The friendly "dumb" bike questions thread

[xeny]

What's the current recommendation on how to treat brake pistons when replacing pads?

Clean with a toothbrush and brake cleaner or water? Pistons pushed back unlubricated after cleaning, or smeared with grease, if so, red rubber grease or silicone grease?

If it matters the brakes are on a Tracer 700 with silver blanking plugs on the callipers, which I vaguely think means non steel pistons?

[trickywoo]

xeny said:

What's the current recommendation on how to treat brake pistons when replacing pads?

Clean with a toothbrush and brake cleaner or water? Pistons pushed back unlubricated after cleaning, or smeared with grease, if so, red rubber grease or silicone grease?

If it matters the brakes are on a Tracer 700 with silver blanking plugs on the callipers, which I vaguely think means non steel pistons?

I push them out a little then toothbrush with warm soapy water. Once dry the lightest smear of either red or silicone which ever comes to hand first.

[Crudeoink]

xeny said:

What's the current recommendation on how to treat brake pistons when replacing pads?

Clean with a toothbrush and brake cleaner or water? Pistons pushed back unlubricated after cleaning, or smeared with grease, if so, red rubber grease or silicone grease?

If it matters the brakes are on a Tracer 700 with silver blanking plugs on the callipers, which I vaguely think means non steel pistons?

Thorough clean with brakecleaner and tooth brush, let them dry for a bit. Very, very light smear of red grease. Push pistons all the way back in, replace brake fluid with fresh stuff while pistons all the way back in. New pads in, pump lever and leave cable tied to the bar over night. That's what I do anyways!

[RizzoTheRat]

Surely if it's brake fluid you'd see some staining/etching of the paint on the wheel? Simple check for fork seals is to make sure the stanchion is spotlessly dry then bounce up and down on the forks a bit and see if they develop a film of oil.

[Speed addicted]

KTMsm said:

Clean it up then bounce up and down on the forks whilst holding the brakes - you'll soon find out which it is

It might be both

I’ve had a look at both bikes, I think the triumph may be fork oil so I’ll give it a clear out with the seal mate. I cleaned the forks and wheel, bounced it loads with no evidence of leaks.

The Kawasaki could be fork oil too, there’s no staining or anything. It’s also not bloody doing it when I’m watching.

Dunno. Ghosts?

[HybridTheory]

Got home yesterday at 1500 bike was fine, 0500 today wouldn't start .

Have checked fuses all seem ok .

I have lights

Heated grips work which are connected to the battery and they power on

Anything else I can check

Bike is a fzs600 2001 cheers

Edited by HybridTheory on Sunday 3rd March 17:42

[xeny]

Do the lights dim completely when you try and start it, and how vigorously does it crank?

[HybridTheory]

There is no sound at all nothing at all happens no noise

[Speed addicted]

HybridTheory said:

There is no sound at all nothing at all happens no noise

Kill switch?
It’s possible that the battery isn’t enough to turn it over, the draw from the heated grips is quite small so they could still work.
it’s possible for batteries to die suddenly, more so on bikes that are used more as the constant use masks the deterioration.

[KTMsm]

Easy option is to take a set of jump leads - connect to battery

Other end : neg. connect to engine, positive touch to thick lead terminal on the starter

If it doesn't turn over the battery's flat or your starter is jammed

Or just connect them to a known, good battery if tou have one

[xeny]

HybridTheory said:

There is no sound at all nothing at all happens no noise

So just to be utterly clear - headlights are on and bright, you press the starter button and the lights stay the same and not even the sound of the starter solenoid activating?

If so, battery sounds unlikely to be the problem.

[KTMsm]

Or just bridge the starter relay

[Semmelweiss]

My bike has a completely separate red wire for the starter circuit, which connects directly to the battery. I have omitted to connect this once before, and had exactly the same "symptoms" as you (BMW R100).

[HybridTheory]

xeny said:

So just to be utterly clear - headlights are on and bright, you press the starter button and the lights stay the same and not even the sound of the starter solenoid activating?

If so, battery sounds unlikely to be the problem.

Correct

Going to give the battery a check today

[gareth_r]

A quick search suggests that the FZS600 starter relay has a built-in fuse.

[HybridTheory]

Back on my bicycle for work today what a fecker !

Tomorrow gonna have the front off and look at the starter relay and also the side stand and incidentally when my bike was nicked a year ago I got it back but ever since then I can’t start the bike on the side stand

[Killboy]

I'm starting to see why so many people change these Brembo rear master cylinders. Near impossible to bleed - I've spent 5 hours trying. Off the bike, on the bike, at every angle. Oddly enough I had the upgraded master cylinder on, but it does not work with the new rearsets.

I've now also bought a master cylinder rebuild kit.

[rugbyleague]

Now this is a dumb question! sorry if its been posted before.....I bet it has.....

I've recently bought new boots as the zips had gone on my old ones....

I'm now struggling to change up gear!

Bike is a new Hayabusa, boots are Sidi Adventure 2.

Do I need to bed them in, so I can get them under the gear shifter?

No problems with previous boots, smaller at the tow end though.

[the cueball]

rugbyleague said:

Now this is a dumb question! sorry if its been posted before.....I bet it has.....

I've recently bought new boots as the zips had gone on my old ones....

I'm now struggling to change up gear!

Bike is a new Hayabusa, boots are Sidi Adventure 2.

Do I need to bed them in, so I can get them under the gear shifter?

No problems with previous boots, smaller at the tow end though.

I would go with big chunky Adventure style boots with a Sport Tourer being the issue... lack of space between the footrest and gear shift.. just a thought...

[Crudeoink]

rugbyleague said:

Now this is a dumb question! sorry if its been posted before.....I bet it has.....

I've recently bought new boots as the zips had gone on my old ones....

I'm now struggling to change up gear!

Bike is a new Hayabusa, boots are Sidi Adventure 2.

Do I need to bed them in, so I can get them under the gear shifter?

No problems with previous boots, smaller at the tow end though.

Just got to get used to the new boots / bed them in. I always have this issue after going from shorty style boots over the summer months to full sized boots when it gets cooler, lots of mis-shifts!

edit:_ typo

Edited by Crudeoink on Tuesday 5th March 16:56