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Enter our CRF STUFF Tech Tip contest for a chance to win one of these extremely rare signed Mcgrath posters (19" x 26") on heavy poster stock.
To enter, simply send us your CRF Maintenance, CRF Set Up or Riding Tech Tips and Tricks along with any supporting photos or videos and we'll select two lucky winners to receive their signed Jeremy Mcgrath Legends poster. The contest will run through March 2011 and the lucky winners will be selected by our staff based on the quality of the tips submitted. Winners will be announced in our October newsletter. Feel free to submit as many tips as you like. All submissions become the property of CRF STUFF LLC for use in our newsletters and website. We will credit Tips we publish to to the person who submitted them.
Send tips to TECH@CRFSTUFF.COM
Text on Poster:
jeremy mcgrath
nickname: showtime
rookie season, 1993
first 250 supercross victory- anaheim
took the lead on lap three
never looked back
Poster Details from Dunlop Tires website:
Supercross is a uniquely American sport, one that was born in the USA and has since grown to capture the hearts of motorsports fans the world over. It's definitely Showtime when the gates drop on a Saturday night Supercross race, and many would maintain that the man who put the capital "S" in Showtime was none other than Jeremy McGrath.
Indeed, McGrath's overall win record stands big enough to fill a stadium: 72 race wins, two 125-class titles, seven Supercross championships and an outdoor Motocross title. In gathering these accolades, McGrath opened the sport to the entire nation as the general media picked up on his spectacular brand of showmanship, and the name McGrath grew to become synonymous with the sport.
For 2010, Dunlop has commissioned the creation of a Jeremy McGrath Legends poster to benefit the Clayton Memorial Fund and the Road 2 Recovery Foundation. These efforts, which to date have raised more than $50,000, lend financial assistance to injured motorcycle racers—a most worthy means of supporting our sport. This limited-edition, collectible 19 x 26-inch poster is available for $49.94 through the Cycle News Website at www.cyclenews.com or call 800.831.2220, and also through the Road 2 Recovery Website at www.road2recovery.com or call 480.276.1131. ( they may be sold out as I was unable to find them on thier site when this went to print)
CRF STUFF PERFORMANCE TIP #1
PROPER BRAKE BLEEDING FOR OPTIMAL BRAKING PERFORMANCE
By John Burgoyne:
Technical Instructor at MMI (Motorcycle Mechanics Institute)and CRF STUFF Customer
Never in the history of motocross has the performance of the production bikes been this close to a factory race bike. While the works suspension and factory engine modifications will stay in the hands of the factory’s and reserved only for the fastest riders in the world, there is one thing us mere mortals can obtain that can make you faster and lower your lap times, brakes! From privateer racer to weekend warrior CRFSTUFF.com has made it easy with their Blade Factory Works Brake Kit. These are the brakes you’ll find on the top HONDA Team riders bikes including Kevin Windham, Trey Canard, Justin Barcia, Blake Wharton, Brett Metcalfe, Eli Tomac and Lance Vincent.
But just bolting on your new stoppers is only half the job of gaining that factory level braking performance. The other half of the job is proper brake bleeding. The glycol based brake fluid used in most motorcycle brake systems is hygroscopic, which means that it absorbs moisture (water). A moisture heavy brake system not only causes corrosion, but will perform poorly especially as the brakes are used and generating heat in the system. With this moisture present the boiling point of the brake fluid is effectively lowered to where it starts boiling in the system creating air bubbles. This in turn will cause your brake lever to travel further in towards your handlebar diminishing the effective pressure applied to your brakes.
Most manufactures specify changing the fluid every 2 years. This may be sufficient for the recreational rider, but for a race bike that sees a lot of hard use and especially in wet conditions this is not an optimal interval that will maintain peak braking performance. Glycol based brake fluids come in different dot (department of transportation) ratings which are 3, 4 or 5.1. The higher the number, the higher the specified boiling point.
