[am1m]

Has anyone re-painted their Dukes yet?

Basically, while I like the looks of the Duke, all that orange is well, a bit too much for me! Is there any possibility of 'de-badging' the tank a bit? Remove the orange, the large 'Duke' stickering and just keep a basic black tank? And re-paint the sides of the headlight in black as well.

Will the authorized service guys do anything of the sort? Or would that be a sacrilegious request?!

PS: I'm actually asking more in the interests of whether this can be done for the 390, but since that's not launched yet, I thought this would be a better place to ask, in case people have already done something of this sort for their 200s.

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by am1m

Has anyone re-painted their Dukes yet?

Basically, while I like the looks of the Duke, all that orange is well, a bit too much for me! Is there any possibility of 'de-badging' the tank a bit? Remove the orange, the large 'Duke' stickering and just keep a basic black tank? And re-paint the sides of the headlight in black as well.

Will the authorized service guys do anything of the sort? Or would that be a sacrilegious request?!

.

What you are asking for is actually pretty easy and won't cost you more than 1200 bucks. Simple visit the svc and say that you want the black tank. They will change the orange one to black and also say that you don't want the stickering job. Thats it. Now you've a black tank without much hassle.

Even the headlight and other orangr parts can be changed to black. Basically you want the black duke. All the parts are available in stock.

And no the svc guys are friendly and wouldn't cause any problem as such.

Cheers.

[Parthasarathig]

Doc for the past few days have been noticing that peculiar sound you mentioned that comes from the front brakes. Today I noticed additional sound coming when pressing the front brake to the full. It's like the sound of old brakes in buses which make a lot of kaachh sound.

So I was wondering if something is wrong with the brakes. Do I need to change the brake pads for the sound?

Also noticed some brake fluid leaking from the reservoir of the rear brake. It was not there when I left home in the afternoon.

These days the fan is running almost continuously (after the second service) even with coolant level intact. Riding within city has become unbearable due to continuous heat dissipatiom by the fan. It does get switched off but comes back on. I've asked the svc folks to fill coolant but they say that current level is adequate and let the fan do the job. They are saying not to worry unless "High coolant temperature" warning comes up on the MID. Today after reaching home the fan ran for almost 3 minutes.

I don't face such problem in the highway but in the city all the time this happens. What could be the solution sir? Have you faced such issues?

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Doc for the past few days have been noticing that peculiar sound you mentioned that comes from the front brakes. Today I noticed additional sound coming when pressing the front brake to the full. It's like the sound of old brakes in buses which make a lot of kaachh sound.

So I was wondering if something is wrong with the brakes. Do I need to change the brake pads for the sound?

Also noticed some brake fluid leaking from the reservoir of the rear brake. It was not there when I left home in the afternoon.

Sounds like your pads are either glazed/hardned beyond tolerance (most times simply soaking them with water and cleaning them works) or they are finished and need replacement. Get it checked or you will spoil your rotor. Pads are really cheap, rotors not!

These days the fan is running almost continuously (after the second service) even with coolant level intact. Riding within city has become unbearable due to continuous heat dissipatiom by the fan. It does get switched off but comes back on. I've asked the svc folks to fill coolant but they say that current level is adequate and let the fan do the job. They are saying not to worry unless "High coolant temperature" warning comes up on the MID. Today after reaching home the fan ran for almost 3 minutes.

I don't face such problem in the highway but in the city all the time this happens. What could be the solution sir? Have you faced such issues?

Same here. Its the heat as summer sets in man. Nothing much we can do. Liquid cooled bikes still need air circulation. In stop-go traffic and low speed running on cogested roads with lacs of vehicles belching greenhouse gases, the bikes are bound to heat up more and require longer more fequent help from the fan as it works overtime to push air over the cooling fins of the radiator. Just make sure your coolant levels are ok, your radiator fins clean, and your fan is working. And keep an eye on the temperature bars.

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Sounds like your pads are either glazed/hardned beyond tolerance (most times simply soaking them with water and cleaning them works) or they are finished and need replacement. Get it checked or you will spoil your rotor. Pads are really cheap, rotors not!

I've only used the bike for 5k kms and most of it for highway riding. Is this usage enough to cause pad wear out? I shall get it checked once I get free. Will use the car for now then.

coolant levels are ok, your radiator fins clean, and your fan is working. And keep an eye on the temperature bars.

Thank god this is normal then. I was really scared about this thinking if something must have happened after service.

Here are some pics of a leakage near the brake reservoir of the rear brake. What should I check for to confirm this doc? As the brake seems to be functioning ok probably cause the fluid level is ok. But I'm still worried.

Originally Posted by ebonho

Get it checked. Its a 2 min job. You can also see it from the inside and make out - the pad material is a lighter color to the metal backing and has a wear indicator groove. If that is used up, time to change pads.

With that much leakage the brake fluid has probably gotten contaminated as well. Best to change that too (as well as the reservoir if that's the culprit).

The indicator groove is not used up much I just checked.atleast one of the grooves is still pretty much very deep. But I shall check it out at svc nonetheless.

The reservoir cap is tightly secured in place and it seems to be coming around the crimping on the line. I shall clean it once and see if it recurs then we have the culprit.

Thanks doc for the prompt replies. Was scared yesterday about these problems.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

I've only used the bike for 5k kms and most of it for highway riding. Is this usage enough to cause pad wear out? I shall get it checked once I get free. Will use the car for now then.

Get it checked. Its a 2 min job. You can also see it from the inside and make out - the pad material is a lighter color to the metal backing and has a wear indicator groove. If that is used up, time to change pads.

