front wheel bearing and brake pads

[4redjf]

Bought this 1996 voyager xii several months ago. New tires were installed by PO. Also the front forks were rebuilt by PO.
It seems to ride ok but i always like to inspect things for my own piece of mind.
So, I will try to see how it works out with using the center stand on the bike and slightly jacking up under the engine to tilt it backwards enough to get the front tire off the ground.
Well i'm sure there is a lot of others that may have went through this and i would like to hear your input on the brake pads used, the bearings and seals, and anything else that might pop up while having the wheel off.
I'm not new to motorcycles but as i have aged things seem to be more difficult to do.
Appreciate any input that you have to offer.
Thanks in advance for you thoughts. Jeff

[triton28]

Jeff;
if the bearings require replacement go with "shielded on both sides" of the bearing. I think the designation is XXXX-2R or perhaps XXXX-ZZ I'm not sure- old age creeping in.
The best pads are sintered but they are also the most aggressive on rotor wear. Semi-sintered would probably be a better choice.
While you have the front end off of the ground you may as well check out the neck bearing preload. I have included a link to the excellent video produced by the Norcal Voyagers and hosted by Don Medina on that subject. It is probably the definitive treatise of that subject. Thanks to Mr. Medina and Norcal for it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMrFJeGQtRg
Regards,
Dave

[4redjf]

Jeff;
if the bearings require replacement go with "shielded on both sides" of the bearing. I think the designation is XXXX-2R or perhaps XXXX-ZZ I'm not sure- old age creeping in.
The best pads are sintered but they are also the most aggressive on rotor wear. Semi-sintered would probably be a better choice.
While you have the front end off of the ground you may as well check out the neck bearing preload. I have included a link to the excellent video produced by the Norcal Voyagers and hosted by Don Medina on that subject. It is probably the definitive treatise of that subject. Thanks to Mr. Medina and Norcal for it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMrFJeGQtRg
Regards,
Dave

thanks, i watched the video and it is very good. it reminds me of my 06GW that brand new had the steering wobble and Honda would not do anything. I bought it new and they wanted me to keep bringing it back for tightening steering bearing. I ended up changing the bearing to All Ball bearings and that solved the wobble issue.
Dont know what has been done to my bike from PO, but it has 104k miles and appears to have been taking good care of. The brakes are still good but i may go ahead and put new pads on anyway.
That Gene Kapp steering socket looks like the key tool to get.
Well it will be a few days before i can start this project but will post my activity later.
Thanks again.

[Nails]

Preventative maintenance sounds good. Regarding sintered, OEM brake rotors are pricey. The stock brakes are good enough, and I don't need sintered. I got steel-braided lines instead.

I wish to point out that you haven't brought up anything that's broke; and "if it ain't broke ...".

I suggest generally limiting yourself to lube and adjust ... and fergawdsakes ride!

[4redjf]

Yes, if it isn't broke then lets not create waste.... i agree. Here's the update on it. I figured i would do a check on the looseness of the steering bearings, visual on the brake pad thickness, and just a spin of the front wheel when off the ground.
Everything appeared to good. Didnt feel any looseness when pulling n pushing the front wheel, pads look good, and the wheel spun just fine. A little drag from the brake pads but nothing to be concerned about.
So for now, i will just ride it.
On another note: i did the pass seat mod to move it back maybe 2in. and that helps too. I would like to get the drivers seat restuffed and more cushion added. It looks like the factory type seat but for some reason it doesn't fit up on the fake tank, leaving small openings at the bottom of the tank.
I also took a look at my HF jack under the bike and there is no way it will work. The exhaust is too low and against the frame almost. Would like to get the kit mentioned to add to the HF jack but dont know who has it now.
Thanks for the input.

[4redjf]

Preventative maintenance sounds good. Regarding sintered, OEM brake rotors are pricey. The stock brakes are good enough, and I don't need sintered. I got steel-braided lines instead.

I wish to point out that you haven't brought up anything that's broke; and "if it ain't broke ...".

I suggest generally limiting yourself to lube and adjust ... and fergawdsakes ride!

what were the stock brakes type? for future reference. thanks

[Nails]

> what were the stock brakes type?

Old.

I'm just saying these old brakes work okay and probably would with any modern pads. Talk to Don Medina ("HMB Don" here, the swell guy you "met" in that vid) about ordering pads and lines -- a modest improvement over stock that's plenty adequate.

A search here on "brake pads" returned 331 matches if you want to read all about it.

[GrandpaDenny]

I did the sintered pads and braided brake lines on Gertrude and OMG she'd stop QUICK! I rode her like she was a sport-tourer (ok, well, a VXII kinda is a Luxury Sport-Tourer, I guess) and man those brakes got USED in the mountain twisties! I did wear out the front discs at close to 100k miles. Lucked out and got a great used pair off eBay.

I kept organic pads on the rear, BTW. Never did get around to replacing the rear brake line.

[Nails]

I also took a look at my HF jack under the bike and there is no way it will work. The exhaust is too low and against the frame almost. Would like to get the kit mentioned to add to the HF jack but dont know who has it now.

I haven't needed to jack up the whole bike. The back wheel comes up on the center stand, and the front will come up instead with very little lift on the front of the engine (still on the center stand). A small bottle jack works swell. (A quick search on "bottle jack" found more discussion on it.)

[4redjf]

I also took a look at my HF jack under the bike and there is no way it will work. The exhaust is too low and against the frame almost. Would like to get the kit mentioned to add to the HF jack but dont know who has it now.

