Rear Brake Lever Pedal

   In motorcycling we are lucky that most higher specifcation bikes have adjustable hand and foot controls. The reach for the rear brake pedal was a bit far for my liking. Since I refurbished the brakes I have really had to stretch to apply the rear brake (for purists and the pedantic I know they are linked). Whilst I was working on the clutch fluid replacement (click HERE for that story)

   

   I decide the investigate adjustment of the rear foot operated brake. I found there was an adjuster. It is on the offside by the brake pedal. It was handy that the belly pan was off for the clutch fluid job. I squirt of 3in1 oil and a rub with the toothbrush released the grip of the rust. A 10mm spanner held the adjuster and 12mm spanner undid the locking nut. Once the locking nut was freed it was a straightforward job to twiddle the 10mm adjuster until the pedal was at the desired level. The locking nut was then....er locked.

   The next job which, is often over looked, is to adjust the brake light switch. This switch is in the sme area as the brake pedal adjuster but is made of plasitic. So some care is needed. a splash of 3in1oil freed the threads. It was just a case of holding the switch body with a pair of pliers and spinning the locking nut until the stop light came on when the brake pedal was depressed. Its the little things.

With that jobs completed the belly pan was refitted.    

Service Rear Suspension

   This job was really about servicing the remore preload unit. On my rides I have been fiddling about the proload to get a comfy ride and improve cornering. This bike tends to wash out in corners and on roundabouts. There is no adjustment on the front suspension. There are few suspension settings to adjust on the rear suspension unit, just preload and rebound damping. My wife and I are probably in the middle weight range, even a bit lighter than the expected Pan riders, so the spring rate should not be an issue.  There is nothing I can do about the spring raterebound or the damping except adjust the screw. The preload adjuster is a different matter. A little bit of internet research showed the preload unit was prone to loosing fluid and so the ability to adjust the preload on the shock. Click HERE to check out this Youtube video for the details on how to asses if the preload adjuster needs attension and how to go about the job. You need the seats removed but not the fairing just the nearside side panel. You don't many tools. A 10mm socket, a Phillips screw drive and a pointy probe. It is not clear in the videos but you top up the unit with fork oil. I happened to have 10 weight oil left over from the front suspension overhaul.

   I removed the side panel and the two 10mm bolts hold the adjuster unit to the support bracket. My unit was at least as bad, and probably worse than the unit in the video. I was most concerned I might loose the the spring loaded ball bearing. In the end I managed the ball quite easily as the spring and ball where gummed with dirt in the old grease.

  

   As per the video I removed the unit and tipped out the oil. Oil, well, there was a bit. The black bits are from under the screw knob.I did as instructed and flushed out the unit. As the video guy suggested I marked the banjo bolt and preload unit before starting and it was helpful in being able to reposition and refit the unit on to the preload support bracket. Whilst I had the unit in bits I cleaned and refurbished all the parts that were accesible. I had been a bit over enthusiastic with the rattle can so I spent a few minutes with 1500 grade paper sanding off over spray from the prelaod unit. the unit wa srefilled with 10 weight suspention oil.

   Once the preload was refitted one could feel the resistance of the oil with one and half turns of the adjuster knob. I also checked the rebound adjuster screw for free movement. I am pleased to report it works perfectly. The side panel was refitted.

The next job will to go for a spin and adjust the preload the damping to suit me.

Next job....buy new tyres. I am thinking of MICHELIN Pilot Road 4 GT.

Replace Clutch Fluid

   The Pan has a hydraulic actuated clutch. "So what" I hear you say. The MOT bloke said the clutch had a funny bite as he had to move it around the garage. I too though the operation of the clutch was a little strange. Not enough to be worrisome just "not so". The Pan was registered in 2004. I suspect the clutch fluid has never been changed. Brake and clutch fluid (they are the same thing) absorb water over time and the fluid regrades. The hydrualic system can loose fluid or gain air from microscopic leaks. The fact the the clutch master cylinder resevoir cap screws were was seized backs up that theory. Click HERE to read the blog on replacing the screws in the clutch master cylinder.

