I swear, there's something cathartic seeing you in the garage. I've used your videos as reference when fiddling on my Versys. Brake pads, handlebars etc. Really, everything except the tyre change. Due to your detailed and borderline OCD videos, I've mustered the courage to work on my own beasts. Needless to say, the feeling of accomplishment for a job well done is priceless. Thank you for all your work! Cheers!
Top tip re servicing your calipers. I didn't do that when I replaced my front pads after our trip. I had the front tyre replaced a few weeks ago and one pad was worn almost to the metal and the other was pretty much brand new! Turns out one side of the caliper was complete seized up with dirt and grime. Lesson learnt.
That’s a shame. Yeah, because of the fluid nature of the system, if one side gets resistance, it just pushes twice as hard on the other side. Bugger. At least you found it before you got to the metal! Im lucky that my Versys calipers must have been relatively clean. 😳
Nice to be back in the garage I love your “Delia Smith” approach to instruction. Showing the process from the start assume we are amateurs (that’s code for idiots), this approach has saved the day for me I've watched all of your output from the view point of a versys 650 owner and learnt a lot but even now I can transfer all you do into my knowledge base. I can see the “Old Man” taught you well. Of course, you are entertaining to boot.
Haha! Cheers Ron. I'm glad it doesn't come across as arrogant. Mainly because I'm certainly no expert! Most of the time, I'm doing it for the first time too!
Wait for the backlash over the copper grease lol. I'll learns ya, and them lol It won't cause any harm and it will do it's job of preventing seizing over time, although less likely to happen on modern brakes. It's a high temp grease for mating surfaces and will not run as some believe, when I was a mechanic we used it on brake pads back plates and wheel hubs mainly. It's not to prevent squeal, common misconception, squealing comes from brake dust build up at the pads friction surface and the disc, regular servicing (tear down clean once or twice a year, just before/after winter is best) will prevent that.
@@AndyManCam 😂👍 Like I say, there's nothing wrong in using it, plus you can drive cars for years and not develop any squealing without it, as the rear plates rub on nothing causing no squealing. Bikes probably develop squealing brakes even less so as they are more exposed to air. It's a good idea to clean the discs properly from time to time too, use brake cleaner and a scotch brite pad or washing up sponge back, as it's the same. Rotate the wheel and do both sides of each disc, some brake dust will fuse to the disc over time and can cause fluctuating in the brakes during hard braking.
There is no need to use it on the back of the pads. I don't see any on the old pads and they didn't need forcing out with a crow bar. And copper grease doesn't stop brake squeal.
Keep an eye on the caliper bolts. I put a little dab of white paint (tippex? Or your favourite pink nail varnish?) on the top of each bolt so I can see at a glance if they're undoing themselves. Coz they're cheeky little minxes like that sometimes...!
Thanks Mike. I can't really complain. More time for bikes. Just sadly a little less money for bikes!! But muddling through! Hope the same for you mate.
Looks like it’s not so important then. I put them back on the same way they were when i took them off, and they stayed that way for several years without issue! Maybe best to follow the manual though!!
Fred Dibnah, what an engineering legend. You may regret fitting organic brake pads (I did). The organic has f'all to do with harming pretty little creatures during the making. It means they are made from soil and leafs. Flour mixed with water holds it all together. You'd be better off getting some red back pads before hitting the track if you don't like HH pads👍 JMHOM 😉
Nah, they were great on track! I've used organic pads for over a decade now. I'm no racer and I tend to focus on smooth rather than hammering into every bend. Plus the discs last a LOT longer with organic!
Brilliant video and looking forward to seeing the track day footage!! The arrow on the clip should be pointing upwards - but i can't imagine it makes much difference.
Cheers Keith. Then the other side must have been installed upside down then! I thought up made more sense. But no, I don't think it matters. Seems to be just fine!
It’s always worth a €5 investment in brake fluid when changing the pads, just kind of completes the job. No harm before a track day either. As mentioned elsewhere, toothbrush is the man for the job. Just did the front on my Daytona, got through a 99c twin pack from Aldi. Organic all the way. You might measure the disk for allowable wear too with a micrometer, not a set of vernier callipers because you will just be measuring the outer edge lip. I had used more than half of my wear allowance in 30,000 miles on mine and that was on organic pads.
I only recently change the fluid when I fitted the braided lines, so I didn't really want to open up the system again. Time was tight! Always a precursor to some kind of garage related disaster!!
Replaced my GS brake pads and brake fluid 4 days ago, dabbed some copper grease on the back... Aaaaand they still squeak a bit... I'll just ignore them, it's much easier that way, block that annoying sound right in the brain. Cheers Andy!
Went with Brembo just like Ze Germans told me through the magic of internet. It was those or EBC so I went with near OEM stuff. But the fluid is TWR, maybe I'll try their pads next.
Andy, you need to get one of those £5 piston pushers from ebay. Also, get some sand paper on the caliper pin to get rid of all the corrosion...the pads will slide much better...and no copper grease on the backs of the pads. Put some copper grease on the caliper bolts...not thread lock.
Had to do the brakes on my V7 again the other week, am only getting a season out of them.... that'll teach me to do fun things on it that make me giggle! :D I can't wait to see the trackday footage, I hope you had/have a fun time! :-)
I expected the same to be honest! I'm not exactly gentle on the old girl, but them I am getting older too! 🤣 The track was good and bad. All will be revealed!
Actually the arrow should have shown up. Direction of rotation. I just looked it up in the service manual because yours made me think mine was wrong :D
Yay another garage video! Im just waiting for my roadtec 01 se to arrive, looking forward on your review and comparison to the road 5s, I have never tried sports touring tyres we will see how they get on
Great videos, only comment is that the arrow on the retaining plate should point in the direction the disc travels (I.e. up ⬆️), just to help anyone working on their own bike 🙂
@@AndyManCam No worries, I recently had my pads out as they were a little squeaky, bit of copper slip and they’re good as new (although probably upgrade to sintered as I prefer a little more initial bite). Whilst cleaning and inspecting the plate, I genuinely can’t see it making any noticeable difference, but that being said, doesn’t hurt to follow the manual. Anyway, thanks for the great vids 👍 Recently changed my stator after randomly seeing your vid, now making my way through all your FZ videos 😆
You should see the number of comments i got about copper slip not working! 🤣 Always been fine for me! Glad you’ve gotten your rotor sorted mate. Enjoy the rest of the vids! 👍🏻
I worked as a mechanic for over 13 years and it’s normal practice on cars, no idea why it wouldn’t be on bikes. Brakes are brakes! I would never fit without 👍
That's interesting, the process of taking the front wheel off and changing the brake pads is exactly the same as my FZ6, even the calipers and bolts look exactly the same. On an unrelated note, I've been thinking of upgrading to an FZ1 because I've outgrown my FZ6 and would like a little more power. But I can't decide if I should get a used FZ1 for a few grand or bite the bullet and get a new MT-10. The FZ1 is cheaper, but it's essentially the same thing as my FZ6 , but with a bit more power. While the Mt-10 is a whole new bike with newer gadgets, but costs substantially more...
I'd say that the FZ1 is a fair bit different to an FZ6. Bigger in every way, higher quality components and a LOT more power! You'll have to try both and weigh it up. 👍🏻
Well done. Ps regards the poll the other day you could keep the old girl if you know there are no serious probs on the way, and then go for gold and get the dream bike that would do everything for you 😜
I think the pads for the front stand are on the wrong way. The L-shape should be facing up. When I took my front wheel off, I got a car trolley jack and put a block of wood and jacked it up slightly under the brace weld of the headers. BTW Sintered pads aren't as bad as you think. I ran them on my Honda Hornet 919. I was going to run braided lines but I got such good feel and bite that I never bothered. Plus I flogged a lot of people on the track as I could outbrake them. They take a little bit longer to warm up but once they're warm they are not grabby or sensitive at all. Only problem is that they generate a lot of dust :P.
Sadly that was another part of the precariousness. If the pads were there other way up, they blocked the axle from being able to be removed. And even if they didn’t, they weren’t actually high enough to lift the wheel off the floor!! Might have to invest in an abba stand, finally! I found the sintered pads on my FZS600 very rough and grabby. Depends on the brand as well I suppose. And the condition of the discs perhaps.
@@AndyManCam I had new discs and I ran EBC pads on mine. Just use a car jack mate, it was really stable when in combo with the rear paddock stand. I'm going to be doing a supermoto build series soon. I just got a Yamaha WR450F, don't know if you're on social media at all but I'd be keen for you to point out if i'm doing anything wrong bahahahaha.
@@AndyManCam I hear ya bud, me too. It's your bike, and your call. But have a watch and see what you think. Matt (the workshop) is marmite for some, but he talks sence. Although the whole copper grease debacle went a bit mental. But the theory is sound.
+1 for leaving the copper grease in its tub for brakes. I too was told to use it many years ago, never felt right to me using it with the chance of getting on pad breaking surface and discs.. Pretty sure EBC brakes say no need to use it, have not used it now for about 20 years on pads, no squeaks or squeals , however this is only my opinion.
+1 on the use of the copper grease...no need for it in modern times. It used to be common opinion that it was necessary but times change. If the manual you have is a Yamaha, one check to see if they recommend it. If it's a Haynes manual, be aware that they recently changed their stance on copper grease.
Isn't the front wheel supposed to roll freely without any grinding after you put everything back together? Doesn't that mean that the calipers are missaligned?
