Going Racing

[The Prophet of Doom]

The black XZ400 is a gift that keeps giving...
These calipers came off that bike.  The glorious PO had painted the inside of the cylinder - that was never going to work so well - the paint had turned into a gooey mess, taking a full 3-4 hours to extract it a tiny bit at a time.  Whew!

Lots of outgassing on these calipers - they need a really thorough pre-bake before PC or you will end up having to do them again - like I did.

Done now and all ready for reassembly.

[dingleberry]

Those calipers are begging for some personalization. Maybe some tuning forks or what about the respected visionary's handle "prophet"

[The Prophet of Doom]

Those calipers are begging for some personalization. Maybe some tuning forks or what about the respected visionary's handle "prophet"

I'll see what I think down track a bit - it's a toss up between being retro-cool and a complete tosser.

Has anyone here tried the Brembo Carbon Ceramic Brake Pads ?  They are available for the XZ and not that much more per pair than regular ones.  (and half the weight)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-XZ550-RJ-RK-82-83-Brembo-Carbon-Ceramic-Front-Brake-Pads-/131186816051?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts_13&hash=item1e8b57f433&vxp=mtr

[fret not]

Well, no matter how the work they say BREMBO on them! 

From the advertisement description they sound safe enough.  In the 70s I had a small race bike fitted with some metallic linings and they were extremely aggressive once they got hot and before that they were rather unpredictable.  These Brembo bits sound more civilized.

[The Prophet of Doom]

They do sound worth the extra $5.  I'm going to risk it - and perhaps get some brembo logo stickers for the calipers just to please Dingleberry - I think it's nearly justified if I have BREMBO pads :-)

[motoracer8]

 If one remembers back when Roberts rode that TZ at San Jose, that so called 125 HP all went up in wheel spin. Powerful? you bet, but if you can't get it on the ground what good is it.

That's why multi cylinder engines have really never been successful on a dirt track. Look whats getting the job done now, a Kawasaki twin.  Less weight manageable power.

You may remember that when Roberts stepped off that TZ, he said they don't pay me enough to ride that thing.

[Rikugun]

KR at the Indy Mile revisited - 2009

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k8hJWKIVNs

footage from a spectator at one of the turns - KR solo run starts at 1:05

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k8hJWKIVNs

[dingleberry]

Has the dirt tracker seed been planted yet POD? ;D

[The Prophet of Doom]

Hell no - that looks way too dangerous

[dingleberry]

Hey here's a link you might like for alloy mudguards and a whole host of other tasty bits. They ship worldwide.

http://www.discovolantemoto.co.uk/

Remember NZPost have an address there as well as USA so may be cheaper postage from our end.

[The Prophet of Doom]

So the Brembo pads arrived in just 6 days from the UK.  +1 for ordering from BikeTorqueRacing.co.uk and +1 for Royal mail

I guess most calipers don't show the back of the pad, but ours do and red pads with a big B would have been cool
Disappointingly they look just like any other brake pad.

[Rikugun]

I'm surprised Brembo didn't include stickers in the packaging.

[The Prophet of Doom]

I wanted to put the radiator on today, but the cooling fins are pretty manky - even after some fettling with a thin screwdriver.  Decided to hide it behind some alloy grill - and just because I can, cut the louvres off the shroud.
Still needs a sand and some paint.

[pinholenz]

Ahh! Brembo pads for the original Yammie calipers! I didn't know they made them. Very cool
I found them at http://www.biketorqueracing.co.uk. Is the quoted price on the website for a pair or for each pad?

[The Prophet of Doom]

GBP 17.50 Per pair.  Plus postage 
Including exchange fees etc it came to $NZ101 for 2 pairs landed compared to $NZ95 for pyramid, but had to wait an extra week.

[Rikugun]

I like the clean look of the rad grill. Have a pic of the backside to show attachment method?

[The Prophet of Doom]

Mostly I think it will just sandwich in place and be held up by the bottom lip. 
I was just going to use some foam for clearance and a couple of zip ties for safety.  That's what the commercial ones seem to do.

Do you think it needs more? I suppose I could bolt the mesh to the shroud, but I would worry that the backs of the bolts would vibrate against the rad and eventually penetrate

[The Prophet of Doom]

I thought rather than paint I'd have a go at the old trick of wafting a flame over the surface of black plastic to bring back the black colour and gloss. 

Sanded with 1000 grit, then used my propane burner.  It doesn't take long - about 1-2 seconds so keep that flame moving.  Went over it again when cooled to catch any bits I missed.

I'd never tried it before but it works perfectly.  Here it is on the bike.

[Rikugun]

It looks really good POD. Do you think a heat gun would be sufficient in lieu of a flame? I think I recall one of my brother's trying that on plastic auto bumper covers and the like. I'll have him update me on how it worked - and long it lasted.

Sorry I missed your last query regarding attachment - did you end up using a bit of foam around the perimeter as a backer? I don't see zip ties so I guess they weren't needed.

[The Prophet of Doom]

I've seen heat guns used on youtube though not done it myself.  Much the same thing I think.  I'd practice with a spare first.

I put a little foam along the radiator edges - makes it a really tight fit.  I didn't worry about zip ties - it's not going anywhere