The Glock 26
I know some of you may feel the urge to carry a little protection on the
road, so the following might be helpful...
Shortly before I got the Valk I quit using the Safariland SOB (small of
back) holster and got a Blackhawk Serpa CQC, which I was wearing when I went
bouncing around. I did this for a couple reasons, for one seat real estate
is at a premium, and another, someone, somewhere told me that, in the event
of a fall where I went sliding/rolling/tumbling, wearing an SOB could break
my spine. I'm quite fond of my spine.
I wear it on the right, and I went down on the right, and...no issues. No
scuffs on the gun, holster, or jacket around where it covered the holster.
The gun was still secured in the holster, and the holster was still secured
to me. Of course, no injury or bruise on that side either.
I'm very glad I wasn't wearing the Safariland. Even though an injury
couldn't have happened in this case, the holster is not too secure. There's
no solid hook or clamp for the belt, and there's nothing holding the gun in
there except friction, gravity, hope and change. It's likely that gun would
have gone skidding across the freeway, either making me dodge traffic to
retrieve it, or wondering who retrieved it in the commotion. Best case, I
would get it back, and it would be all scuffed up and ugly. Embarrasing,
and annoying, as I paid $500 for this thing.
Moral of the story, if your going to carry, use a secure holster on the
side/ankle/vest.
More about my brakes
I noted my brakes are pretty crappy, and folks pointed out that, if they
lock the wheels, they're good.
There's a bit more to it than that.
The front brakes are mushy. I can't honestly say when they locked up, or
why....or if they locked up at all. If they did lock up, was it pressure on
the lever, sand on the road (it's happened before in this location), a bump
in the road, a splotch of oil, or what? I've got a pretty good instinct as
to where the line is between braking and skidding, and I've practiced quite
a bit with the brakes, so I'm not sure what happened there. They're still
mushy, and no amount of bleeding did the trick.
This is pretty much what happened with my Royal Star. SS lines and rebuilt
master cylinder and calipers turned soft, squishy brakes into rock solid,
highly controllable brakes. I deserve a swift kick for not doing it sooner,
but I'm sure as hell doing it now.
Another issue is the rear brakes. I went over them when I first got the
bike, and they worked fairly well, locking the rear wheel with
heavier-than-moderate pressure, and more importantly, transfering a very
good amount of weight to the front wheel, allowing it to really dig in when
using the brakes in an enthusiastic manner. In fact, I was surprised
whenever I gave the brakes a good workout, amazed that I could stop as fast
as I did. However, in order to get the rear brakes to perform this well, I
had to adjust the pedal height all the way up, due to the aftermarket
floorboards getting in the way.
I knew the rear brakes would need some attention, which is why I have a new
master cylinder (it was only $20 more than the rebuild kit) and a rebuild
kit for the rear caliper sitting right next to me. I bought them a few
months ago with the intention of redoing the brakes when I had time...now
I'm making the time.
Anyway, when I was trying, poorly, to stop, the rear brakes did not lock up.
I'm not even sure the front brakes locked, and the last time I locked them
up (on purpose, in somewhat controlled conditions, for testing) I got a lot
of bounce and turbulance, and I don't recall any of that before I went down.
I'm quite certain no significant weight transfer to the front took place
When I picked up the bike, and later when I was checking for damage, I
noticed the front brakes were pure crap. The lever went down almost all the
way to the grip, and it was even more squishy than I remember. Maybe air
got in, but I doubt it, as pumping them didn't help. More likely, they got
worse and worse over the months, and I didn't pay close enough attention.
So, I placed the order for all the goodies I need to rebuild the front
brakes, along with a new crash bar and some other gizmos that needed
attention. Surprisingly, the crash bar was only about $170...not bad. I'll
park the bike in the driveway until the parts come in, and, next week, I'll
try my hand at rebuilding the rear caliper, which is the one brake-repair
chore I have yet to experience.
If all goes well, I'll do the whole brake system myself, rather than shell
out three hundred bucks.
I also ordered a brake pedal cover. I don't really care about looks, but
it's a cheap and easy way to get the pedal height raised, which will give me
more adjustment room. I might also install the OEM pegs (I bought them a
few months ago, too), though I prefer the floorboards.
We'll see what happens next week.
CS
>They're still
>mushy, and no amount of bleeding did the trick.
There is often a small bubble in the line at the banjo bolt on the master
cylinder. You can't pump fast enough or transfer enough fluid to push that
bubble all the way down to the caliper so you can release it through the bleeder
screw.
Wrap a rag around the master cylinder, then break loose and re-snug the banjo
bolt at the master cylinder. Pump like you were going to loosen the bleeder
screw, but instead, loosen the banjo bolt at the master cylinder and listen for
the air to escape. Make sure the rag is positioned so it will catch any
dripping fluid. Brake fluid is one of the best paint removers you'll ever
encounter.
If you're going to go through the brakes anyway, do this first. If it does no
good, it also does no bad. If it fixes the spongy brakes, well, do you really
need to go through them at all?
--
Futility Man
"Futility Man" wrote in message
>They're still
>mushy, and no amount of bleeding did the trick.
There is often a small bubble in the line at the banjo bolt on the master
cylinder. You can't pump fast enough or transfer enough fluid to push that
bubble all the way down to the caliper so you can release it through the
bleeder
screw.
Wrap a rag around the master cylinder, then break loose and re-snug the
banjo
bolt at the master cylinder. Pump like you were going to loosen the bleeder
screw, but instead, loosen the banjo bolt at the master cylinder and listen
for
the air to escape. Make sure the rag is positioned so it will catch any
dripping fluid. Brake fluid is one of the best paint removers you'll ever
encounter.
If you're going to go through the brakes anyway, do this first. If it does
no
good, it also does no bad. If it fixes the spongy brakes, well, do you
really
need to go through them at all?
~~~~~~~~
Thanks for the tip!
From the look of the brake fluid and the age of the bike, I think it's safe
to assume those brakes haven't seen any real service since the showroom
floor. 12 years of sun, heat, cold, and other environmental exposure take
their toll, so even without considering the scheduled maintenance, it's
obvious to me they need a going over.
CS
On 13/04/2011 8:30 PM, CS wrote:
> I noted my brakes are pretty crappy, and folks pointed out that, if they
> lock the wheels, they're good.
> There's a bit more to it than that.
I think there was a bit more to those replies about your brakes too. My
sense was, based on what you posted, some felt your tires were more of a
problem than your brakes. Now you have expanded on what you think
happened and it does appear your brakes need some attention, probably
have for some time.
Glad to hear the cost of repairing your bike will not dent your budget
too badly.
--
Disclaimer
Do not believe a thing I have said, unless you already know it to be
true, or can independently verify it from another source.
Reeky Ride To The Rockies
http://actualriders.ca/reekyrockies.htm
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>mushy, and no amount of bleeding did the trick.