What was your most recent expensive screw up?
- Thread starter matjam
- Start date
cheez
Master Of The Darkside
Brake pad wear is measured by pad depth, not backing pad depth.
Bought a used Road King, thought I saw enough pad on the rear brakes to be acceptable. Rode it 5k miles, rear brakes started failing (would lose pressure.) Rode it from Livermore to Moto Guild (with no rear brakes) and went to do the pads, the rear brake caliper pad pin bolt was stripped, so I ride it home and schedule time with a tech to help me back out the bolt. Ride it back to Moto Guild and get the bolt extracted and pulled the pads, they looked like this:
One of the caliper pistons was half worn through from rubbing on the rotor. $500 in new rotor, caliper, and pads... and then when I got the new caliper on and bled the system the brake line ruptured under the engine where it'd been rubbing on something... $500 more to have a tech fish in a new rear brake line.
$1k screw up that could've been saved by servicing the pads when I bought the bike like a good owner would.
Bought a used Road King, thought I saw enough pad on the rear brakes to be acceptable. Rode it 5k miles, rear brakes started failing (would lose pressure.) Rode it from Livermore to Moto Guild (with no rear brakes) and went to do the pads, the rear brake caliper pad pin bolt was stripped, so I ride it home and schedule time with a tech to help me back out the bolt. Ride it back to Moto Guild and get the bolt extracted and pulled the pads, they looked like this:
One of the caliper pistons was half worn through from rubbing on the rotor. $500 in new rotor, caliper, and pads... and then when I got the new caliper on and bled the system the brake line ruptured under the engine where it'd been rubbing on something... $500 more to have a tech fish in a new rear brake line.
$1k screw up that could've been saved by servicing the pads when I bought the bike like a good owner would.
Last edited:
rudolfs001
Booty Hunter
Stretched the oil change interval on my KTM 450 EXC-R.
That blew up the connecting rod bearing, necessitating replacement of most of the engine internals. Cost a few K.
That blew up the connecting rod bearing, necessitating replacement of most of the engine internals. Cost a few K.
WWWobble
This way...That way...
Hmm. I have some (ok, a lot of) doubts that oil caused a con rod bearing to "blow up." May have been "causal..."?
Did it totally run out of oil? How many miles were on the oil? Synthetic oil or conventional?
RightCoastBias
F8TRED
Steering head bearings replacement, bearing was stuck on the stem, ended up damaging the stem and lower triple trying to remove.
$700+ to replace the lower triple/steering stem.
$700+ to replace the lower triple/steering stem.
WWWobble
This way...That way...
Amazing how heavy they become once they get away from you....
As much as I like my FJR, I do wish it was uh... several... pounds lighter :laughing
Last edited:
bunnygoat
Well-known member
Not for sure my fault, but I may have been too late on a valve adjustment service on my old 950 SM and at 52,000 miles it cracked an ex valve. It wasn't cost effective to pull the motor and fix/replace so I sold it for $1600. I was bummed but I can't say I really lost any money on it though! I got it cheap and rode the shit outta it.
Last edited:
gixxerjeff
Dogs best friend
My most expensive screw-up?
That's easy....I married my (now ex) wife.
That's easy....I married my (now ex) wife.
Last edited:
Man, I was expecting someone to say something about their ex wife haha. But best of luck to you!
Pushrod
Well-known member
Trusting Butt-Crack Bubba to assemble a motor for me (the year was 1976).
I never noticed a lack of metric tools or torque wrenches in his workspace. He gave it back to me leaking and making internal noises then disappeared when I went looking for him.
Gotta' say, though, that painful tuition taught me to buy tools and shop manuals and just do it myself.
I never noticed a lack of metric tools or torque wrenches in his workspace. He gave it back to me leaking and making internal noises then disappeared when I went looking for him.
Gotta' say, though, that painful tuition taught me to buy tools and shop manuals and just do it myself.
East Bay Mike
Well-known member
Gambled away about 1k in Vegas. I swear that I’m done gambling. Usually my limit is about 2-300 but I wanted to make it sting this time. I’m also done with Vegas for a while.
Maddevill
KNGKAW
Ok, it's not that recent but...
back when I was racing AFM I did a front brake pad change. Put in EBC HH pads. Did my race, brakes worked great. Was back in the pits, a friend walked up and said, " Hey, how come you put the brake pad in backwards?" I looked , and , sure enough, I had one of the pads in backwards, The metal backing was on the rotor.
I blamed the mechanic and quickly disappeared into my van...
Mad
back when I was racing AFM I did a front brake pad change. Put in EBC HH pads. Did my race, brakes worked great. Was back in the pits, a friend walked up and said, " Hey, how come you put the brake pad in backwards?" I looked , and , sure enough, I had one of the pads in backwards, The metal backing was on the rotor.
I blamed the mechanic and quickly disappeared into my van...
Mad
Smash Allen
Banned
Another from AFM, I didn’t properly torque down the fork pinch bolts and tossed my bike down turn five at Thunderhill East. The bike was leaned over and the bars were turned but I was still going straight, that was a weird feeling. Subframe, fairings, rear wheel, clipons, throttle, ignition switch, speedo/tach. Over $3000 for a lack of 15ftlbs. That was hard to explain to the SO...
ScottRNelson
Mr. Dual Sport Rider
Most recent screw up? Pinching the tube in yet another tire, this time, one that was only going flat because the valve wasn't tightened properly.
Most recent expensive screw up? Running my XR650L out of oil five or six years ago. That required a complete engine rebuild, but the engine is better than ever after doing that.
Most recent expensive screw up? Running my XR650L out of oil five or six years ago. That required a complete engine rebuild, but the engine is better than ever after doing that.
edzx6
Well-known member
Taking out a friends Polaris 800 4 wheeler with 100 miles on it and doing a 5 roll yard sale on it. Drive it like you stole it.
Drove it back on 3 operating wheels, 1 dragging and no bodywork left. Pretty much a write off.
Really expensive. Good lesson though. I have never borrowed anything from anyone before or after.
Drove it back on 3 operating wheels, 1 dragging and no bodywork left. Pretty much a write off.
Really expensive. Good lesson though. I have never borrowed anything from anyone before or after.
ScottRNelson
Mr. Dual Sport Rider
Is that because they've learned not to loan stuff to you? :laughing