or elsewhere? Oh, and please guys, don't mean to be "picky" at this stage......but, this close to departure day, PLEASE don't recommend ANYTHING that's gonna end up needing BLEEDING! I don't have that much patience.......or that many days!! :-) P.S. I should have mentioned......I appreciate that these are crappy brakes, but I'm gonna do what I can with the OEM stuff at this stage (selling soon anyway).......AND I have cleaned and lubed both sets of calipers! Thanks, m

You funny guy!! Even Porsche and BMW never give you "the best...ANYTHING they could make", why would Yamaha?? Surely you jest. OR, back then, you were just a very extreme "fanboy"....a term which I don't think was even invented, back when you originally posted this. :-)

HOWEVER.......anybody ever do the math to figure out what percentage of "stopping power" you are removing when you DO the chamfer? The footprint of the pad against the rotor is obviously going to be less once you grind it away. The percentage of contact area you remove is exactly equal to the reduction in stopping ability. Just sayin.

Agreed! Definitely takes less time than it took to read your post. :-(

Also, "Don't mess with Texas!" :-)

I think we may be talking apples and peaches, here, sysop! For Canadians, to the best of MY knowledge, (which granted may be limited since I'm a banking and marketing guy not an insurance guy) OUR million in liability would only ever go to the 3rd party. i.e. The OTHER guy...the guy we HIT. And a million is the LEAST coverage you can have. About half the country apparently now opts for TWO million in liability. (Partly, most people think, because Canadians have been learning to "sue with abandon"...as taught by our Southern Neighbours!) (No offense intended. :-)

Just had a long, informative chat with one of Echelon's Ontario brokers, Dalton Timmis. "Dave" said not to kid myself: "Even though the insurance "industry" isn't OWNED by the gov't of Ontario, the way it is in BC.....the rates we pay are just as regulated/influenced by Queen's Park." So, I guess our friends in Alta will have cheaper rates on ALL vehicles, based on THEIR friends in the Provincial Legislature. (Lucky YOU, Mr Ivey!) Interestingly, he quoted me with Aviva as well as Echelon....and the rates were similar. Aviva even gives a first accident forgiveness and minor conviction forgiveness. (Interesting........not that I'm planning an accident or a conviction!! :-)

If you think THAT's robbery.....the fine for driving without insurance is FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS!!

Hey, Don, I'm a Kitchener born and raised boy...but you can't tell me I'm paying more because I live in "sleepy-hollow" St. Catharines! :-) There's just as much traffic whistling by on Hwy 8 and the 401 as there is down here on the QEW. Plus......100% difference? Crazy. I've lived in Calgary (granted, not Leduc).....and I've live in both Kitchener and Niagara for 20 years each. I don't/didn't see cause for that big a fluctuation in rates. Would LOVE to see someone in the insurance industry pitch in a comment here. Anyone? Ferris?

I HOPE "seniority" is the key factor. I'm 70! (Of course, I may be getting too close to the OTHER high-risk end of the age curve.....LOL)

Wow, I wonder why the big discrepancy with "divey" who's with the same carrier? Doug's in Leduc, Alberta....but do you suppose postal code-only makes THAT big a difference? (like....100%)

Wow. That's insane! Time to take up sky diving as a cheaper sport, apparently. Re "used twice a week", my guy at The Personal told me that my driving the bike under 2000 kliks has "no impact" on rates. Senseless. (Especially if bikes are as "deadly" as they claim they are.) Guess I won't be trying to source my insurance on the Left Coast! Thanks for your feedback, buddy......sorry about your Gov't!

Just 3rd party liability with 1mil coverage. The bike's so old now (2003) that there's not much point (if it's even POSSIBLE) getting collision. If I rack it up....and can't fix it myself....I'll just hang up the keys!