Lone Wolf

I stopped using my Grunge brush about 5 years ago when I noticed on an older bike with an older chain, pieces of O-ring hanging out of place while I was cleaning it. Hard to say if the brush CAUSED that damage, or was just pulling out tattered O-rings that were dried out from age (prior owner stored the bike). I switched over to a mason jar full of kerosene and a paint brush (soft bristles). I think that's all you need on a street bike, the grit and dirt jumps off with the kerosene. Historically a "grunge" brush was good for dirt bikes in the mud, and a lot of those older bikes did not run O-rings but that is changing.

That is the reason to replace it, the dealer is wrong to focus on how much riding was done on it.

The thing about the 1984-1986 Honda Nighthawks is the starter chain failure that requires split the cases to repair. It happens often enough that it was a frequent topic on the Nighthawk forum. The newer 1991-2003 Nighthawk 750 starter chain was larger, stronger, and is used to replace the broken ones on earlier model. I really like the looks of the 84-86, shaft drive, tune of the engine, hydraulic valves that don't need adjustment - but the thought of waiting for that starter chain to fail keeps me away from them. That specimen looks perfect today, but I have seen several for sale that "run great - need push to start". I think that chain also runs the alternator so it has to get fixed. They were 700cc in USA, the Canadian models were 750cc like in the following video: If you read the comments on that video, lots of people with same issue on their 84-86 NH

I am no expert on stoppies - but when I see a stunt rider perform a long stoppie I believe they are carefully modulating brake pressure a tiny bit at a time once the rear wheel begins to lift. There are competitions on youtube only for stoppies, pretty crazy. "To release the brake fast as lightning..." personally, I don't do anything on my controls fast as lightning. I keep hearing someone on my shoulder saying "SMOOTH".

OK, as long as you are aware of how close any vehicles are behind you - and you initiate the brakes smoothly then hard as mentioned in this video. Personally, I only "aim for shortest stopping distance" when I have confirmed there is no one around me. But I get it, we practice so we don't have to think when it hits the fan.

Right - he banged out a bunch of scooter videos on YouTube (getting a knee down on a scooter, etc.) Then about a week ago he gets a full sized motorcycle again and is talking about a tour of America in 2022 to connect with as many subscribers as he can, in person, at tracks, groups for parking lot training - whatever. Not too long ago he was "track only" but now he's talking about extensive street touring. I'm not saying it's wrong to make broad stroke changes in content. He does keep stirring the pot. And is humble enough to frequently quote the masters such as Lee Parks (Total Control) and admitting that he is still learning. Curiosity and a willingness to learn more than you know are admirable qualities.

I have repaired several very small punctures (and bigger ones) with this "rope" style kit. Auto-Light Truck Repair Kits Archives - Safety Seal It is not like the cheap ones sold at Walmart and auto parts stores. the "ropes" come in small and normal. "small" worked for me on every puncture I have had. The insertion tool has metal T handle so you can push much easier, and I broke the cheap plastic ones trying to insert ropes in the past. The kit comes with a wax like lubricant you put on the tip before inserting, which makes it go in much easier. I called the company because I was suspicious of the lubricant - but they said it is compatible with the rubber plug and actually helps it seal. I have had 4 punctures in 8 years, 35,000 miles. Most of them were a matter of observing a small screw or nail in the tire before taking off, by definition a small puncture. With this kit I did not have to "drill" to enlarge the hole. It is still difficult to put the rope in, but with cheaper kits it was actually impossible. I also patched 3 truck tires with this kit. All tires were kept on vehicles until worn out.

Read the article posted previously - they explain why. It was attempted, I still have the tools to hold the "bucket" down to enable access to the shim on top. Here's a diagram of how the hydraulic valve lifter is placed (part #7) on the Honda 750 Nighthawk that was made from 1991 to 2003. The "rocker arm" is part #5. Although the cam isn't directly on top of the valve stem (has rocker) it is still OHC. The article describes Harley, which has the cam down low (not Overhead) and other examples are old flathead V-8, old Briggs and Stratton lawnmower engines where you pull the head and see the top of piston and valves that are "below" the head. Most modern American V8 engines have valves above pistons, but still not "OHC" because the cam is lower in the engine, below the head. There is a performance hit for using hydraulic adjustment, as described in that article. Totally acceptable for a grocery getter minivan, but when the motorcycle magazines were throwing this Nighthawk under the bus for being "boring" the manufacturers had to keep doing more to keep up. It's one of the reasons an R6 can smoke this 750 despite having less displacement.

