Gus1300
Site Supporter
I don't think you've destroyed your system; take a breath, step back and maybe start over from the beginning to ensure there's nothing you've missed in the process? Keep the faith...you can do this!
Gonna try to install one of my 2x new SMC units...
- Thread starter The Dark Shadow
- Start date
OP
OP
UPDATE:
A neighbour dropped by today to look at my brakes with me.
There were 2 large obstructions...
Obstruction 1. In my reservoir, the diaphragm was not removed. It had sucked into the reservoir and I thought it was the reservoir, and added new fluid on top of the expanded diaphragm.
Obstruction 2. Me being an idiot and not knowing about this stuff, hence not noticing number 1 above.
Thank you all for your help and input.
I'm really sorry I'm such a useless idiot with this stuff.
The brakes are still rubbing a bit (front right and rear) but I gotta take the night off of thinking about my bike's brakes.
Thank you all again and sorry for being stupid.
A neighbour dropped by today to look at my brakes with me.
There were 2 large obstructions...
Obstruction 1. In my reservoir, the diaphragm was not removed. It had sucked into the reservoir and I thought it was the reservoir, and added new fluid on top of the expanded diaphragm.
Obstruction 2. Me being an idiot and not knowing about this stuff, hence not noticing number 1 above.
Thank you all for your help and input.
I'm really sorry I'm such a useless idiot with this stuff.
The brakes are still rubbing a bit (front right and rear) but I gotta take the night off of thinking about my bike's brakes.
Thank you all again and sorry for being stupid.
sirbike
Site Supporter
I think it was a trick question from the start. 
I don’t think I’d call it stupid, because you’ve never done it before, and had no reference of what all the parts look like, or where they should be.
I’m guessing you have pressure on the rear pedal now?
Strap the front, and use your stick on the rear over night, and report back in the morning.
Glad your making progress.
I’m guessing you have pressure on the rear pedal now?
Strap the front, and use your stick on the rear over night, and report back in the morning.
Glad your making progress.
Sitting here thinking about these past few days, and all the frustration and difficulties you’ve had trying to deal with this bike, started me thinking about not only your situation, but your location.
So I googled it.
Wow, Nova Scotia is beautiful!
Made me wonder why you would even want a big, heavy, complicated ST on those beautiful two lane roads and country side.
A smaller, simpler, bike like a Yamaha SR400, Royal Enfield Classic, Triumph T100, etc. would be so much more fun to ride over there!
Have you given any thought to downsizing to something smaller and simpler to work on?
Cheaper to run, cheaper to insure, easy to work on and repair?
My SR400 only has 2L of oil, the valve adjustments take 10 minutes with a 12mm wrench and a feeler gauge, tires and parts are nowhere near as expensive as your ST.
I’ve had a couple ST’s, and put 100k plus miles on them, but I have to be honest, I spend more time wrenching on them than my Harley’s or British or German bikes.
Just a thought.
I have not had so much fun since I downsized to this little 400 single, and have put 1000 miles on it in the past couple weeks.
Just something to consider.
You could probably easily turn your ST into a smaller street bike or dual sport like a KLR650, DR650, DRZ400, XT250, CRF250-300L etc.
I sure think you would have a lot more fun with something like that where you live.
So I googled it.
Wow, Nova Scotia is beautiful!
Made me wonder why you would even want a big, heavy, complicated ST on those beautiful two lane roads and country side.
A smaller, simpler, bike like a Yamaha SR400, Royal Enfield Classic, Triumph T100, etc. would be so much more fun to ride over there!
Have you given any thought to downsizing to something smaller and simpler to work on?
Cheaper to run, cheaper to insure, easy to work on and repair?
My SR400 only has 2L of oil, the valve adjustments take 10 minutes with a 12mm wrench and a feeler gauge, tires and parts are nowhere near as expensive as your ST.
I’ve had a couple ST’s, and put 100k plus miles on them, but I have to be honest, I spend more time wrenching on them than my Harley’s or British or German bikes.
Just a thought.
I have not had so much fun since I downsized to this little 400 single, and have put 1000 miles on it in the past couple weeks.
Just something to consider.
You could probably easily turn your ST into a smaller street bike or dual sport like a KLR650, DR650, DRZ400, XT250, CRF250-300L etc.
I sure think you would have a lot more fun with something like that where you live.
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Andrew Shadow
Site Supporter
One thing that you are overlooking Larry, Nova-Scotia isn't Arizona. Summers are short. Rainy summer days are cold. Unless a person is only tooling around town or is only a fair-weather rider, not having the weather protection that a fully faired motorcycle offers would likely either significantly shrink a person's riding season, or seriously shrink their enjoyment of it.
The ST was also the @thedarkshadow's dream bike he said.
And agree not an idiot. You're learning and stepping outside your comfort zone. Kudos on both of those. We all had to learn to crawl before we learned to walk, and then ride. There's a reason you do show and tell in school, and the first past is "show." It makes it a lot easier than just telling or reading from a book.
And agree not an idiot. You're learning and stepping outside your comfort zone. Kudos on both of those. We all had to learn to crawl before we learned to walk, and then ride. There's a reason you do show and tell in school, and the first past is "show." It makes it a lot easier than just telling or reading from a book.
Sadlsor
Site Supporter
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2020
- Messages
- 4,268
- Age
- 67
- Location
- Birmingham, Alabama
- Bike
- 2008 ST1300A
- STOC #
- 9065
As I reflect on the comments, the suggestions, and DS's frustration, most of us would have simply pushed the rubber diaphragm back into shape when the reservoir cap was removed, without a thought.
And then moved on to troubleshooting. But he didn't know that, as he'd never been in there, or had other bikes before this one.
My thought at this point: pictures of what he was seeing would have made it obvious from the start.
I'm a visual learner, and if we had a chance to see exactly what he was seeing, it would have saved a lot of time and a lot of repetitive posts and a lot of frustration.
I like pictures.
EDIT: I'm thinking like @Obo, or he's thinking like me. We were posting at the same time with the same idea.
And then moved on to troubleshooting. But he didn't know that, as he'd never been in there, or had other bikes before this one.
My thought at this point: pictures of what he was seeing would have made it obvious from the start.
I'm a visual learner, and if we had a chance to see exactly what he was seeing, it would have saved a lot of time and a lot of repetitive posts and a lot of frustration.
I like pictures.
EDIT: I'm thinking like @Obo, or he's thinking like me. We were posting at the same time with the same idea.