Pain is no Gain when bike is suffering!

What a whiner I am about to be.

My beloved power machine Blackstroke, is in intensive care and things were worse than what they appeared.

Here is the story.

(Backstory) I have been traveling a lot last couple years and don't get to ride daily, but when I get back to H-town.

Well, my front tire had been leaking around the angle valve stem I had the shop in Houston put on, actually for way too long, losing 3 lbs a week.

Anyways, I took it off, took it back to "Motorcycle Unlimited" a independent shop in Houston. They have a good reputation according to the Two Wheeled Texan Forum.

Anyway, got the tire back. Well while I was installing it, I decided the brake pads on the left were way too thin to continue, and figured the sets I bought a year ago would be best to go on before I take the run up to Sturgis 75.

***Caution*** This is where traveling and limited time will do for you.

I put in the new pads on the left, sprayed the caliper down with brake cleaner, not taking time as I would have done in the past and detail brushed and cleaned.

Well, on go the pads and tire, torque everything to spec. Get on bike and ride to follow wife to her job for some preparation.

Well on the Beltway, rolling pretty good. Each time I used the brakes, it was fighting a bit, you know when something just doesn't fee right.

I kept going and exited the Beltway, only to notice that the front wheel was locking up.

Well, I can make it to her job just a couple blocks. No joy!!! turned in the intersection and it just completely stopped. ***Mistake two ....kept on trying to power through..NO JOY NO JOY!!!

Fortunately wife pulled up and blocked traffic with her SRX; well went to bike trunk and pulled out socket and bled the brakes right there.

Steam poured out of the brake line. Brakes released and I rode with no front brakes.

Well....made it to her job. Stayed for a hour and then went right to MC Unlimited.

I had no time as, I had a flight the next day...................Left bike there.

Week later the guy calls and says they had to order parts, no problem, trip still on; They have a couple weeks. Week for parts and they put on brakes, well they didn't bother to brake down the caliper before the parts came, so when the parts came they had to drill out the pad pin because heat had sealed it in.

Well, another week goes for that part to come in. Shop owner calls and says well bike is ready but it's not pulling in gear. I knew this already because I could feel it when I rode it over there.

Their diagnosis....The clutch was slipping. He pulled it apart and called me back an hour later.

The clutch had gotten so bad that it needs to be rebuilt, one plate was cracked in half. The brakes got so hot that the reflector on the front wheel was melted from the heat.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, brake caliper rebuild, bleed and extra effort to get the pin out all cost was $640.00

Now he is saying another $350-$425 for the clutch to be rebuilt.

Yes, the trip to Sturgis if off, they won't have it ready and my work plans changed anyway and wasn't going to make it.

Story to learn lessons.......multiple to learn here.

Worst one is, that because I didn't have time to do the job right, I should not have messed with it. Chances are though that caliper was already sticking prior to me removing the wheel anyways. I am so blessed and fortunate that it locked up when it did and my wife was in trail position when it froze completely.

NEVER TRY TO POWER THROUGH A BRAKE LOCK UP!!!

A part of me thinks it's bad kharma because I have been searching hard for a new 2014ES model.

Doesn't matter, going to find that ES and get it anyways. Red would be good, but I will take the 2015 if I find it.

Story over but pain is just sinking in! Hopes this helps someone......

This is a great reminder for us independent mechanics to take it slow and easy, one step at a time. Also during the test ride is something is different it is because you messed it up. Just ask most of us how we know why.....

Bummer story. Lord knows I've made plenty of stupid and expensive mistakes. (One was marrying a girl from Nassau Bay.) Glad you didn't get hurt -- if it had locked up on the Beltway at 80 mph .....

For what it's worth, the Liquid Graphite is far prettier than the red, and looks much better if you're accessorizing with hi-vis clothing.

Sorry about your brakes. Sure you will be happy with the new ES in whatever color. I see your point about hi-vis and the graphite. Never thought about it that way before.

According to Bust, "never work on a bike sober". So, never have. Always have at least a six pack downed or half a litre of black velvet before I start turning wrenches on Jackie-O.....especially when doing brake jobs...man those can get dirty when the fork seals leak heavily.....and I hate getting dirty.

FJR-RemingtonRider said:

...NEVER TRY TO POWER THROUGH A BRAKE LOCK UP!!!

...

Click to expand...

So true, I feel felt your pain.

My seizing front brake led to a warped disc click on image for larger view:



(Full story here)

So, was it the pads binding in the caliper that caused the seizing? If so, was this due to not cleaning the caliper?

How much extra for the melted reflector?

Pads? No, it was just too much debris within the caliper.

No charge for reflector; hopefully it will serve as a garage reminder to "Slow down and do things right"!!!

Shop called me back and as usual, marveled at how "Truly Jacked up" the clutch was. Said it was a wonder the housing didn't crack.

Well, another week in the shop and a total of $640.00 for the Clutch debacle.

He says that it's going to take two oil changes to get all the metal debris out of the engine.

Grand total for brakes and clutch has risen to $1340.00 - Geez, I knew I should have just swapped bikes when the first notion came to me 2 months ago.

Consider that I haven't spent a dime at a shop working on the bike in the 55k miles I have put on it and re-constructing it when I bought it, I guess this is all good.

Sucks all the same!

Well, when I ride it again, I will know what direction to go. It may feel so good that the notion of a new bike may fade.....naw, don't think so.

Sorry about your problem, but after reading and re-reading I am still not clear on what the actual cause of the brakes locking up. The pads were installed correctly? The caliper was so fouled the piston would not retract? I read that you were changing the pads, because the ones on the bike were thin. Was the caliper sticking causing them to prematurely wear? Did you have any trouble retracting the piston to get the new ones on? Was it just one side or both? I don't mean to belabor the point and prolong your agony of discussing this, but in order to be helpful to me and others the details are important.

And I do hope they checked the rotor(s) for run out. .

Simple.....he was drunk when he put the stuff back together.

LOL...no no drinking involved just time constraints.

I firmly believe that the caliper was partially seizing or failing all together prior to me swapping the pads. Just based on the wear of the pads on that side.

When I swapped them, the left was a bit difficult to push in, I am thinking that the caliper probably was due for a thorough clean or possibly rebuild at that time.

All of this in Hindsight of course.

The best they could describe was that the pistons on the calipers needed to be rebuilt. So it probably was failing for quite awhile.

I should have stopped when I confirmed that the pads were wearing quicker on the left than the right. (driver position)

They said it would be ready by Friday (today), no call to pick up. Oh well.