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OK, so if I am just rolling my bike around in neutral, not even started, you can hear the rear brake rubbing. BTW, I have a 79 GS850G. Do the calipers on these have any kind of adjustment, or is it more likely a warped rotor or what? Any suggestions would be helpful. I was told when I bought the bike that he had rebuilt the rear caliper. Also, is it is a warped rotor, are machine shops able to turn these like they do cars(a new one is over $200!!)?
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Your brake pads should maintain a light contact with your rotor. Doesn't sound like you have a problem.
Put the bike up on the centerstand and turn the wheel. You'll hear some rubbing but there shouldn't be much resistance. Totally normal. -
The fact that the previous owner had just rebuilt the brakes, it's possible there is an air bubble somewhere in the system. Mark is right, there is some rubbing when the brake is released, but you shouldn't hear it or notice it otherwise. One air bubble will stretch when brake is released and not retract the pads from the disc. I'd do a bleed on the system and see if it helps.Comment
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Need some more datails? When you say rubbing, do you feel the rear brake dragging? If so, I bet you have moisture corrosion built up inside the caliper which causes the piston to stick and bind the rotor (very common issue in GS's). As for a warped rotor, you will feel your brake pedal "pulsate" up and down with a warped rotor.Originally posted by Acooljt View Post
I had this situation (warped front rotors) on my 1100, and after checking the rotors with a dial indicator, they were both out of tolerence by .022" Which was enough runout to cause the "pulsating" that I described.Comment
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I'm not getting any pulsating, this much I know(or at least I'm not feeling it in the pedal).
I did not bleed the brakes yet though I haven't had any problems with the brakes and I've had the bike for a month now.
And I haven't had time to put it on it's stand to check for resistance. Speaking of though, does anyone have any tips for getting it on the stand? I'm a pretty good sized guy(225 pounds) and it takes me on the bike with my dad pulling on the little sissy bar to get this thing in the air.Comment
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You don't pull the bike up on the center stand. All the work is done by stepping down with your right foot. With one hand on the grab rail under the seat, and the other hand on the handle bar, step down on the center stand, and the bike will pop up. Takes a few trys to get the feel for it.Comment
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By under the seat, do you mean I actually need to open the seat or is it accessible with it closed?
Also, this has just become the least of my worries since my bike just died on me in the middle of traffic and wouldn't run for sh*t after that and so far, there's no reason why. I am really not happy with this bike at the moment.
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Sorry to hear about your bike troubles. If we can help troubleshoot, post the symptoms.
For the grab rail...with the seat closed, look under the left side. You should see a bar. Mine is attached to the top of the shock absorber mount and the frame near the turn signal. Yours may be a little different. The bar may be chrome, or it may be black. If there is no bar, then a PO must have removed it. That's okay, you can still grab the frame/wheel well. But be careful not to damage any plastic body parts.
Remember most of the work is exerted pushing down with your right foot, not pulling up.
Good luck with the repairs.Comment
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Well, my dad was nice enough to look at it for me while I was at work and he said the choke was stuck while I was driving it(the choke cable came off somehow and apparently it didn't retract, I did know about the cable coming off though but there was no way I could have known that it was still partially closed. sure, the motor was bogging down, but that could be any number of problems, so I just tried to make it home but to no avail). So naturally, since I was running it with the choke partially, if not all the way closed, it fouled out the plugs. I have yet to talk with my dad anymore about it to see if it's the official verdict or what is goin on, he is usually asleep when I get home from work. The real crappy part is that I won't have any time to work on it tomorrow because I have class and work both, so now I have to wait even longer to fix it. And if I need to order parts, then who knows! AGH! I don't know what you guys see in these bikes, mine has been nothing but trouble. I can handle small problems, but dying in traffic on me? That's unacceptable.Comment
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Hey, this is a postive thing maybe. You've got a 27 year old motorcycle that you're going to need to know something about in order to enjoy. Its like a woman, if you just leave them alone and expect them to not bother you too much and take care of you, if all you want to do is "ride" them, you're going to be left stranded..........Originally posted by Acooljt View Post
Its like any relationship....you're going to have to work at this to make it work. Hang in there man, you bike is talking to you......asking for a little more love. At least a little routine maintenance. That's how these '79's are.
Hang in there.....Comment
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If you dropped $20,000 on a brand new '06 Harley, that bike can ALSO die in traffic. I'd rather have a cheap $1200 bike "die in traffic" than a new(er) $20K bike.Originally posted by Acooljt View Post
The big thing we all see in owning GS's ??? They are fun, they are fast, and THEY ARE ALL PAID FOR. No need for a home "equity loan" to own a GS.......Comment
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Yeah, if I bought a $20k Harley, it's possible for it to die on me in traffic, but highly unlikely. A lot more unlikely than say, a 79 GS:razz: .
Anyway, turns out when the cable came off, somehow the choke was still closed partially and it just fouled the plugs out terribly. We cleaned the plugs and all is good now. So now I'm back on the road, at least for now. But now I'm having clutch problems(hopefully it just needs adjusted).Comment
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