Stupid engineering designs
Discussion
moto_traxport said:
Sliding calipers - cannot believe how many expensive bikes still have this crap design for the rear caliper. My early R1 has a proper opposed piston design but they switched to the cheaper option later in production.
Race teams (such as Hutchy's Stock ZX10 at last years TT that did a very quick pit stop) drill and lock wire the pads (not sure where or where to) and chamfer the bottom of the pad with a grinder so it doesn't catch the disc as you push the wheel forward.
My mountain bike has magnetic pads (or pistons), just place the pad near where it's supposed to go & it gets grabbed back in! I think endurance racers have a similar set up.Race teams (such as Hutchy's Stock ZX10 at last years TT that did a very quick pit stop) drill and lock wire the pads (not sure where or where to) and chamfer the bottom of the pad with a grinder so it doesn't catch the disc as you push the wheel forward.
Market for magnetising brake pads anyone?
My S1000R is the worse for this ever. My old XR400 had open chain adjustor slots, didn't actually have to remove the spindle as the caliper mount was slotted too, just dropped over the spindle when nearly home.
Cbull said:
Gavia said:
All bikes thatbhave that stupid rear brake design, where the pads sit on a ledge unsecured. Every time you try to put the rear wheel back on the effin pads keep dropping down.
It took me and the father in-law about 40 odd minutes to fit the back wheel on my bike the other week. Between the brakes not lining up and the wheel spacers on either side falling off it was just a nightmare. There must be a knack to it which I'm missing. Dreading having to do it on my own one day. Just madness.kev b said:
Similarly with quite a few cars owned by family I often get called in when bulbs need changing, my nieces and nephews all seem to be drawn to French cars whose propensity to blow bulbs is in proportion with their inaccessibility, removing the bumper or wheelarch liner to swap a bulb is madness.
I can't think of any examples on bikes aside from those already noted, but this thing about French cars is so true. I remember years ago my dad was selling a Megane, he noticed that one of the headlight bulbs was out on the morning the buyer was coming to collect it, so we decided to replace it. It was an absolute b
d of a job, if you've got hands bigger than a child you'll need to completely strip the front end of the car down to get to the bulbs. I always wondered if the Renault dealership mechanics knew some sort of secret trick to make it an easy job.Mastodon2 said:
this thing about French cars is so true.
The Peugeot 406 must be the exception then, all bulbs very easy to access and change.You can even get the sunroof motor out in 2 minutes flat as it sits just above the top centre console door.
Any suspension or brake work - easy peasy, it all just bolts together logically with ease.
Servicing access again is a doddle. Cambelt change wasn't a strain either TBH.
VWs have a reputation of being a pig to work on but I've not had one so I don't know.
Good idea with any new car is to have a quick check at how accessible the headlamp bulbs are, for instance a modern Audi A6 HID bulb has a finite life (they gradually dim), but to replace them you literally have to remove the entire front of the car.
The oil level sight glass on a Yam TDM 850. It's dry sumped so you can only read the level after it's been running for a bit, and you need to sit on the bike, bend double, and look back up under the frame to see it. Also, the bike needs to be level (of course) so it's impossible to do after an oil change, you just have to hope you got it right...
Mastodon2 said:
kev b said:
Similarly with quite a few cars owned by family I often get called in when bulbs need changing, my nieces and nephews all seem to be drawn to French cars whose propensity to blow bulbs is in proportion with their inaccessibility, removing the bumper or wheelarch liner to swap a bulb is madness.
I can't think of any examples on bikes aside from those already noted, but this thing about French cars is so true. I remember years ago my dad was selling a Megane, he noticed that one of the headlight bulbs was out on the morning the buyer was coming to collect it, so we decided to replace it. It was an absolute bd of a job, if you've got hands bigger than a child you'll need to completely strip the front end of the car down to get to the bulbs. I always wondered if the Renault dealership mechanics knew some sort of secret trick to make it an easy job.It was (and is) a symptom of cars where the packaging is very tight - some German cars of that era need the same treatment, you just don't hear about it!
Totally agree about using cheap fixings - why they're not specced with stainless and more corrosion-resistant fixings is a complete mystery, someone like Kawasaki or Triumph has the economy of scale to make it work...
Gunk said:
Pretty stupid design is on the Honda CBR600F where you have to remove the two side fairing panels to access two 13mm bolts to remove the seat. Guess what, the tool kit is under the seat!
Little black plastic quarter turn fastener at front end of side panel is apparently designed to be operable with your ignition key (fat bit above the 'cuts'). Every other fastener on the side panels are push fit (i.e. pulls out) and 'door' to tool kit area is to the side so you have no need to take seat off for that. I'd be surprised if bolts are 13mm, not a normal Japanese size. H801 JWL where are you now?
graham22 said:
My mountain bike has magnetic pads (or pistons), just place the pad near where it's supposed to go & it gets grabbed back in! I think endurance racers have a similar set up.
Market for magnetising brake pads anyone?
Helped a bloke change his front pads on a Ducati Panigale something R at the BB Snetterton shindig last year and it appears Brembo have beaten you to it. As you say the brake pad fights it's way into the correct place rather than plays hard to get. Market for magnetising brake pads anyone?
Quite why you'd ask the disheveled bloke in tattered leathers next to you on a £1k track R1 to help change the pads in your 6 month old £25k investment piece is a question I singularly failed to ask during the whole procedure.
moto_traxport said:
Gunk said:
Pretty stupid design is on the Honda CBR600F where you have to remove the two side fairing panels to access two 13mm bolts to remove the seat. Guess what, the tool kit is under the seat!
I'd be surprised if bolts are 13mm, not a normal Japanese size. Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff