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05-08-2013, 11:00 AM | #1 |
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Central Alabama
Posts: 2,188
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Dragon Pics and a close call!!!
OK, first day back from our trip to the Smokey Mountains and the Dragon and I have an interesting tale to tell. Overall the trip was outstanding and I have some great pics and memories and the better half really loved it. The ride thru the Smokeys was incredible and the time in Gatlinburg was awesome. Then we headed to the Dragon. We stopped at the bottom of US 129 and rested a minute after the climb thru the Parkway. Chatted with some Australian chaps and then made our way up. 10 curves into the 318 of the Dragon, I feel a click and my helmet has come undone. Never had that before. Quickly pull over and snap it back and my buddy waits for me at the next pull off, thinking I may have wrecked probably. Anyway back on the road. 3 minutes and a couple dozen curves later I am loving life and hitting the road hard and digging the switchbacks when all of a sudden...No Rear Brakes! I pull the front hard, slid to a stop on the opposite side of the road just against the mountain. My buddy turns around and comes to see what happened. I get off the bike and check everything out and I see the rear caliper hanging completely off the rotor. The 2 bolts had worked their way out, one was gone and the other was still in the caliper. I took a deep breath ( almost changed by undies) and set to getting it back together. 10 minutes later I am back on the dragon with one bolt holding the caliper on and only using the clutch and front brakes for the corners and curves. If you know the area you know there are no parts at all for miles so its back down the Dragon and into town to get a bolt. Long story short, it held up and I got to live a dream and walk away in one piece.
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I would be patient, but it takes too long!! David Hollinger 2002 Beige 1500 "Hannah2" VBA # 02195 Login or Register to Remove Ads |
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05-08-2013, 11:13 AM | #2 |
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Alls well that ends well. Glad you had a safe trip!
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Gerry Martineau / 802 VT / VBA #0892 /[email]glmjgm@gmail.com[email] |
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05-08-2013, 11:16 AM | #3 |
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 1,785
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Holy smokes.... Glad it all ended without a major accident.
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05-08-2013, 11:37 AM | #4 |
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Henderson, NV
Posts: 3,746
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My friend, knowing that YOU recently put brakes and a rear rotor on, all I can say is I'm glad you and yours are OK and please buy a torque wrench and use it.
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Oldest Saloon In Nevada http://www.pioneersaloon.info/ "Sin City Stan" Henderson, NV VBA #01004 VROC #29365 2004 Nomad 1500L5 +100 "The Bike" 2009 Nomad 1700 (past) 2004 Vulcan Classic 800 (past) 2010 Cortez - 2011 Crescent City - 2012 Kanab - 2013 Estes Park |
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05-08-2013, 11:40 AM | #5 |
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Location: Central Alabama
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Yeah, Stan, that was crazy. My buddy and I worked all month to get the bike ready for the trip. I was super confident that we had done everything right...even the cam chain extenders were complete. When we took the caliper off there was no lock tite on the screws so I didnt put any back on... lesson learned.
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I would be patient, but it takes too long!! David Hollinger 2002 Beige 1500 "Hannah2" VBA # 02195 Login or Register to Remove Ads |
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05-08-2013, 01:03 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Newmarket Ontario Canada
Posts: 35,387
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I think you may have forgotten to tighten them, you were lucky that time.Ive never used loc tite and its never been a problem on those bolts.
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2002 Nomad aka Bountyhunter VBA #27 VROC #18951 |
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05-08-2013, 01:44 PM | #7 |
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Again, I can't say this enough. Tighten bolts with a torque wrench.
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Oldest Saloon In Nevada http://www.pioneersaloon.info/ "Sin City Stan" Henderson, NV VBA #01004 VROC #29365 2004 Nomad 1500L5 +100 "The Bike" 2009 Nomad 1700 (past) 2004 Vulcan Classic 800 (past) 2010 Cortez - 2011 Crescent City - 2012 Kanab - 2013 Estes Park |
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05-08-2013, 01:50 PM | #8 |
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Location: Central Alabama
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Those are Allen head bolts. Can you use a torque wrench?? I know on the bottom bolt of the caliper assembly we used a big ass torque wrench to remove and replace it. I know I tightened them because I was worried about stripping them out from over tightening. Yes I was damn lucky!
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I would be patient, but it takes too long!! David Hollinger 2002 Beige 1500 "Hannah2" VBA # 02195 |
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05-08-2013, 02:14 PM | #9 | |
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Quote:
And I am glad you are okay, certainly understand if the whities now have racing stripes!
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Jerry "Old Bear" Barker Clarksville, TN Americas Guardians PS MC President, Tennessee 16-A VBA #02203 "Blaze" 2017 Vaquero "Black Magic" 2011 Vaquero, 69k miles, handed down to my son for hopefully many more miles! |
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05-08-2013, 03:39 PM | #10 | |
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Quote:
You were lucky this time. Attention to detail is important.
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Scott "Cactusjack" Hanks VBA #00105 H.O.G. #4250060 2011 H-D Ultra Limited 103ci :: 2011 HD Electra Glide Ultra Limited w/Stage 1 :: Rallies: Mesquite '08|Custer '09|Cortez '10|Crescent City '11|Kanab '12|Antlers '12|Estes Park '13|Antlers '13|Orofino '14|The Dalles '17
Last edited by cactusjack; 05-08-2013 at 03:43 PM.
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05-11-2013, 10:35 AM | #11 | |
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Quote:
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Ponch VBA 0019 VROC 8109-R BMWMOA 162849 BMWRA 41335 BMW: When you care enough to ride the very best. My Motorrad Blog My Motorrad YouTube 2009 BMW R1200RT Previous bikes:2007 Nomad | 2001 Vulcan 800 Classic | 1984 GPz750 | 1978 KZ1000A2 Rallies: Custer '09|Prairie Du Chien '10|Crescent City '11 |
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05-08-2013, 04:22 PM | #12 |
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Greeley, Colorado
Posts: 6,772
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Whew! I bet that was scary! Glad it went okay and you had a good time!
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Jared
VBA #1051 (Former President) |
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05-08-2013, 08:01 PM | #13 |
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: North Central Illinois
Posts: 8,575
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Glad you made it safely and a powerful lesson was learned about working on your bike.
Don't beat yourself up too bad... there was a guy (either on here or another site) that rented an HD from a national rental firm to ride that area for a week or so. He had just finished the Dragon and looked down to notice the front forks did not have the bolt in them to fasten them to the wheel. In other words... his forks stayed on the wheel because of the weight of the bike. If something would have bounced the bike hard enough to lift the forks off the wheel he could have been killed. (Not likely to have happened... but still...) Needless to say... he didn't have to pay his rental fee; and they picked-up the bike that day and replaced it with another.
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"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." "You can have your own opinion, but not your own facts." Former VBA NCR Assist Regional Leader Formerly: 2004 1500FI Bronze Nomad: 2009 & 2014 HD Ultra Current Rides: 2017 HD Ultra Limited & 2011 Can Am Spyder RTS-SE Attended: VBA National Rallies 2009, 2011, 2015; VBA/NCR Regional Rally 2010, 12, 14, 16 and several rides throughout with regional members. VBA Member #652 HOG Member #3935417 |
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05-08-2013, 09:19 PM | #14 |
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Location: Central Alabama
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Thanks for the well wishes and the links... my tool bag will definitely grow quickly. I rely enjoy working on the Nomad and knowing its done. There is a real learning curve though. And I realize just how important it is to do it right and completely. Thanks again guys...
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I would be patient, but it takes too long!! David Hollinger 2002 Beige 1500 "Hannah2" VBA # 02195 |
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05-08-2013, 09:44 PM | #15 |
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Ankeny Iowa
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Glad you came back home all together!!
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VROC#34321 VBA#01867 2012 NCR Rally Savanna. IL. 2013 National Rally Estes Park, CO 2014 NC/SC Rally in the Ozarks, Mountain View AR 2014 NE US/Eastern Canada Rally,Lincoln NH 2015 VBA/VRA Eureka Springs AR 2015 Antlers Rally, Antlers OK. 2016 SCR Rally Salem MO. 2016 NCR Rally Hillsboro WI 2017 Eureka Springs AR 2017 National Rally Lake George NY 2004 Blue and Silver 1500 Nomad(RIP 9-26-19) 2000 Red and Silver 1500 Nomad 2012 Pearl White 1700 Voyager |
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