tmcafe

Thanks. Good to know. Couldn't open the direct link but went to the main page and also found the Marchesini (out of stock/sp order), about half the price of Arieta: http://www.motowheels.com/ITALIAN/myProducts.cfm?parentcategoryid=532%7CSpare%20Wheel%20Parts&productID=2922&showDetail=1&categoryID=532|Spare%20Wheel%20Parts&vendoridtodisplay=0&filterFor=&collection= What's the plus for Arieta? Did you have any experience with them?

Thanks, I'll definitely take care of it asap. Hope it won't be too difficult. The washer is inside the rim and the nut outside is holding/pulling the valve stem fast against washer and rim combo, right? At least that's what it looks like logically. There's no washer on the outside, unless I didn't look carefully.

After I was gone for three weeks I noticed that my rear tire was almost flat. I pumped it back up and tried to find the leak by spraying soapy water but couldn't find any puncture and the valve core was fine. However it kept losing at least 1 psi overnight. Eventually I found the leak at the base of the stock metal valve where it meets the nut that holds it in place. The nut turns with the valve and doesn't tighten. I called the shop that installed it this past spring and they told me to bring it in to have it checked (when they put the tire on they didn't say anything about the valve stem; I don't like the idea that they may charge me again for re/installing the tire). In the meantime I tried to tighten the nut by grabbing the stem carefully with a wrapped rag and pliers like somebody suggested, but the minor leak is still there. Maybe the stem still turned with the nut, I couldn't really see. How bad is it? Is it dangerous to ride the bike as is, if I check the pressure regularly?

I ran out of my Elf Moto 10W-50 XT Synthetic (the real/PAO kind, not the cracked petroleum) so I went and got Mobil 1 V Twin 20W-50. I made sure that it was SG rated, but I noticed that newest ones are SJ instead. Maybe it's superstition but I'd watch for that. I'm going to get Elf again and make sure it's SG like the one I've used so far. If bought by the box of 4 x 4 liters it cost even less than the Mobil V Twin. They also have a 10W-60 kind, not sure if it's SG though: http://matrixsynthet...product144.html

I had a similar issue. The faulty connectors were on the left side as it was pointed out, under the black plastic cover that's attached with a screw to the frame in front of the tank between tank and handlebar.

I could whack it back in with a rubber mallet--after all that's how I started it out from the other end, but I don't feel too comfortable with the idea of forcing the axle which should slide into the fork bottoms smoothly. While I understand that pinch bolts and fork bottoms somehow act against the round section of the axle in order to hold it fast, I wonder why only the wider section has this problem, since all pinch bolts were torqued the same. I think the lack of parallelism is more of an optical illusion due to camera distortion and framing, esp. in the second pic. I also feel that removing material isn't the best option since it's going to weaken the axle at least in theory. I'm going to look into replacing it, though I'm not sure if they're available. For now I'll try to grease it as usual and see if I can fit it back in with some 'coaxing' and patience.

I've tried to sand a bit the offending bulge with a sheet of 150 grit I had. Not much luck. I'm thinking of using a finishing sander very carefully. I'm sure I didn't torque the axle above 100Nm, but I may have torqued the pinch bolts to 25Nm, which is the value for the same size bolts on the fork clamps. Yes, not smart to assume they need to be torqued the same. I couldn't find a torque value for the pinch bolts anywhere in the shop manual, and I can't find the Ohlins fork info right now. Pics aren't great, taken with an older gen iphone. You can see the very mild curvy outline, and how far the axle would go in before it hits the thicker area.

Thanks. Now that you mention the torque value for the axle, I realize that the one they give in the manual may have been meant for the non-hollow type of axle . Oh well. A guy in service when I took the wheel in said that maybe the heat contributed to it, though I can't see why it would have gotten that hot. Anyway, I looked carefully and the slight bulge is pretty much where the axle faced down in the fork bottom. You can see the shape of the opening lightly imprinted on the surface. It also corresponds roughly with the half-circle indents on the edge, which are a bit tapered off. I'll try to sand the area very gently to reduce the micro extra. Sorry I can't post a pic yet.

Thanks for the comments. I'll try to take a picture and post it. The wider part won't fit in the fork bottom unless some force is used, and the very slight irregularity/bulging is apparent to the naked eye. I'll try some measurements. The spacer appears to be ok. I didn't go over the book torque value for the spindle nut. HaydnR, how did you get the torque for the pinch bolts? Thanks again.

I just removed the front wheel for a new tire. The hollow axle this time was almost stuck with its wider part in the fork leg (of course pinch bolts loosened). I never encountered this problem before when I had to remove the axle. Eventually I managed to remove it by inserting a screwdriver in the diametrically opposed holes and pulling and twisting it. I looked at the wider part and it appeared to be ever so slightly bulging out, while its outside seem to be smaller as if it tapered off very slightly. For a visual, I found this image of a Ducati axle, which looks similar except for the holes near the threaded end. On my bike the wider part is on the left, the threaded part and the spacer are on the right. I don't know why this happened. It wasn't a fork alignment problem, I remember I had made sure that the axle slid in smoothly. I don't think the pinch bolts were too tight, I torqued them evenly on both fork bottoms. Anyway, I am not sure what to do. Should I sand that part very carefully to reduce the diameter?