NOTE: NEVER USE DOT 5 BRAKE FLUID WHICH IS SILICONE BASED IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM UNLESS THE MANUFACTURER HAS SPECIFIED ITS USE. Most manufactures specify the use of dot 4 in the brake system which is usually indicated on the master cylinder cover. So choosing a brake fluid that meets the dot 4 rating should be your standard. But for more severe racing conditions you can use the dot 5.1 to raise the boiling point of your brake system. Now that you understand more of the needs of your brake system, lets proceed with the other half of the brake installation.
WARNING: If you do not understand the instructions provided here and feel comfortable to perform this procedure you should have your local shop bleed your brakes for safety reasons. It doesn’t take long and shouldn’t cost too much.
Tools you will need
Pint of Dot 4 or dot 5.1 brake fluid Clear hose 18” long and 3/16” i.d. Drain pan Note : never reuse fluid that has cycled through the brake system. #2 phillips screwdriver 8mm box end wrench OPTIONAL : Mity-Vac (this will take place of the hose and drain pan) An assistant to run the lever while you run the bleeder nipple is also helpful.
1)Make sure outside of master cylinder is clean
2)Remove master cylinder screws and cover
Please note! Step 3 is a crucial step that is overlooked by most people when brake bleeding and results in a soft lever due to air being trapped in the master cylinder piston bore!
3)Fill master cylinder to 2/3 full. NOTE: Make sure the master cylinder is level. You may need to rotate the bars and or the master cylinder on the bars to obtain this position as shown in photo #1 This step is key to bleeding all air from system.
4)Remove the rubber bleeder valve cover at the bleed nipple on the caliper.
5)If you have a mity-vac brake bleeding tool, connect it to your bleed valve on caliper, open bleed screw and continue bleeding until the fluid is clean and no air bubbles appear in the fluid. If you do not have a mity-vac, connect your 18” piece of clear hose over the bleed valve nipple and route that to your drain pan to catch the used fluid. Pull and release the lever slowly several times then while holding the lever in, open up the bleed valve to release the air and fluid then close valve. Repeat this procedure until fluid is clean with no air bubbles present IMPORTANT: keep the fluid level topped up in the master cylinder so you do not suck air in during the bleeding process.
6)Squeeze and release the brake lever slowly several times to make sure the pads are contacting the rotor. You should have a solid feel when you apply the brake lever. If not repeat the bleeding process until you have a solid feel at lever.
7)After bleeding fill master cylinder 2/3 full and install cover making sure rubber bladder is pushed in parallel with the cover. CAUTION: DO NOT OVERFILL M/C AS THIS CAN LEAD TO BRAKE DRAG DURING USE.
8)Remove your mity-vac tool or hose and reinstall bleed valve nipple cover and wipe off any spilled or residual fluid.
Congratulations….your installation is complete. Now lets go ride.
CRF STUFF PERFORMANCE TIP #2
Breaking in Your Brakes!
"Scottie Does a Stoppie!" Bruce Watson photo
Maximize performance with proper bedding in of your new brakes By Scott Hart - www.crfstuff.com
To get maximum trouble free and fade free performance from your new brake pads or new pads and rotors it’s necessary to break them in properly. This process is often called “bedding in” or burnishing, which is the process of gradually warming up your brakes through repeated brake applications to transfer pad material to the rotor for a nice smooth working surface.
We’ll describe the bedding in process later in the article. Please note that the average week end play rider may never apply enough loading to the brakes to experience fading due to improper bedding in. But if you do ride aggressively and want the most out of your brakes, it’s well worth the 15-20 minutes it takes to properly bed them in.
Most modern full size off road bikes come equipped with good quality sintered metal pads, which require bedding in for maximum safe performance. Smaller play bikes may have organic pads, which bed in pretty quickly just from normal riding, but usually aren’t found on larger off road bikes as they are not up to the task of repeatedly stopping a 400 lb dirt bike and rider at high speeds. If you are running an organic compound, it is still important to properly bed them in to avoid a condition called “Green Fade”.