I haven't needed to jack up the whole bike. The back wheel comes up on the center stand, and the front will come up instead with very little lift on the front of the engine (still on the center stand). A small bottle jack works swell. (A quick search on "bottle jack" found more discussion on it.)

Sometimes it rough on my back to be so low on the ground and if i had the bike up about a foot higher it allows me to not be bent over as much. Yes, i did exactly as you mentioned above and that works. Thanks for the info. Went for a ride today and i have to do something about my seat couchin. need more padding. And i've got to do look at the slip over foam hand grips for my hands getting numb. well thanks again.

[Scott-(Altoona, PA)]

Sometimes it rough on my back to be so low on the ground and if i had the bike up about a foot higher it allows me to not be bent over as much......

Just a quick note, if you have the means and room the Harbor Freight Motorcycle Table (with drop out for rear wheel) works great. I got mine when they were on sale and was still able to use a coupon. You can raise the bike a little or the entire height it goes (I think its about a 30" lift) which is plenty to set on a rolling mechanics seat and work on the bike without hurting your back. I stuck some sticky emery type treads on the ramp part so the bikes rear tire wouldn't slide with brakes on while gingerly getting the bike up or off the table.
Just an option if you have the room and money!

[Nails]

i have to do something about my seat couchin. need more padding.

Search here on "Air Hawk".

[4redjf]

Sometimes it rough on my back to be so low on the ground and if i had the bike up about a foot higher it allows me to not be bent over as much......

Just a quick note, if you have the means and room the Harbor Freight Motorcycle Table (with drop out for rear wheel) works great. I got mine when they were on sale and was still able to use a coupon. You can raise the bike a little or the entire height it goes (I think its about a 30" lift) which is plenty to set on a rolling mechanics seat and work on the bike without hurting your back. I stuck some sticky emery type treads on the ramp part so the bikes rear tire wouldn't slide with brakes on while gingerly getting the bike up or off the table.
Just an option if you have the room and money!

Thanks, got to put the bike stuff on hold for a couple of days, got family medical things happening. but hope to be back soon.

[4redjf]

i have to do something about my seat couchin. need more padding.

Search here on "Air Hawk".

looked up Air Hawk, they are expensive. but going to hold off for now. thanks.

[Nails]

There exist knock-offs for about half the cost.

[Scott-(Altoona, PA)]

Thanks, got to put the bike stuff on hold for a couple of days, got family medical things happening. but hope to be back soon.

Hope all is well with you and/or family. As much fun as these bikes are health and family must always come first! No judgements ever made when it comes to family because that's basically what we are, one big strange, twisted, convoluted family!

[4redjf]

i have to do something about my seat couchin. need more padding.

Search here on "Air Hawk".

looked up Air Hawk, they are expensive. but going to hold off for now. thanks.

i found a replacement seat on ebay and it has been re-done with cushioning and looks like a cloth or woven type material for the seat area. It has a lot more filler inside of it. Will let you know how it works out.

[Nails]

Not that this has anything to do with bearings or brakes ... but you already hijacked your own thread.

There appear to be three seat strategies out there: 1) cushier cushions; 2) a firm, proper shape; and 3) air. I've run with #1, rebuilding a couple seats from the pan and using various pads (sheepskins, beads, &etc). They generally worked -- when I had a hard ass. They still work for me for a couple hundred miles or so; and I don't think many folks here ride any more than that in a day anyway.

(I've used woven material in the seat covers, and it worked great on hot days. But totally sucks in the rain. Now I use beads for the sub-butt ventilation.)

For #2, think Corbin. Some folks swear by them. I don't think they're any better than typical stock seats.

Air Hawks started out in the business of mattresses for burn patients -- skin grafts don't tolerate much pressure. These mattresses distribute pressure uniformly, kinda the way tracked bulldozers don't compress the soil as much as wheeled tractors.

Among his many contributions, Vetter found that he could ride much longer by "transfer[ing] the weight from your Ischium bones to your thighs". https://craigvetter.com/pages/Other_Des ... board.html Long seat times hurt because nerves get squished between butt bones and the seat. This is why standing on the pegs brings such instant relief.

So maybe Vetter's "magic board" is a 4th solution, but the air systems do basically the same thing in a more comfortable way (ask me how I know). They're not merely another kind of cushion -- I found that cushier cushions only partially solve this.

The biggest downside for me is that they feel like a diaper. But after the first couple hundred miles, when still just getting started for the day, I can adjust just fine, hammering the twisties notwithstanding. With Air Hawks, I could suddenly (I mean like the very next day in the middle of an ass-killing long tour) ride straight through four tanks of gas; and my butt was no longer a limiting factor. As mentioned, there are cheaper competitors out there now -- I'm still on my first Air Hawk.

I only mention this in case your aftermarket seat doesn't actually work.

[Conrad]

https://buttbuffer.com/shop-products/?s ... klLd0wihei

^^^^don't know how it compares to the airhawk mentioned, but i have one of these. Sort of a gelpad, apparently they were originally developed to help with bedsores in nursing homes or something?
Definitely not a cure-all, but fairly compact and easy to switch out to help with fatigue. Helps a bit with heat, too. Kinda spendy though

[Nails]

Sort of a gelpad, apparently they were originally developed to help with bedsores in nursing homes or something

I bet that would work -- and feel like a poopy diaper. (Bicyclists have called this stuff "ABM": artificial breast material.)

For the blow-up pads, you want them to have just enough air to float those butt bones -- mostly flat. Maybe the ABM would have a little more pressure on those bones?