Caliper Cleaning and Brake Work

Another bitterly cold weekend, so I hoped to spend any time working on the bike inside, rather than brave the elements of the insulation-free garage... ambient air temp was -25 C.  Ugh.

So I thought I would put my new Yamaha caliper tool to use.  I am not even sure if Yamaha sells a tool to do this, so a guy in the UK machined a socket to work in the "blue spot" calipers (although mine are yellow) to allow for easier brake piston removal.

Sure enough, combined with an air compressor (stored inside overnight so it would actually operate) and the piston removal tool I bought last year, the calipers came apart with little fuss.

Next I "cooked" them in the ultrasonic cleaner for some time.  Nice, in that it doesn't involved any caustic/smelly chemicals, some of which have a tendency to destroy the rubber seals or cause them to swell, and then tear when the pistons are put back into the bores.  Some liberal use of the "made for brake seal" rubber grease, and everything came back together nicely.  Note the new Spiegler brake lines as well.  Fitted perfectly -- a 2-line system, so no splitter.  Came with aluminum banjo bolts, which were a doddle to drill for safety-wiring.  Finally, Spiegler lines allow you to twist the banjo end (using a supplied tool) to properly align things at both ends.  Makes life much easier when fitting the stainless lines.

So, at the top end of the system, the super-quick throttle has been fitted, new lines, along with the brake lever, steering damper (note adjustable end), number plate, and aluminum "dash".

On the other side, the clutch lever, thumb brake, and thumb brake reservoir can be seen.  Not sure I mentioned it, but I got Celtic Machining (a contact from the Kids Cafe project) to machine the face of the banjo fitting to stop some weeping that was taking place previously.  Will wait until the spring to bleed the system as I am worried that the process is hard on the brake components.

Next, the rear shock has been completed and will be on its way to me shortly.  Will be interesting to see how it turns out!