Why You Need to Bed in Your Brakes….. The reason for bedding in your brakes is 2 fold. First is to create a nice smooth working surface between the pads and rotors. Granted, they may appear to be smooth right out of the box, but when viewed under magnification, the pad and rotor surfaces are actually quite rough, resembling a series of hills and valleys. When mated together new, only the tops of the hills touch! So the first part of the bedding in process is to smooth those surfaces out. This occurs through the first 5-10 medium force brake applications described in further detail below. Brake pad material is transferred to the rotor surface and fills the valleys in the rotor dramatically increasing the contact area. See Figure #1
Now that the pad and rotor contact area has been optimized, the second function of bedding in occurs during the remaining 5-10 brake applications, which will generate much more heat to cause the compound binding chemicals (organic pads only) to be burned off. During this process, you will smell the hot brakes and may even see some smoke come off the pads. This is normal and a very important part of the process. If this process is not completed properly, you can experience a condition called “Green Fade”.
Green fade occurs when pads that have not properly been bedded in, rapidly reach high temps that causes the pad binding chemicals to off gas. The off gassing creates a liquid state between the pad and rotor and results in greatly reduced braking power and in some cases glazing of the pad. Gradually bringing the brakes up to maximum operating temp in the last 5-10 brake applications of the bedding in process allows the gasses to be burned off without glazing or complete fade.
Glazing is a condition where the pad surface becomes extremely hard from rapid heat build up. If your pads glaze, you might be able to salvage them by removing them and block sanding them, but we recommend replacing the pads for best results. Please note that modern sintered pads do not utilize the chemical binders that can cause Green Fade, so the above information applies mainly to the use of organic pads. See Figure #2
The Bedding in Process The basic process of bedding in pads and rotors is to accelerate your bike up to 40-50 mph (about half throttle in 4th or 5th gear) and bring the bike down to about 5 mph by applying the brakes at about 60-80% stopping power. Cruise back to your starting point to allow some cool down time between braking runs. Do this about 10-15 times and gradually work your way up to applying maximum braking force without locking up the tires or coming to a complete stop.
It’s important that you do not bring the bike to a complete stop using the brakes during the bedding in process. If the bike comes to a complete stop with extremely hot brakes, it’s possible to transfer a large amount of pad material to the rotor in a small spot, resulting in uneven transfer thickness on the rotor. This can lead to pulsing and inconsistent brake performance due to the changes in friction coefficient. (if this happens, you’ll be able ot see a dark discoloration in the shape of the brake pad on the rotor) Left unchecked, hot spots can develop that will permanently damage the rotor. If you catch it early, you may be able to remove the excess pad material by dressing the rotor with medium grit sandpaper (800-1000 grit) followed by a thorough application of Bra-Kleen. Keep in mind that the proper amount of pad material that is transferred to the rotor is very small, approximately .002-.004” and you can’t really see it, other than a slight grayish discoloration. What’s important is that the discoloration is consistent on the rotor surface.
Do it Right, Do it Once! Read through the information above to make sure you understand the bedding in process and then make plans to properly bed in your brakes. Plan to spend about 15 to 20 minutes and make sure you have a safe place to do it. You’ll need a large area where you can safely and repeatedly accelerate up to 40-50 mph and then stop quickly. Make sure you have plenty of run out room in case you induce severe brake fade or boil the brake fluid and lose your brakes. That shouldn’t happen if you follow our instructions, but you should still be prepared for it just in case.
Helpful Hints-
Immediately after completing your brake pad installation, work the brake levers a few times to rebuild system pressure. Failure to do so could prove disastrous. It’s not uncommon for it to take a good 4-5 lever pumps to bring back hydraulic pressure in the system. If you are flying down the street or back alley of your neighborhood, probably w/o a helmet or riding gear, ( hey we’ve all done it!) and go to test out your newly installed binders only to find you got nuthin, your instincts are not going to be pump the brakes, it’s more like freeze up solid and panic! Avoid this by putting a piece of masking tape on your throttle grip or something to remind you.
If you are changing pad compounds and using your old rotor, it’s best to clean up the swept area of the rotor to remove the old pad compound to prevent any compound compatibility issues that might prevent the new pads from bedding in properly. Use 800-1000 grit sandpaper followed by a thorough application of Bra-Kleen.