   Changing the clutch fluid should not be that difficult; I had replaced the reservoir screws so they came out without and hitch. So long as can find where the bleed nipple for the slave cylinder is situated. I tend not to look in the owner's manual anymore but go straight to YouTube. There is some proper crap there but there is usually a nugget of gold in the videos. This link, click HERE, takes you to the chap who gave me a clue as to where the clutch slave cylinder bleed nipple was sited and whether is was an easy job. I had a feeling the bleed nipple would be hidden behind the faring somewhere. It seemed sensible to tackle the job whilst I had the belly pan off as part of the wiring upgrade for the Sat Nav and the USBs.

   The clutch bleed nipple is located on the near side just behind the bottom of the coolant expansion tank. It is easy to get to once the belly pan is removed. In the picture you can see I have a 10mm ring spanner on the bleed nipple and the tube leading down the catch bottle. Bleeding the clutch is just the same as bleeding brakes. With the nipple closed, pump the lever the build up pressure in the line. Undo the nipple, the pressure in the line is released and the air, if air is trapped, is released after a few cycles od pump and release. In my case I simply wanted to replace the fluid. with each pump and release a quantity of old fluid was pumped out of the system. After five or six cycles the master reservoir was runnign low on fluid so that was topped up. The topping up is down to ensure air is not introduced from in to the system from the top. The pump, release and top up cycle is continued until the fluid being pumped out at the bottom is clear like the fluid introduce to the top of the system. The master cylinder reservoir cap is refitted.

Although I did not ride rthe bike straigth away I could tell the replacing of the clutch fluid had had an effect. There was a lot less free movement in the lever and it felt firmer. I do not anticipate any operational difficulties. 

NB...

make sure in all this exercise you protect the paintwork from drips of clutch fluid. It eat paint for breakfast.

I had one other job to do then the belly pan was refitted.

Wire in the Sat Nav

   When I got the Pan the first ugrade I wanted was a Sat Nav. The Sat Nav in my truck is not waterproof and not compatible with motorbike mounting systems. However this upgrade was not the most important. A number of other jobs where in the queue both this gadget.

   It took ages to research which Sat Nav I should buy. I had a budget for a middle ground Sat Nav. I do not need world coverage and lots of bells and whistles but it had to be bike orientated. I spent lots of interent time trying to find recommendations for the gadget that fitted my budget and specification. I have been watching a YouTuber call Itchy Boots. Click HERE for her website. She uses a Sat Nav. I looked up the model she uses and found it was not expensive and if you linked it to your phone you could get live updates. This function, if built in, really ramps up the cost of the unit. This unit is bike friendly and waterproof. If it can take Noraly round the world, it can trundle me round the UK.

   The unit I bought was a Garmin 396 (its what Noraly uses). I searched on-line and found Sport Bike Shop was doing a deal on them. So a unit reserved online and collected at the weekend of the same week from their shop in Milton Keynes.

   It also has included in the box were two power lead options and several mounting solution based on the Ram mounting system. Handy because:

A.Its included in the price

B. One of the first things I bought was a Ram. I knew I would have a Sat Nav eventually so when I saw a bargain I snapped it up.

I fitted the Ram mount when I fitted the risers. You can read about that HERE

   

Obviouly I chose the RAM mount that suited the RAM mount I had installed earlier. It is just a clamp with a ball grasp at both ends. Having decided on the mounting method next was powering the unit. The obvious choice was the mount that allowed for the quick removal of the Sat Nav and the automatic and weatherproof power connection. The quick fit Sat Nav mount just clips to the back of the Sat Nav. You then have to fit the mounting ball plate which joins the quick fit plate ot the RAM mount. During back plate fitting exercise you have to install the power lead. It all fits together very easily. Next the straight clamp joins the two ball mounts together supporting the sat Nav at the same time.



    Then the power lead is threaded down the handle bars. I used the clutch hose as a guide and used the hose guides to keep the power cable tidy. Initially I thought I was going to power the Sat Nav off the distribution board but a thought better of it and chose to have the unit powered through a switched feed. That meant the near side of the fairing had to come off to reach the switched power feed wire. Having gained access I stripped a section of the switched power lead and soldered on a short wire with a bullet connector on the other end. The power lead provided with the unit had a bullet connector fitted to the positive wire and a ring connector fitted to the negative lead. The bullet connectors were joined up the taped up the waterproof them. the negative tag was connected the earth point. With some difficulty the fairing was refitted. The Sat Nav sparks up when the ingition switch is turned on and goes off with the key.

