Bike problems and the kindness of strangers

**Dogboy900** · 28th March 2013, 19:25

I picked up my girlfriends new CBR 250 from the bike shop today (new tyres, chain, sprockets, fork seals). All good riding it home along the motorway, until I get close to the Terrace Tunnel and it kind of feels like its not running quite right, just not responding to the throttle right. I filter through the cars queueing for the tunnel and it starts to get worse. I pull into a gap and as the traffic moves I can't move forward? The motor is revving fine but as I let the clutch out I don't move? Then I realise that the front brake has somehow jammed on.
By now there is a big pile of cars behind me looking impatient. I tried to manhandle it off to the side, but thats pretty hard with an immobile front wheel! Next thing a guy a few cars back jumps out and offers to help and we get it to the side and he runs back to his van.
As the traffic starts moving a ute pulls in in front of me and offers to chuck the bike on the back AND the original guy who helped pulls over as well, the three of us load it up and head to a parking spot just off the end of the motorway. As we are creeping along in the traffic my nephew pulls up on his bike and tags along to see whats wrong.

So we get there unload the bike, I offer my profuse thanks and the two good samaritans head off after making sure I can get home with my nephew. We stand around trying to figure out whats gone wrong and as the brakes cool they start to release a bit so I decide I will try to limp home while my nephew follows. At this point he says "does that dude have your helmet in his ute".... FUCK! Left my helmet and gloves in his ute! Luckily my nephew had a spare helmet on his bike!
So I get home and remember the company name on the ute. After a couple of calls I get the guys name and number and I give him a call. He is not far from my place having a drink with a couple of mates, so he offeres to drop my helmet off to me. When he arrives all he can do is thank me for tracking him down so he can get my helmet back to me!

Chris Jones from PCL Ashphalts you are a bloody good bastard! You saved my weekend. And the other unknown helper you have my thanks too. You both saved me heaps of trouble!

I doubt either of them will ever read this but I will be dropping some beers off to PCL next week!

**FJRider** · 28th March 2013, 19:57

Are the front brake pads at or below minimum .. ??

**HenryDorsetCase** · 28th March 2013, 20:04

More likely the calipers need a good clean out, pistons polished and the red grease, newfluid, check the lines and master cylinder, easy

**FJRider** · 28th March 2013, 20:38

Originally Posted by HenryDorsetCase

More likely the calipers need a good clean out, pistons polished and the red grease, newfluid, check the lines and master cylinder, easy

Or one of the seals are gone ...

**Tigadee** · 28th March 2013, 20:47

Cool story and there are indeed still some good peeps out there...

**ducatilover** · 28th March 2013, 20:49

Originally Posted by FJRider

Or one of the seals are gone ...

Seals don't ride bikes you womble.

Great story though, that's bloody choice!

Sent from the greasy spot in my hair

**FJRider** · 28th March 2013, 20:57

Originally Posted by ducatilover

Seals don't ride bikes you womble.

Great story though, that's bloody choice!

Sent from the greasy spot in my hair

Wombles don't ride bikes either ...

Sent from a very dark place using Morse code with my torch

**Dogboy900** · 28th March 2013, 20:59

Just bought the bike and the pads are a little low. I am going to replace the discs as they are at minimum thickness so figured I would replace pads then. There was no issue with the brakes prior to getting the fork seals done, (apart from having fork oil over them) so I will either get the bike shop to have a look or pull the calipers off and give them a good clean and have a proper look at the pads tomorrow.

**MadDuck** · 28th March 2013, 21:09

Originally Posted by FJRider

Wombles don't ride bikes either ...

Maybe not but I have heard that Hobbits do.

Sent from middle earth

**Ender EnZed** · 28th March 2013, 21:36

Originally Posted by Dogboy900

I will be dropping some beers off to PCL next week!

Good cunt.

Paying it forward is generally the way to go but paying it back with beers to the workmates is at least as good.

**Voltaire** · 29th March 2013, 07:16

Originally Posted by FJRider

Wombles don't ride bikes either ...

Sent from a very dark place using Morse code with my torch

Womble bikes brakes are fine as the wheels don't touch the ground.

**nosebleed** · 29th March 2013, 08:18

Originally Posted by Dogboy900

...I pull into a gap and as the traffic moves I can't move forward? The motor is revving fine but as I let the clutch out I don't move? Then I realise that the front brake has somehow jammed on...

Check the fluid in the front brake reservoir. It may be overfull.

if the fluid is filled to the top (rather than the MAX line) and the cap is on then when the fluid warms and expands in the brake system it has nowhere the expand to, so it forces on the weakest point of the system which in this instance is on the brake pistons.
This in turn will cause the brakes to heat more and the heat will transfer to the brake fluid, making the fluid expand more pushing on the pistons more, causing the brakes to be applied more and generating more heat...

If not, it was easy to check and mark off the fault finding list