Don’t forget to grease caliper sliding pins according to the instructions in your owners manual. If they get dry, they will allow the caliper to bind, resulting in uneven clamping force, which leads to poor braking power and potentially overheating the brakes, leading to brake fade.
Common Brake System Terms
“Bedding in” or Burnishing Brake power is generated by the friction material on the pads transferring and bonding to the surface of the rotor. In order for this to occur, the friction material must first be transferred onto the surface of the rotor. This generally happens during the first 10 – 20 stops of a brake system and is referred to as “burnishing” the rotor and pads. When a rotor is cleaned, it will need to be re-burnished again.
Coefficient of Friction µ - pronounced “mew” A numerical indicator of the “grip” of a material used in brake pads. Coefficient of friction varies depending on the type of pad material used and for the brake rotor alloy.
Fade Fade is a decrease or loss of brake power and typically occurs in two ways:
Friction Material Fade When pads reach high temperatures they can sometime “outgas” chemicals that redeposit themselves on the surface of the brake pad. This decreases the coefficient of friction and results in a decrease of brake power. The lever will remain firm however the brake will not generate the normal amount of power. This is also described as when pads “glaze” over. Generally the result of improper bedding in / burnishing.
Brake Fluid Fade This type of fade occurs when the brake fluid inside the caliper boils. Brake fluid is incompressible; however, if it is allowed to boil from overheating, a gas is formed within the system that is compressible and pressure applied to the lever goes toward compressing the gas instead of generating brake power. Water in the fluid (even in microscopic amounts) dramatically lowers the boiling point of brake fluid allowing the brakes to fade even under light loading.
Modulation Controlling brake power without wheel lock up. Modulation is best with a brake system that has a “firm” brake lever, i.e. no air in the brake fluid and no flexing rubber hoses. Minimal lever stroke required to generate maximum brake power. A soft brake lever is generally more difficult to modulate and control.
Pad Compounds Organic
Organic Cellulose Fibers and organic materials bonded together with a resin. Not well suited to wet, sandy or muddy conditions. Poor heat transfer, can cause rotor overheating with continued abuse. Soft material provides good easy modulation for beginner riders, but also contributes to rapid wear.
Sintered Metallic
Sintered metallic Manufactured using a process that molds a carbon fiber matrix compound under pressure at 1800 F for 600-800 hours to produce a very light high density pad that has excellent friction properties combined with a very high resistance to heat induced fade. Also excellent in wet conditions. Highest friction compound available for off road motorcycles.
Swept Area The total friction area contacted by the pads during one revolution of the rotor.
CRF STUFF PERFORMANCE TIP #3
New link-type front brake master cylinder linkage and Bronze
Lever Pivot bushing improves front braking power by 15 percent!
In 2007 Honda made some major improvements to the front brake lever and master cylinder designs on the CRF 250R and 450R that greatly improved brake performance & feel. Basically the mating surfaces between the lever and master cylinder were upgraded to ball & socket link designs that greatly reduced friction. The pivot surface of the lever also got a bronze bushing upgrade. The result is a silky smooth feel at the lever that doesn’t fade away or require constant servicing. The previous style wasn’t bad when it was new, but quickly deteriorates to a notchy / stepped feel that makes it difficult to modulate the brakes. This upgrade is an excellent way to improve the brakes on your 2006 or older CRF R model and all CRF X models.
We have installed this upgrade on several older CRF's and the results are excellent.
You'll need one each of the following parts from your favorite HONDA dealer for this upgrade.
#3 MASTER CYLINDER SUB-ASSY.45510-MEN-J01 $126.89
#12 BOLT, HANDLE LEVER 90114-MEN-J01 $3.32
#13 COVER, R. HANDLE LEVER 53176-MEN-J01 $6.58
#20 SPRING, BRAKE LEVER 53174-KN5-006 $2.40
#23 ROD, PUSH 45525-MEN-J01 $6.26
#24 LEVER, R. HANDLEBAR 53171-MEN-J01 $21.71
(please note, these are HONDA retail prices Jan 2009)
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