Every time you brake, the pads are left touching the Discs. The movement means that instantly a tiny gap forms between the pads and disc (also a tiny bit of retraction as the pressure is released). Except with new pads, they don’t yet conform to every groove and ripple of the Discs yet, so after braking, there’s still more contact. As long as it is just a light dragging (as it was here) then all is good. Binding and serious resistance would be another matter.
Hey Andy, hope you're doing well, good info on the video, just wondering in case I missed it somehow, how did you solve the problem with the cracked exhaust system pipes?
Sadly i didn’t really get to find out. I sold the bike shortly after this video 🤦🏻♂️. They seemed pretty good up until that point. But impossible to give any useful feedback!
Tyres are always subjective I had the Michelins and tried the roadtec 01 haven't looked back love them although for me they do not last to long and now have the bike dynoed and would reckon I get even less miles
@@AndyManCam At the cost of each set lo think that is why so many people ask " What tyes do you use" Mates swore by Bridgestone used them for years tried nothing else and they gave me no confidence Although it is like finding the holy grail to some people who have money to burn on a different bike every year lol
Thanks William. I think they are a great looking bike. Obviously great motor in the centre. I utterly hate that dash though! Not so keen on the headlight either. ALmost certainly a belter to ride though.
Cracking vid as per! I work such odd shifts I never know if I'll catch it or not! But on the plus side I pick up my new (to me) XJ6 after 3 months with no bike in 8 days?
That front stand looks exactly like the one I have. But mine has a huge flaw: I can put my entire body weight on the handle, but I cannot lift the Versys 650, because the parts that contact the fork are too tall. (I think it was measured for a dual sport bike with larger front wheels.) So in order to use it, I must first drive the front wheel onto a 5cm thick piece of lumber, then I can get the leverage to lift it. BTW everyone should be aware that some bikes these days have a spring only in one fork leg, (shock in other leg), so you can't use front stands like this, else disaster strikes when you remove the axle. Example: 1st Gen Versys OK, 3rd Gen Versys _NOT_ OK.
That is annoying. And good to know re: the lopsided forks. Question is, how DO you remove the front wheel in those cases? I suppose you need a central stand or on that picks up on the head?
Hi Andy would be keen to know your thoughts on the O1s compared with the Road 5s . I have both on my Kawasaki’s and love them ? Keep up the good work mate 👍
What's good brother on the real you didn't have to do all that to do the brakes. I understand people have different ways but you don't have to take the tire off. And usually those organic pads don't last as long as the regular pads. I don't know which ones you have but believe me they dont last long at all. You are not a heavy breaker so you should be ok but usually i have had no good experiences with those organic brakes for real if they do last long tell us the name. GOD Bless safe riding.
I've always had organic pads and they last for ages! I was taking the wheel off because I was having new tyres fitted. The brake pads was an opportunistic job.
What about my dad using it for 30 years as a mechanic and teaching me to use it?! Coupled with never having any noise or problems from using it. Car brake pads get all of the teflon coatings and anti squeak shims and such. But we get nothing!
AndyManCam we get nothing for a reason because we don’t need it and you won’t find any brake manufacturer who recommends using copper grease on the back of brake pads, it’s your bike and you can do what you want with it but you’re not buttering bread when applying copper grease
i'll just put it here www.trwaftermarket.com/globalassets/moto_downloads/technical-tips/trw-moto_installation-tip_pads_en_p4p_0614.pdf ADDITIONAL TIP: Although it is sometimes suggested that you apply copper paste to the back plate of the pad and chamfer the pad material to prevent brake noise, TRW strongly recommends that you do not do this. Tampering with the pad material will always render any manufacturer product liability void. Additionally, if metal particles have been exposed to the pad material it may cause premature wear and drag lines on the brake disc. A mixture of copper paste and the unavoidable brake dust is often the reason for impaired brake caliper functionality.
My dad was a mechanic for thirty years and always showed me to do it. I’ve since always done it and never had any noise or problems. You just have to be careful to not get any on the breaking Surfaces or on the piston seals. It’s old school, but i think it helps.
The paint on brake pads has been developed to replace copper grease, doesn't do any harm though, only down side is all the road dirt sticks to the grease , great video 👍
I've done it for the last 16 years without issue. As long as it doesn't get in the seals or on the discs, I don't see a problem. And never a squeak from my brakes.
Literally no idea why I just watched this. We have totally different bikes. I could say something about your tool being too small. I can hear my dad saying "always push down so you don't lift your bike up off the stand" but apart from that, well it delayed going to bed a bit I suppose...
@@AndyManCam Or both, I want one of those ABBA stands that lifts the whole bike. I've always had bikes with a centre stand until now but even then I've strapped bikes to the ceiling before. Whatever works...