I downloaded an app on android. Motorcycle theory test by vial soft . it helped a lot and made the actual real theory test so easy. Never done one before.
Hazard perception you get 5 marks for spotting early and goes down to 1 mark for spotting late. I was
Clicking about 3 times when I saw an hazard as sometimes you might see the hazard well before and click but the computer wont think that way and awards the hazard marking a fraction of a second later.
Bugger my front brake is binding, I've not done anything to it yet I'll have a look tomorrow. I had a bit of a heavy brake moment earlier and since then it's been sticking, I got off and gave the caliper a bit of a kicking and that freed it until I used it again. Got off kicked it again to free it up and got home on the back brake. Can anyone gimme some pointers and suggestions? I've not done much faffing with brakes before just changing pads etc, surely it's not too hard though?
I'm hoping the sliders are dirty so I'll clean them up and pop some copper grease on them?
Firstly, don't use coppergrease on the sliders. Coppergrease is abrasive and reacts with rubber.
Assuming its a single piston sliding caliper as fitted to CBR600F et al....
Remove the cap off the brake reservoir.
Take the caliper off the fork leg but leave it connected to the brake hose.
Remove the pads.
Put a large socket inside the piston and wind the piston back in using a G-cramp.
Pump it back out using the brake lever.
Remove the dust seal around the piston and inspect.
If its rusty and shitty, you probably need to dismantle and may need a new piston and replacement seals.
Pump the piston out using the brake lever, pumping it as far out as you dare without popping the piston out.
Disconnect the hose and seal with a plastic bag and raise the end so it doesn't leak from the hose.
...
Turn the almost-out piston in the cylinder and pull until it comes out. You may need to persuade it by wrapping it in a cloth then carefully using molegrips to grip the topside of the piston (i.e. above the lip).
Remove the seal.
Clean out the caliper with brake cleaner and a cloth then dry thoroughly then wipe with clean fresh brake fluid.
Clean the seal with brake fluid or replace.
Clean the piston as per the caliper. If it has staining or very small rust spots you can clean it with metal polish but you MUST clean it with WD40 then brake cleaner then wipe it with brake fluid.
Wipe red rubber grease around the top lip of the piston and the caliper but only above the seal.
Reassemble and apply red rubber grease to the dust seal and the exposed areas of the piston and caliper that sit under the dust seal before refitting the dust seal.
Separate the caliper and the carrier and clean the pins.
Apply red rubber grease to the pins when rebuilding, specially if the pins have rubber sleeves that fit into collars on the pins.
If the rubber sleeves have swollen because someone has used regular/moly/copper grease, they must be replaced as otherwise the pins won't slide.
Smear coppergrease on the top edge of the piston where it touches the pads and on the back of the pads. This will stop them sticking together.
If the pads are not even or look glazed, place a piece of sandpaper on the floor and rub the surface of the pads on the paper until they are even and not glazed. If they are a mess, replace them.
reconnect the hoses and bleed through until the reservoir is nearly empty. Wipe the reservoir out with a cloth then top up with fresh fluid. Bleed through again until it comes clean out of the bleed nipple with no bubbles keeping the reservior topped up.
When you are all done, test them by pushing the bike and then applying the brakes. That limits your speed if you've got it wrong
Thanks very much for the instructions Jonny
I'm gonna look at the brakes tomorrow but in the meantime I've been looking around on the net and there's something else, my bobbins are rock solid and I never knew they are supposed to be semi free floating to allow the disc to move slightly. I'm gonna give those a going over with a bolt and brake cleaner also, the hole in the middle is pretty small though so I'll no doubt struggle to find a nut and bolt that will grip the faces of the bobbin and not break due to the small hole it will have to fit through D:
Woohoo. Passed my theory today. Now for cbt on the 28th.
Would also like to thank spencer_foxwell for giving me a loan of the disc to prepare. Made all the difference.
Last edited by Paddy; 06-07-2013 at 11:00.
You're very welcome mate and congratulations!
Definitely found having the disc to practice makes a huge difference. Even to an experienced driver IMO.
It's nice to see that it's not just me on the mission to get onto two wheels.
Got myself some mx braced handlebars for my SV today. Can get shot of the horrid stock set up now and continue with the street fighter set up. Woop.
IOriginally Posted by M.D.
Definitely found having the disc to practice makes a huge difference. Even to an experienced driver IMO.
It's nice to see that it's not just me on the mission to get onto two wheels.
Got myself some mx braced handlebars for my SV today. Can get shot of the horrid stock set up now and continue with the street fighter set up
Don't worry mate,I'm pushing through with it hard also. Called into a local motorcycle dealer today for a look. Needed to sit on a sports bike and see how it felt. Their were 3 bikes I could have walked away with. Honda cbr 600rr,Suzuki gsxr 750 or a kawaski z750. Can't remember the years but were all in the region of 4k. I was really suprised how the Honda and Suzuki felt. Both felt really good. Honda more so as it was newer but tbh both were really comfortable. I then sat on the Kawasaki z750 which seemed to fit like a glove. So looks like I have narrowed my list down to 3.
They let you ride the bikes?
I've sorted the binding brake issue thank you Jonny for the write up
Personally I think you'd be better off getting something cheap (sub £1500) for a year to get some miles under your belt rather than jumping straight in with a £4k bike.
No mate,was just sitting on them lol.They let you ride the bikes?
I've sorted the binding brake issue thank you Jonny for the write up
When you do pass - do some miles before committing to buy; sitting on a bike and doing miles on one are sometimes poles apart.
Is this incase I crash it ha.
Pretty much, yes
I nearly dropped mine once putting it onto the centre stand. My foot slipped off (it was wet) and as I was heaving the bike upwards I ended up pushing it over... just about grabbed it before the whole line of bikes that it was parked in went down like dominos
Pretty much, yes
I nearly dropped mine once putting it onto the centre stand. My foot slipped off (it was wet) and as I was heaving the bike upwards I ended up pushing it over... just about grabbed it before the whole line of bikes that it was parked in went down like dominos
Most noobs drop a bike when wheeling it about or mega-low speed like 1 mph. I did.
Voodoo's point is a good one. Plastics cost a lot to replace and its especially gutting to do it at low speed so an unfaired cheapo bike to do the first 12 months on is a good idea for monetary purposes.
Then go mental and spunk £15K on a piece of exotica
My SV650 only cost me £875. I purposefully only got a cheap one and also a naked version with no faring. Because I'd rather learn on the bike knowing it won't cost me an arm and a leg to fix if I do drop it. Which inevitably I will doing the mileage I do.
Depends how my money situation is nearer the time. If I've got the money then I will buy a decent bike or if pushed thinking of buying a thundercat. They seem a lot of bike for the money. 1500 should get me a decent one.
I'd probably pick up a Blackbird for that money, but I have a bit of a soft spot for them at the moment
I paid £1000 for my Fazer (which wasn't that cheap with hind-sight), although I got paid out £750 for it when I got knocked off so it only owes me £250
-Edit-
Insurance might be a bit steep on a Blackbird, but worth checking out anyway.
A blackbird is a big heavy hyperbike. Unless you are planning to do monster, two-up mileage, have huge throttle restraint and like to learn things the hard way then there are much better bikes out there. They're not exactly cheap/easy to home maintain either.
A Thundercat is a quick, cheap and overlooked do-it-all 600 designed to compete with the CBR600F from the same era. It will probably want £500 or so spending on the suspension but buy one with new tyres and chain/sprockets at nice money and spend that £500 and you'll have yourself a very nice bike that will scratch, cruise, take luggage or commute as the mood takes you.
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