Sorry to hear about all the crap that happened. Glad you got it back.

Well theres the thing about being right and being "dead" right. When you're on a motorcycle its always on you to do everything you can to not get hit. People do stupid crap, drive distracted and generally dont pay attention to their surroundings. Its always your responsibility to spot these types of drivers and then avoid them at all cost. You all know that when you pass someone thats not driving right that you have to put space between you and them. If they hit you it may be their fault, but you're the one going to the hospital....or worse. I agree that as riders we should do all we can to prevent bad stuff from happening and we shouldn't rely on "being right" or on drivers. Maybe the Dallas rider could have avoided being rear ended (sure, the tire skid isn't good but I don't think that contributed to the hit). But I think that the problem is also that the law lets drivers who cause serious or fatal accidents get away with a slap on the wrist. If drivers like the one who rear ended that guy, for instance, knew that they were going to get jail and perhaps not be allowed to drive ever again if the send somebody to the hospital, they would be likely to pay more attention. Plus penalties for texting, talking, etc. Again, this isn't to say that riders should not try to do their best to avoid any risks. The lucky one who stood up after being hit might (just might) have avoided that by not stopping in the center of the lane. And there's a video of a cop being rear ended to his death while waiting at a traffic light in bright daytime.

Unbelievable! Maybe all helmets should come with a built-in camera. I was trying to see if the driver put away her cell phone before she got off the car.

I remember Metzeler was recommending that the tires be inflated close to the max pressure. I think the minuses are obvious: colder tires means less grip; smaller contact patch; less shock absorbing. The pluses may be that they wear slower and they flex less so they keep their profile better. I may be wrong. Another thing I read was that the ideal cold pressure would go up by 5-10% after riding. More than 10% is to little pressure. So for this bike I had come up with 34 F and 38 R.

I didn't think about the heat. Now if the tires are pumped up cold to max (42) they'll heat up less so they'd wear slower. Bumpy ride though. I do tend to keep my tires toward the max pressure.

Both the US website and the catalogue they offered to send me seem to be behind (still listing the Strada, which as you say should be already gone). I'm going for an Angel front or maybe a Diablo Rosso. Speaking of punctures, a few years ago Avon was offering a free tire replacement in case of puncture (in addition to the warranty).

I just got this and thought I should share it. Can't even think how one could avoid it. I wouldn't be surprised if that moron was texting. http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/terrifying-motorcycle-crash-caught-on-camera/6euszy9?rel=msn&cpkey=c0cc4133-bd5e-4b47-a683-6fac8370ea56%7CCrash%7Cmsn%7C

9000 is good. I couldn't get the Strada at the nearest dealer so I went for Angel which replaces it in the lineup. Supposedly an upgrade. I might as well get the Angel front and be done with it. Maybe the difference in wear between rear and front isn't as big as it used to be in the new tires.

Angel is Pirelli's recommended tire for the V11. I was hoping to find a softer model for the front (Diablo Rosso Corsa and Diablo Rosso II both look too slick). I might go with Angel front but I like the idea of having more even wear between rear and front and replace them at the same time. The UK website is better than the US which doesn't even show some of the new tires.

Sorry for another tire question: my Diablo Strada was replaced with an Angel. Now the front which is a Diablo (softer) also needs to be replaced. What's the new version? In case the local shop can't order it, what would be a good substitute? TIA

Thanks for the tips!

A while ago I got an OEM spare clutch lever (Brembo) to replace the original whose tip broke off. Is this a straightforward job (remove pivot, install lever, tighten nut), or should I pay attention to any details/adjustments? I noticed that the switch actuator has some solid goo on it (same on brake lever)--I'm assuming to secure the adjustment? Any tips? Thanks.

I did mine a while ago with a wrench bought from a bicycle shop (forgot the size). One thing is to remember to turn off completely the steering damper. I think some say it should even be disconnected.

Thanks everybody for the helpful info. Turned out that I had overlooked the obvious. A riding buddy who's also a good mechanic suggested that if the pads were completely worn and I had added fluid, the pistons may not have room to be pushed back in completely to fit the new pads. Sure enough, with the pistons pushed in as far as they would go, the fluid in the reservoir was about to burst out. I used a small syringe to draw much of that extra fluid and the pistons went all the way in with little trouble. Pads installed, and then I bled the brake (bleed needle up as recommended here). So all is well, except for a rotor that has seen better days. After all, even this is a simplistic view, the braking system ideally is a closed system, so there is so much you can put in it (fluid, pad thickness, hi-temp expansion) before it gets full.

Update: fcuking krapp! Can't fit the new pads in!! Found some Brembo pads like the old ones at a Honda/Duc shop. While cleaning the caliper I wanted to push out a bit more the pistons to clean them well so I pressed the brake while holding down the other piston. Yes, prolly dumb. I cleaned the pistons and managed to push back the one that had stuck out a bit too much, but now I can't fit the new pads. The pistons are sticking out enough to make no room for the rotor. Shite! I'm thinking maybe I got some air in the system. Maybe I should put the shot pads back in and bleed the brake? Or let some fluid leak while I press the pistons flush with the caliper to make room for the new pads, then refill and bleed? Yes, it's dumb, but sure there must be a way to fix this.