I still have a 750 Nighthawk with hydraulic valve adjustment. This article mentions "The Nighthawk gave up some performance in favor of reduced maintenance." Why do so many bikes use shim-under-bucket valve adjusters? - RevZilla Why do modern motorcycles have shim-over-bucket valves...

Hover over the profile pic, then ignore.

Yeah, here's a look inside the tire (one minute video) And here it is being put into an FZ-09 tire

If the cords of the tire were OK, this Ride-On may seal it. I have been running it in the rear tire that I changed a few months ago, and now that I have the front done and no valve leak I will put it in that tire. This video was posted on pg2 of this thread, it is worth a watch. This stuff does not have some of the drawbacks of the old tire sealants like "slime". It does not get on the rim. It is not runny. When you remove a tire that had Ride-On, the stuff is clinging to the underside of the part of the tire that contacts the road (not the sidewalls), I balance my new tires, and was a bit concerned this stuff might collect at the bottom of the tire when parked and be out of balance, but it doesn't do that. Very smooth - it will correct an out of balance tire.

OK - I had the same thing just happen. Very slow leak. I sprayed everything with soapy water just like you did. Could not find the leak. It was a brand new valve stem, so I just made sure the core was tight because sometimes they aren't. Today, I got a Q-tip and FULL STRENGTH dishsoap (Dawn). I put a generous amount of dishsoap on the Q-tip and applied to the valve stem where meets the rim, and inside where you fill the air. Then I put more soap in there, repeatedly, to make absolutely certain that the inner valve stem had a soap layer (it was a 90 degree stem). After 3 minutes, a bubble the size of a BB started to appear at the end of the valve stem. It was not manifesting with "soapy water" which I did twice before, but the full strength thick soap did the trick. I replaced the inner core of the valve stem, and of course the leak stopped. Mine was only loosing about 3 lb a week in the front - but the rear lost nothing. Enough to drive you crazy. His list would fix the issue I had. A month after 2linby's post you were using soapy water, did you ever follow the list and replace the inner core of valve stem? If not, you could try diagnosing it with the full strength (thick) dishsoap applied inside stem with Q-tip. Also where the stem meets the rim. It is unlikely to be leaking from the bead of rim unless the person changing the tire didn't clean it. I change my own tires, and scrub that area down with scotch brite pad after removing the old tire.

You are correct. It is not a 100% failure rate.

I would describe myself as Curious. And I consider Curiosity a positive attribute. I got my motorcycle license in 1972, and had been riding 3 years before that. I am 65. I think anyone reading this has a passion for motorcycles - and for me it is a curiosity about something I may not know. Something I can use to bring my skills to a higher level, as a rider or mechanic as I do all maintenance myself including tire changes, and complete engine rebuilds. Yet I have a strong conviction that there are things I don't know. Snarky. One word sums it up. Snarky. Unfortunately this person will not benefit from pearls of wisdom hidden here and there, due to lack of curiosity. Vintage motorcycles have an exposed hex head on one side of an axel, and a nut on the other that may have been overtightened by Godzilla at the factory, or prior owner. On older bikes you can put a 6 point socket on the hex head, a cheater bar with 6 point socket on the nut, and remove it without incident. What we are talking about here are CAPTIVE designs where aluminum shoulders up against one face of the nut. That aluminum in the photo was not as thick as the new design. With a captive design, the ability to put a socket on is gone. The FZ07 forum has a large thread about these getting demolished when axel nuts are removed for the first time on fairly new bikes when getting first tire change. You assume the owner over torqued it, but when you assume things...

Interesting thread on FZ09 forum, confirming more noise from EBC HH pads. He can spin his wheel and get 2 or 3 rotations. Do ebc hh pads drag a little more? | Yamaha FZ-09 Forum Hey all just did a brake change on a new to me fz and it was...

No problem today. Back on 1-24-2021 I was only seeing the first couple of images, which was strange because I had seen your full array of photos previously. But today, they are all there and load very quickly for me. I also have the Innovv K2 installed on a different bike and it is rock solid. Similar to Knyte and Skyflix, I had several SJCAM but was never able to depend on them. The date reset every time the battery was pulled, and if used as dashcam the battery had to be in place for it to work, then the overcharge - swollen battery issue happened over and over if USB power was supplied to the camera (so that it would boot up and record like a dash cam when ignition turned on). The Innov K2 avoids that grief by running off the vehicle main battery with a relay. I just use it in case someone pulls out in front of me (dash cam) and test that it is recording OK about once a week, it is dependable.