   There is Smartphone connectivity via Bluetooth and Garmin’s Smartlink app which providers for :

1. free live traffic and weather
2. rugged, glove-friendly 4.3″ display
3. adventurous routing
4. service history log
5. hands-free calling
6. smart notifications
7. built-in WiFi
8. micro SD card slot
9. LiveTrack
10. the ability to send GPX files from your phone to the GPS and share them with other riders

   I just need to have a spin out on the Pan to decide the optimum position for the unit and try out all the features.

Power - Part 3

   To refresh your memory about the story of adding USB ports here are links the installments to get the final task; USBs, Plugs, Power & Power -part 2.

   In the last installments the relay was wired up and fitted. A long paired wire was left that would be the link the switch to the relay. A switch is a simple thing but it took me ages to find a switch that would fit on the bike. There is very little room for additional switches. One of Halfords cheap and cheerful rocker switches was selected. a hole was drilled out in the fairing just below the off side fairign pocket. It is the only flat surface in front of the rider. The switch does not need fiddling with so having it mounted on the throttle side does not matter.

   The seats were removed. It seems every job starts with removing the seats. I removed the securing bolts for the tank and propped up the tank to enable me to route the switch wire. Luckily I did not have to remove the fairing. So I was ready. however I left myself in a quandery. I needed a live power feed and a earth to create teh circuit for the switch to activate the relay. It would hav ebee easy fit ring connectors on to the end of the wires and connect them the battery terminals But that would look naff as the battery terminal already had the extra connector for a relay and one for the charger. I decided a different approach was needed. I removed the carefully wound insulatation on the relay power feed and earth and stripped back the wires insulation to reveal the copper core. The red relay switch power feed was round around the relay power feed wire and the two soldered together. The joint was then wrapped in insulating tape. That gives power to the switch side of the relay. I then stripped back a length of relay switch wire on the switch twin core cable and patch one wire into the earth side of the relay feed. These two connections are just about invisible and reduce the connection tags on the battery. now the trick job the return side of the switch wire has to be connected the negative side of the relay switch feed. This required a jumper link. in was a fiddly job but mainly because getting the shrinck wrap to stay on position whils the wires were soldered was a faff. once the wired were joined the shink wrap was positioned and heated. It made a nice tidy and hopefully a premanent weatherproof seal. The wires were tucked neatly behind the battery. With battery end sorted it was a case of routing the switch twin wire cable from the battery area to the fairing pocket. This meant getting under the tank. That turned out to be the easiest part of the job as there was already a cable run and with the tank tipped up the new switch cable fitt easily in to the run. It also gave access to the back of the fairing. it was a simple job the feed the cable through the switch hole, which had been previously created and ready for the final fit. The cable was cut to lehgth and wire core cut the length and stripped. After a dry fit and test that he switch activated the relay (it did), shrink wrap was fitted over the wires, the wires soldered to the switch tags and the shrink wrap fitted in place the heated up to give good clean finish. The switch was simply pressed into place.

    Flicking the switch activates the relay which powers distribution board  and the attached USBs. The offside USB has a voltmeter so a flick of the switch gives the battery state. I have tried the mobiles via th eusb....yup they power up.

All I have to show for all the work is a little switch and a couple of hidden USB ports.    

Clutch Master Cylinder

   The bike went through its annual MOT (Ministry of Transport) test for roadworthiness as a pass an with no advisories. Advisories being little jobs that need addressing to bring the bike up to MOT standard but not serious enough to constitute a danger to the safety of the vehicle. The testing bloke commented that the bike was a nice example of the marque and in really good order. That was nice to hear given the light restoration I had given it over the winter. He mentioned the action of the clutch lever in passing. I had noticed the bite of the clutch took a little getting used to. I remembered I had topping up the brake fuild in the reservior as a job to do. The fluid was just above the minimum marker. The screws in the reservoir cap were really tight so I put it to the bottom the list as the clutch was working just fine. Now I thought I would do that top up job.

I first got the screwdriver out again and tried the screws. Nothing moved. I did my usual trick of soaking the screws in 3in1 oil over a few days and tried the screws again. I only managed the round them off. I got the thread extarctor kit out. The kit is a series of what look tapered screws but with a left hand thread. The tool is screwed in the rounded hole which was the head of the set screw and turned. The thread bites and is supposed to release the screw....nope, the hole just got bigger. I got the electric drill out and found a drill bit a shade smaller than the head of the screw.

I very carefully drilled out the head of the screw to leave just the thread portion of the screw in position. I had to be very careful. The reservior cap and body the body of the master cylinder is made from a magnesium alloy which is much softer than the steel of the set screw. One slip could damage the cap or body. That would mean a new master cylinder, the sourcing of which would cost time and money. So far this job had cost £3.80. Patience paid off. As soon as the heads where drilled out the reservoir cap came away undamaged. The screw threads were still in the reservoir body. With some tepidation I turned the remainder of the screw with my fingers. The thread turned easily and were removed in seconds to my great relief. I was not happy contemplating stud extraction for the master cylinder body. The fluid in the reservoir look really dirty. I guess it has been in there since the bike was built in the factory. I used a syringe to remove most of it and topped up te reservoir with fresh clutch/brake fluid. The oil seals and space was cleaned and refitted. The reservoir cap was cleaned and checked that the new screws would seat in the cap. There was a lot of corrosion at the base of the set screw as it went into the master cylinder body. That was what was preventing the screw coming out. I put a smear of copper slip grease on the underside of the set screw before refitting it through the cap. The screw seated nicely. So that job was done. Whilst I was about ti replaced the screws in the front brake master cylinder. These screws came out with much effort. The new screws were copper greased and refitted. The work of a few minutes.

Whilst I was dealing with the clutch master I took off the clutch lever and actuating rod. These components were dirty but well oiled. I cleaned up the lever, rod and housing then a liberal dose of LM grease the rod was refitted into the clutch piston and the other end into the clutch lever. The lever was then positioned for the pivot bolt to be relocated and the securing nut fitted. The lever action feels a good deal smoother.

Three jobs ticked off the list and one added......change clutch fluid. 

Power part 2

   This post should where has the power gone! When the fairing was refitted, the USBs were connected up. It was a real treat to see them work first time. The USB with voltmeter was particularl good. I turned the bike off and left it until the next time I was able to do some more fettling.

 
At the next visit I turned the ignition to be greeted with the sound of relays clicking and dull dashboard lights. I looked at he voltmeter and it was showing 9 volts. It occured to me that the LEDs onthe USBs had run down the battery over a week. I connected the batery charger and went away to think about the situation. I decided to test the hypothosis. Once the battery was showing recharged I pulled the fused for the USBs and sat back to see what would happen. I went back to the bile a few days later, using a multimeter i tested the voltage of the battery. It had dropped again but not quite as far. The new fuse box has LEDs to show when a fuse has blown. It was with some frustration I disconnected the power feed from the battery to the fuse board. The charger was reconnected. The voltage was checked after a few days. No loss of power and the bike would start on the button. Now what?

 

   It took a few minutes for the issue to percolate in my bonce but the action was clear. I need to switch off the fuse booard when it is not needed. I could wire a switch into the heavy duty power feed so the solution had to involve and relay. I had a suitable relay in the tool box. I changed the post terminal tag connect to the live feed wire from the battery to a spade connector. That connector went on the replay. I made a jump wire with a post connector one end of the 27amp wire and a spade on the other end. Now I had a relay in between the battery and the fuse board. The wiring was checked with the multimeter. there was no current getting the fuse board. I put two spade conectors on the wires of a twin cable and conected them to the switch side of the relay. I stripped the wires at the other end of the cable and touched them off the battery. The repaly and fuse board reacted when power was applied to the switch wires. So that works.

   The relay needs somewhere to live. Luckily the battery box has a handy size void at the rear of the box which forms part of the rear inner mudguard. It was a simple job to drill a hole through the mudguard, its plastic, and use a plastic number plate nut and bolt to secure the relay to the mudguard. I had measured the jump wire to allow the relay to be fitted in the void.  

    The only problem is that I now have to decide where the switch is to be fitted and what type of switch to use. Then I have to buy it. Then fit it.

   I had a suspicion the battery would not be capable of sustaining so many warning lights. the battery is tiny compared with that of a BMW which is essentially a small car battery rather than a standard bike battery on the pan. The difference is clear but now I have resolved the issue.