Maybe it's time to slow down?

[StromBusa]

Arch,

One thing to consider during your introspection...When Dale Earnhardt (Sr.) changed his game, it was the end of him. Better to stay in your groove.

 

[skydivr]

Arch, the ones I had were strictly the race pad (ie. they needed to get hot to function correctly and would not be appropriate for street use).

IG: Concur, I clean my rotors out ever time I change pads. Usually I use non-chlorinated brake fluid and a toothbrush, while being sure to cover any painted surfaces.

Once I accidentally pushed a piston completely out..jeez what a mess.

 

[skydivr]

Just wanted to add one important point... Every brake caliper performance will deteriorate if pistons are not cleaned regularly - ideally, every time prior to installing new pads, and BEFORE you push the pistons back in order to make room for new thicker pads. I found a great video I've seen years ago:

Brake Cleaning with Yamaha Factory Wrench Seamus Taaffe - YouTube[/url]

Brake dust and grime harden around every piston, making it harder to move, and may even seize it partially - reducing the feel at the lever, requiring more squeeze at the lever, distributing pressure unevenly across the brake pad which in turn may promote brake chatter/pulsation, destroying dust seals.

I am guilty of not doing it in the past, and now try to do it regularly - with just soapy water and a toothbrush. Then, can push pistons back easily by hand. Brakes feel noticeably better.

Thanks for sharing the video. From the looks of it, is this the Yamalube product they were using to clean their brakes with?

https://www.yamahapartsandaccessories.com/product/details/yamaclean-pro-wash-spray?b=Search&d=32

 

[Montana_Busa]

fallenarch, great post. After 25 years in the saddle, there are times when I get off after a long ride and realize how old I really am.

I define myself through riding. Not because of the bike I ride, but the road it takes me down. I was born to ride motorcycles and no matter what success I have, I still ride better than anything else I will ever try.

The older I get, the more I realize, life is about living it to the fullest.

 

[IG.]

Arch, the ones I had were strictly the race pad (ie. they needed to get hot to function correctly and would not be appropriate for street use).

IG: Concur, I clean my rotors out ever time I change pads. Usually I use non-chlorinated brake fluid and a toothbrush, while being sure to cover any painted surfaces.

Once I accidentally pushed a piston completely out..jeez what a mess.

Pushed the piston out, ha? I know exactly how it felt...Tell me about it... You don't have a recording of the words that came out of your mouth when it happened, do you? Not a pleasant surprise for sure... putting it back, re-bleeding, whew!

If I have to push the pistons far I use door hinges instead of the pads. They are thinner and don't fall through. And you can guess why I am so careful these days.

I don't remember what the product was in the video. Maybe it was Yama something. I think soap is not the best choice as it is too weak to easily remove the crap around the pistons. I think any brake cleaner would work, too. The key is to clean the pistons, and any cleaning is so much better than no cleaning at all.

And you meant to say "pistons", not "rotors", right?

 

[skydivr]

Pushed the piston out, ha? I know exactly how it felt...Tell me about it... You don't have a recording of the words that came out of your mouth when it happened, do you? Not a pleasant surprise for sure... putting it back, re-bleeding, whew!

If I have to push the pistons far I use door hinges instead of the pads. They are thinner and don't fall through. And you can guess why I am so careful these days.

I don't remember what the product was in the video. Maybe it was Yama something. I think soap is not the best choice as it is too weak to easily remove the crap around the pistons. I think any brake cleaner would work, too. The key is to clean the pistons, and any cleaning is so much better than no cleaning at all.

And you meant to say "pistons", not "rotors", right?

I know, getting OT...

Recording would not be postable on the .org

Cleaner: Watching the video, I'm pretty sure what he was spraying them with is the bottle I linked. Looks like a biodegradable soap that he then rinses and blowdries. Less toxic and hard on parts than brake cleaner.

Yes, I meant 'pistons'; however, I ALSO clean my rotors off with brake cleaner when I install new pads...

 

[IG.]

Dang, I've used alcohol on a paper towel all this time - learn something new every day. On the other hand, I do it with bare hands - don't mind alcohol touching my skin, while with brake cleaner that would be another story.

 

[IG.]

fallenarch, sorry for taking the thread into different direction. Hope you sort things out, and ride till the END...

 

[fallenarch]

No I have been learning some break basics too!

Believe it or not sometimes I can read posts without shooting my mouth off!

 

[IG.]

No I have been learning some break basics too!

Believe it or not sometimes I can read posts without shooting my mouth off!

A great quality we all lack at times, LOL. Thanks for reminding.

 

[notright]

BTW, as long as it's not 'timed' (i.e. a race), State Farm considers track time 'instruction' and therefore covers it just like a street crash. I cannot deny that there is a greater opportunity to wad your stuff up on a racetrack, but I believe the degree of personal injury is less as you are wearing full leathers and emergency personnel are on site. I rode the first two years on a Busa before I bought my gixxer as I moved out of novice and into intermediate and advanced...but there is PLENTY to learn on a Busa out in Novice...Yes, it's quite a committment to get to a trackday, but don't knock it til ya try it!