Wow you really did a lot of work cleaning up the calipers. Yuk. At least you can work on the chain. Agreed. Jake was sloppy on the pistons. The FZ07 calipers are similar in the arrangement of 4 pistons, but they are not the same. The Tracer has Radial mount calipers, FZ07 are not. Usually I think of the MASTER cylinder in terms of "radial" but the term applies to calipers as well. Ari Henning explains it well in this article, and corresponding video: "What we’re discussing when we talk about radial or axial brakes is how the calipers are mounted to the fork. Radial calipers are secured via bolts that are parallel with the brake disc, whereas axial brakes are held in place by bolts that are perpendicular to the disc." MC Garage Video: Radial Motorcycle Brakes Explained The general consensus is that radial brakes are the best. But...

There are 2 things that are really odd. This is essentially a new bike, and grief like this usually shows up on an older bike that has been in storage for years. The other odd part is that your bike was fine after changing the pads, the problem showed up 2 weeks later. That makes the "cause and effect" harder to track down. Sure you hosed the bike with water but it should withstand that. You mentioned brake cleaner on the rubber seals that isn't good... If it was my bike, and I had tried everything you already mentioned, I would still do one more thing. I would pull some brake fluid out of the master cylinder to create some room, and intentionally try to push the caliper pistons in a bit. That will force some brake fluid back into the master cylinder, something to watch out for overflow. You established that the caliper pistons are not stuck and move easily (which is good) but usually when you push one, the others want to extend outward. I am talking about pushing all of them in a bit to create an abundance of clearance, the wheel will spin free, then with the bike on a front lift spin the wheel and apply front brake. If the brakes don't release properly and there is no improvement - I would change the caliper seals. Shouldn't have to on a 2019 model, but something is going on. The following video is set to start where he does the procedure I am referring to. It isn't the same bike, but the FZ07 does have 4 piston calipers and he shows the movement, and getting the pistons pushed back in. People replacing worn pads have to do this because the new pads are thicker than the old pads. You could use your old pads and a screwdriver to get the pistons in a bit. Just enough to be absolutely sure that the wheel spins easy, and then see if the problem persists when apply the front brake.

That is not normal. Your front wheel is still dragging. compare to Yuriy's video, his wheel rotates at least a full circle after being pushed. Also compare to this video (same as I posted on Friday) showing typical brake drag which is a bit more than Yuri - but a lot less than your last video. Yours is not typical. As soon as you stop pushing the wheel, it HALTS immediately rather than continue moving at least a bit. You mention the EBC HH pads - and while this problem may have appeared after they were installed - they are not the cause of the problem. Sintered pads are going to have more friction when the brakes are APPLIED, but at rest they are not relevant. Something else is going on.

Upside down forks changed all that - so much stiffer. I still have a "super brace" on a vintage bike. If you banged up an older bike with conventional forks, the tubes bent. Nowadays when someone hits something with a modern front end, it isn't that rare to break the F*ing frame of the bike because the front end "uppers" are so stiff.

Right, I could see all of them moving. Looked normal.

No I don't think it would cause what you are experiencing. Think about front forks with compression damping in one leg. The difference in force acting on left and right fork leg would be much more than this height adjustment - but it works out OK because the axel secured to forks creates a single unit. I know you didn't pull the front wheel just before all this trouble, but that is where the binding would occur is improper spacer or axle placement pushing the disk rotor out of place in relation to the calipers. But you didn't touch that stuff so it is a mystery.

The fact that you could FEEL the issue while riding = something very wrong. Your video confirms not OK. Just for info, here is what a normal pad dragging on the rotor sounds like:

He was a drill instructor in the Marines. Was in Iraq. Then he became the guy that teaches drill instructors. Seriously. I think he still lives near the Marine base in San Diego area. At first I was not sure about him, but watched more (with Ad Block) and decided he is legit. He learned the hard way by wrecking a liter bike, then had a need to figure it out. He became a MSF coach and worked with a track, which is consistent with his background of being an instructor. The thing I respect is that he does know what he knows and is not half ass about that - yet admits there are other riders and instructors who know way more than he does and is actually very humble about that.