A buddy of mine was helping me work on my bike last night, trying to fix a problem I've been having with the front brake dragging really badly.  After a couple of hours of work, we got it straightened out, and he bolted the caliper back up while I started gathering up tools and whatnot.  I took it for a quick test ride to make sure everything was OK -- mistake number one, I did not visually inspect the brake again when I got back home, I just parked in the garage and we went in for a beer.

This morning I hopped on the bike and fired it up as usual, pulled it out of my garage, closed the door (no electricity in my garage, have to pull the door by hand), and headed off.  Mistake number two, I did not go through the full "T-CLOCK" procedure as recommended by the MSF, since there are no lights in my garage. I'll now be doing that with a flashlight whenever I take my bike to work at 0-dark-30.  About halfway down the highway on my commute, I heard a loud metallic clank as I went over a bump, and thought to myself "I don't like the sounds of that - I hope it wasn't my sidestand bucking up into my chain".  At any rate, I dismissed it as such, since I have a V&H exhaust and haven't put a tab with a rubber stop on it to hold the sidestand back, yet.  Pretty soon my exit came up, so I signaled and moved over to the exit lane, and went to tap my front brakes.  "Hmmm," I think, "this lever is suddenly awful squishy."  As I actually started to squeeze the lever, I realized I had no front brakes.  Oh crap.

Luckily the offramp at my exit can be taken at a good 65 in a car, and I was doing around 65, so I had plenty of room to down shift and trail the rear brake.  I know a lot of custom cruisers have rear brakes only, but they usually have bigger calipers and rotors.  I know how easy it is to lock up the rear brake on the GS from practicing emergency stops in the parking lot, and I was afraid I'd lowside slowing down from freeway speeds.  Amazingly, I didn't really panic - just the thought of "well, I have my gear on, if I wreck it hopefully won't hurt too badly." I managed to get stopped by the time I hit the light at the end of the offramp - pretty easily, actually.  There's a gas station right off the exit; I pulled in, killed the motor, and hopped off to go look at the brake, expecting to see a loose banjo bolt with brake fluid flying everywhere.  No, the caliper had come unbolted from the fork and was dangling by the hose.   Luckily it hadn't gotten jammed between the rotor and the wheel or anything.  I had visions of going over the bars on I-75 during early morning traffic.

I nursed the bike into the parking lot at work, about a half mile away, at approximately 10 miles an hour, and other than the caliper being loose it seems ok.  My buddy John apparently needs lessons in using a torque wrench, and I need to be more vigilant about my pre-ride checks (as well as a change of underwear).

Anyone know the size of the front caliper bolts off the top of their head?  I believe I have a set of spares that came with a junkyard caliper I picked up, but just in case I have to stop by the hardware store it'd be good information to have.

Between washing the front wheel out a couple of weeks ago because I didn't see some slime on the road in a turn, and losing my brakes on the highway, I think someone might be telling me I shouldn't own a bike.

Jeez!!!...

I hope you were carrying an extra pair of shorts... I know I would need them after something like that!  Glad to hear that you dodged a bullet and are ok.

Ay Carrumba!! I'm glad you were ok!!!!!  

pandy

You are sooo lucky!

Quote from: Jazzzzz..Anyone know the size of the front caliper bolts off the top of their head?  I believe I have a set of spares that came with a junkyard caliper I picked up, but just in case I have to stop by the hardware store it'd be good information to have....

That would be 10 x 1.25 pitch 25mm long for the allen socket bolt on the original. If someone has replaced it with a Tokico... :dunno:

My 90 calipers are two different size pistons. The Tokico has two pistons same size.

Update - got it fixed and rode it home.  I had a spare caliper at home that I'd purchased as part of the "fix the dragging brake" efforts.  Replaced the caliper, re-bled the brake system, good to go.  Just to be sure the bolts never come out again unless it's on purpose, I put some blue threadlocker on them and torqued them to the max spec given in the Clymer's manual.

Amazingly, my the rotor was not destroyed, and there was only minor paint damage to the wheel, which is OK with me since I plan on painting them anyway - when I initially bought the bike and brought it home, the first thing out of my wife's mouth was "the 80's called, they want their white wheels back".  

FYI, the bolts from a 95+ caliper DO fit the 89-94 calipers.  Also, the master cylinder assembly and the line and banjo bolt from the older brake system (Nissin) work fine with the newer (Tokico).

Quote from: Jazzzzzthe first thing out of my wife's mouth was "the 80's called, they want their white wheels back".  

Your wife kicks ass! :lol:

amazing how lucky we are sometimes.....

....when I was installing the 4 degree advancing key on my SV, I forgot to remove the 2x4 from my rear wheel.....when I fired up the bikeand put her in gear, the wheel spun....shooting the rear stand out when the 2x4 hit it.....bike landed upright, and luckily I held onto it.....stand shot out of the garage and landed inches from an oncoming car....in the end, no damage, but I scared the crap out of both myself and the person driving by!!!.....

Quote from: RVertigo

Quote from: Jazzzzzthe first thing out of my wife's mouth was "the 80's called, they want their white wheels back".  

Your wife kicks ass! :lol:

That's what I was thinking

Glad you found the problem when you had plenty of time to react, and not in an emergency when you need brakes NOW

Jazzzzzz,
Riding on I-75......at morning rush hour.......with NO front brakes

Was that an episode of "Fear Factor" that I missed? :mrgreen: