I Can't Get Away from Bert's! - 3 November 2017

3 November 2017 – I put my gas tank, side panels, seat, and saddle bags back on. Larry and I pushed the motorcycle off its center stand so I could check the chain tension. It is kind of heavy. The chain was still loose. I went in the house to get my heaviest pack and my 2 spare tires and put them on the motorcycle. I then adjusted the chain to the correct tension. Everything was put back together and I was anxious to take it out for a test ride. 

I left on my test ride about 4:30 p.m. It was just getting dark. I was driving around and I noticed I was near Bert’s Mega Mall. So, I typed in the address and drove there. I purchased a coiled cable to attach to the wood block I put under my kick stand. I wanted the cable to be able to retrieve the block when I get ready to lift the kick stand and take off. It’s a long reach to the ground if you don’t have this cable. While was at Bert’s Mega Mall Mary called me up on Skype and we talked. I showed her around with my phone. It’s really is a big place with many really expensive boy toys. It’s Boy Heaven. We finished talking and I left Bert’s. Getting home in the dark is always more challenging, especially in unfamiliar cities.

I was coming down the North Grand Avenue hill to San Jose Hills Road and I was applying both the front and rear brakes. I heard this growling. It doesn’t sound good. I did a quick front brake check. It sounded good. I checked the back brake….growl, growl, scrape, scrape. My heart sinks. I pull into the convenience store on the corner, park and get off my bike. I fish out my flash light and take a look. There is galling on the outside of the disk rotor: small 1/16” diameter steel patches of metal welded to the side of the disk rotor. What in blue blazes is going on here??? I go in the convenience store to buy 2 cherry cokes and to think about this. I go back outside,  get on my knees, looking straight forward so I could see the disk and both brake pads. I about fell over dead. Both brake pads were on one side of the disk rotor and the brake caliper aluminum was on the other side. How could that ever happen? All I could do is point the finger at myself. Here’s what was happening; the steel backside of the brake pad was rubbing the outside of disk rotor and the aluminum side of the caliper was rubbing the inside of the disk rotor. In other words, both brake pads were on one side of the disk rotor. The backside of the rotor was smeared with melted aluminum and outside of the rotor had welded on globs of steel. All I thought was that this is really going to cost me dearly. I pushed the caliper in to free the caliper and brake pad from the rotor and rode a 1/4-mile back to my brother's place. I opened the back gate and drove in and parked under the veranda. I walked into the house kicking myself in the butt.

I would put these two items in the top 25 percent of the most expensive parts you would ever purchase for this motorcycle. So, I was pondering my situation…..I got out my cell phone and checked out cheapcycleparts.com. I found both of my parts, part numbers and pricing. About $600, which I kind of expected. I was happy that there was no need to faint. I wrote down the part numbers for tomorrow when I headed back to Bert’s Mega Mall.