Thursday, May 1, 2003
OK, so it’s not 6000 miles yet. It’s closer to 5200 miles. However, the weather is terrible so I’m going to replace tires, remove a ding in the front rim, and see about getting the front hub skimmed and the shoes arced to the hub. Fun stuff.
I ordered new tires, a pair of ME 880 100/90H18, which I’ll mount on both front and rear. That will make the front a bit wider (it’s currently a 90/90H18) and the rear a bit narrower (it’s currently a 4.00H18).
dinged front rim
This is one of the reasons I’m changing tires now. Every time I stop someone points out this ding. Time to take care of it.
brake cable end
front wheel hub
The brake cable looked ugly until I wiped off the protective layer of grease. It looks fine on both ends. I’ll lube the cable before re-installing the wheel.
pulling front axle
front wheel removed
The axle was nice and clean where it mattered. That boat trailer grease I use on the wheel bearings does a good job. Once the wheel was removed I put some jack stands under the front forks to hold the bike until the wheel is re-installed.
front brake pads
This is why I want to skim the brake drum to get it round and then arc the shoes to the drum. The bike needs all of its braking surfaces for proper operation. Maybe I’ll be able to throw away the anchor :-)
ready to remove tire
tire removed
The rim protectors are a Honda product (I think) and have probably saved my rims untold nicks. I removed the stainless cover just to protect it’s finish. There was no mechanical reason for removing it at this time.
Saturday, May 3, 2003
I took the wheel (and some used, but still serviceable tires) to Joe’s this morning. The tires were added to the collection for those who need them. The ding in the rim was pressed out. We then put the wheel on an axle and spun it. Son-of-a-gun, there was a smaller ding on the other side, but at a different location, too. It was fixed while we were at it.
where the ding was
another view
ready for rubber
The marks indicated where we needed to press on the wheel. They came off with some aluminum polish. Monday I take the wheel in to get the hub skimmed (if necessary) and the brake shoes arced to the hub.
Friday, May 9, 2003
The front wheel is at Superior Friction, getting new brakes. I want to mount the new rear tire today so I can take it to the the shop to balance it, tomorrow.
new tires
Two new tires, ready to mount. As noted above I’m using Metzeler ME 880 100/90H18 which are in theory a “front” tire. This means that when mounting the front tire I’ll follow the direction arrow, but when mounting the rear tire will use the opposite direction.
old rear tire
left rear shock bolt
The usual problems taking off the 4.00 on the rear. The tire will just squeeze by the rear end, but only if the left shock mounting bolt is backed-off. I’m hoping that won’t be necessary with the new tires.
new rear tire on rim
The new tire is mounted (my least favorite motorcycle maintenance task) and ready for balancing.
Saturday, May 10, 2003
I balanced the wheel at Joe’s this morning. After putting some new grease on the bearings and the hub cover back on the wheel, the wheel went back on the bike.
fender stay
left rear shock bolt and tire
rear tire mounted
The first picture shows where the tire would sometimes rub on the left fender brace. This is due to slightly warped fender and the 4 inch tire. The second picture shows that the 100/90 can be installed without letting the air out of the tire or removing the left shock mounting bolt.
Thursday, May 15, 2003
I called up the shop working on the front brakes and found out the front wheel is ready. A quick visit to San Jose brought wheel and new brakes home. The hub was not skimmed as it tested good enough.
new shoe material
new shoes
The new material looks much better than the old. The ends are nicely chamfered.
brake cam
brake springs
The pivots and cam were lubed and then the springs installed. The thick spring goes toward the front of the bike (the left side of the second picture).
brake lever position
front wheel ready to mount
I moved the brake levers so they’d be as close to parallel as they can get when the brakes are applied. This makes them 90 degrees from the cable and maximizes applied force. Then the hub was moved away and the new tire mounted. A bit of polish on the stainless cover makes it look pretty.
front wheel mounted
The best laid plans…. I had to change the forward lever to use up some cable length as I was running out of adjustment. The levers aren’t quite parallel when brakes are applied. I’ll revisit this after a test ride.
Unfortunately I ran out of time to give the bike a test ride today, and tomorrow I’m joining the Saturday group on a 2 day ride on my other bike. Since I need to check brakes and scrub in new tires I don’t want to rush things. Next week will be soon enough.
Tuesday, July 29, 2003
A pinched nerve in my neck has reduced my riding a bit, so I’ve still 300-400 miles until the 6K service. I did, however, recently by a new toy (uh, tool :-) and wanted to give it a try.
wheel balancer
balancing front tire
There was some discussion on the mailing list regarding balancers that use a cone to center the wheel. Hint: use a front wheel spacer if you’re worried that the thrust bushings (top hats) might not be exactly in line with the bearings. I used a pair of jack stands to hold the balancer bearings.
The second picture is my front wheel being balanced. I’m using the 1/4 oz stick on weights. 3 weights was not quite enough, 4 weights (1 oz) was a bit too much. I used 4 oz to equal the weight added to each side. I’ve very satisified with this tool. I got it here if you’re interested.
Sunday, Aug 31 29, 2003
Came back from breakfast with 6045 miles on the bike. Changed the oil and checked the other items noted on the service checklist. I adjusted the clutch at the transmission while checking things. Yesterday I’d noticed that all clutch action was in the first 1/2 inch or so of handle movement. It’s better, now.