Did not know this, it is great information when thinking about a track day.

 

[fallenarch]

Yeah that's a game changer!

 

[Big Bo]

I hear you Arch, I am 58 and the new wife bites her lip when I leave to go ride. She prays for me. I told her we are here for a short time. I will make the best of it with her, but I have to do what I love to do, I ride a motorcycle. she smiles and says I love you(she is a nurse). She has seen a lot.

I want to go doing what I love to do. And I have things that keep me busy. I do not want to go doing something I hate to do. People die everyday, we can not choose how or when we go. When the time comes and The Lord calls, you go.

I had not rode my bike for 9 months since I got my truck back from my son. I cleaned her up, new tires, brakes, oil, and a pat on the ass. Too her out on the freeway and had second thoughts on triple digits. I was worried about getting written up. I have a few more miles under my belt in the last few months. Last Sunday while laying in bed and talking, I told the wife that next year I am buying another bike. She said ok. then she asked me how long will I ride motorbikes? I told her as long as I can mount one and go.

What ever your choice, I wish you the best.

 

[skydivr]

I hear you Arch, I am 58 and the new wife bites her lip when I leave to go ride. She prays for me. I told her we are here for a short time. I will make the best of it with her, but I have to do what I love to do, I ride a motorcycle. she smiles and says I love you(she is a nurse). She has seen a lot.

I want to go doing what I love to do. And I have things that keep me busy. I do not want to go doing something I hate to do. People die everyday, we can not choose how or when we go. When the time comes and The Lord calls, you go.

I had not rode my bike for 9 months since I got my truck back from my son. I cleaned her up, new tires, brakes, oil, and a pat on the ass. Too her out on the freeway and had second thoughts on triple digits. I was worried about getting written up. I have a few more miles under my belt in the last few months. Last Sunday while laying in bed and talking, I told the wife that next year I am buying another bike. She said ok. then she asked me how long will I ride motorbikes? I told her as long as I can mount one and go.

What ever your choice, I wish you the best.

My wife gets emotional and says goodbye to me every time I go out the door to ride...jeez that cuts just in the right place....and they she goes and climbs into her airplane....

WOMEN...

 

[jellyrug]

I’m getting older and my health isn’t that great. I can still ride the busa on 12-16 hour days, but I feel it long after the anesthesia of burning hydrocarbons wears off. I’m also getting more responsibility. The parents are getting older and need more attention than a quick phone call too. Projects at work have gone from little $5,000,000 buildings to $200,000,000 complexes with investors exposed to huge risks. Often now the playtime on the open road is tempered with a bit of guilt. What if I crash with so many people depending on me being there when they call, or when there’s a meeting in some boardroom Monday?

I love my family and would gladly do whatever is necessary to make their lives as enjoyable as possible. And I have worked 12-14 hour days for 35 years to get to where I am professionally. This makes things much harder. My family and my work aren’t burdens, they are two of the things I love so much that they define who I am.

The Hayabusa is the third thing that defines me. Never have I loved something material so much. I spend hours working on it, much more than riding it, I even talk to it. I want it perfect, better than the day I bought it 5 years ago. Nothing I have experienced has been as consistently awesome as my Busa. It is like a prized horse, there is a deep feeling of synergy when we are cutting through the corn fields of south and central Virginia at crazy speeds that is like no friendship I have ever known. Now I know there are probably 10 bikes out there that I could like too. Busa the busa fits me and like the marines say: “This is my motorcycles, there are many motorcycles but this one is mine…â€

So my work nourishes my mind, my family nourishes my heart, and the Busa nourishes my soul. When you get down to it, it’s really that simple. Things get complicated when you try to balance mind, heart, and soul. Which gets us to the point of all this:

I went to the AMA races at VIR some time ago and I got to talk to some of the Yoshimura/Suzuki team mechanics. I told them I had a new Hayabusa and was interested in what they thought I should modify to make the bike reach its true potential. They said first was new tires, then a 4-1 Yoshimura exhaust and dyno tune, stainless steel brake lines, radial master cylinder, Brembo calipers, upgrade the suspension, go to lighter wheels, and finally lose as much weight as possible. And that’s what I have been doing to the bike for the last 4 years.

All I have left to do are the Brembo calipers and disks, and the wheels. But now things are changing and I am wondering if maybe it’s time to move into the more “respectable†(and safer) world of motorcycle riding with something like a BMW 1600? It’s getting harder and harder to find people to ride with. Either they are too old and slow or I’m just too mature to follow some of these sportbike kids to jail. Every time I talk to someone at a stop it’s “nice bike†and then “you look more like a Harley guyâ€. Maybe it’s time to compromise, get a BMW and slow down, feed the soul a little less raw meat.

If we have a good year this year at work, I’ll be getting the Brembo calipers, then the wheels next year. I still need to get the Busa on the track again and there is this road called the “Back of the Dragon†I want to ride at speed …….:smileok:

No worries, it's called a mid life crisis, you will get over it.

 

[TallTom]

My g/f rides with me. She understands why a bike under us makes the person on top of it better.