Here are some pics of a leakage near the brake reservoir of the rear brake. What should I check for to confirm this doc? As the brake seems to be functioning ok probably cause the fluid level is ok. But I'm still worried.

Thats a pretty bad leak man. Unless some mechanic left the cap loose during servicing and the fluid spilled out. Did you tighten the cap at any time? Just check the crimping on the brake line or if it is from the reservoir. With that much leakage the brake fluid has probably gotten contaminated as well. Best to change that too (as well as the reservoir if that's the culprit).

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by ebonho

probably gotten contaminated as well. Best to change that too (as well as the reservoir if that's the culprit).

So, Doc yesterday I got this checked out at the svc. The root of the problem was a rubber diaphragm inside the reservoir cap.

What had happened was the diaphragm had got squeezed (due to unkown reasons or maybe some vandal opening the caps and doing some mischief). This squeezing had created a space between the fluid and the hole on top of the cap. As a result on bumpy roads the fluid would come out of the gap and create the mess. There was no problem with the crimping also. Picture below shows the brake line without the reservoir.


This was a 5 minute job and I was pleased with the promptness they responded. Took out the reservoir, cleaned it thoroughly, fixed the diaphragm and then put the reservoir back. Then put in new brake fluid. And the bike was ready to go. And all this wasn't charged at all. The service advisor was very friendly just like everytime I meet him.

Told him about the brake noise. He said a few bikes had the same noise. He told to use disk brake cleaner and he sprayed some onto mine. Then told him to take a longer test ride (than his usual in campus ride of 50metres)to feel if anything was amiss with the bike. The brake noise has disappeared now, the channeling type one. Now only on hard braking sometimes the pad makes noise. This happened only once while heading back home.

He also checked the pads for wear but they had enough life in them he said.

All in all a good experience with the svc once again. Although my bike may have problems the experience at the svc makes up for it.

Thanks a lot to you too Doc for helping us out everytime with these problems.

[ebonho]

Glad things are back to tip top on your orange baby bro!

I am confused. I thought your brake noise (the type buses and trucks make when they come to a stop) was mre to do with pads or rotor.

I am assuming that's what the spray cleaner was for as well (water works too )

Yet you say the "channeling" type sound (discussed by us earlier on this thread) is also gone. How did that go?

I am assuming you did not do anything to the reservoir or brake fluid of the front brake right?

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Glad things are back to tip top on your orange baby bro!

Yet you say the "channeling" type sound (discussed by us earlier on this thread) is also gone. How did that go?

I am assuming you did not do anything to the reservoir or brake fluid of the front brake right?

Yes nothing was done to the brakes. The mechanic said it was coming from many dukes and it was due to dirty brakes. But as for our earlier discussion on the forum I felt that something had become wrong with the brake lines. I rode the bike today for about 20kms and yesterday also And the sound has disappeared. Earlier it was loud enough to hear through the helmet and would come all the time whether cold or hot brakes.

Even another duker I met at a biking store had the same issue and he used a disc brake cleaner and its soundless after that. But im not able to understand how. I had cleaned the entire disc thoroughly with all purpose cleaner but the sound had remained. I guess this 3m stuff is good. If you get muc-off products near your place then you can try their disc cleaner too. This duker had tried and tested it. I shall be buying that later on in case im not able to source the 3m stuff.

Although thr spray cleaner did not remove the bus type sound as i can get that on hard braking when close to stopping. But the channeling sound has completely gone. Im assuming your channeling sound used to come even during normal braking ?? It was so in my case. The bus sound I think will go if i spray the cleaner liberally. Will ask the mechanic to do so next time.

Ah the joys of seeing your bike in good health. Really happy with my svc experience. They were so prompt and very helpful listening to my complaints and all. Im happy I chose Bajaj.
Cheers.

[ebonho]

So just so I know what to tell the SVC guys .....

3M disc brake cleaner (spray?)

Sprayed where?

On the rotor?

Or on the pads?

Please give details bro.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by ebonho

So just so I know what to tell the SVC guys .....

3M disc brake cleaner (spray?)

Sprayed where?

On the rotor?

Or on the pads?

Please give details bro.

Remove the caliper assembly from the disc. Then spray liberal amounts of the spray on the inside walls of the caliper and the surface of the pads. leave it for a minute and then wash off with a strong jet of water where ever you have sprayed. Then refit the caliper on the disc. Spray on both the surface of the disc and on the inside of the calipers where-ever you can reach. Rotate the front wheel by hand and pump the brakes.Go for a short drive. And all the sound should be gone. This is what Auto service,Banashankari guys did when i complained them of squeaky brakes on my bike!

[ebonho]

Thanks bro. I do not have a single squeak though. I was rferring to the "channelling" sound.

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by ebonho

So just so I know what to tell the SVC guys .....

3M disc brake cleaner (spray?)

Sprayed where?

On the rotor?

Or on the pads?

Please give details bro.

Sorry Doc for the late reply. Just returned home roads were too much jam due to some ongoing match.

Yes the chemical is 3m brake disc cleaner, sprayed onto the brake disc only. Nothing on the pads though. I feel this solution is like chain cleaner it will absorb the dirt and fall off. But the chain cleaner also has some added lubricity to it, so Im scared of putting that on the disc.

The other product that I was telling you about is this :-
Muc-off. Their products are available onebay.in but this product isn't. Maybe its out of stock.

You can try looking around in some Pune shops if possible, although this distributor is based in Bangalore only.

Hope this helped.

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

Remove the caliper assembly from the disc. Then spray liberal amounts of the spray on the inside walls of the caliper and the surface of the pads. leave it for a minute and then wash off with a strong jet of water where ever you have sprayed. Then refit the caliper on the disc. Spray on both the surface of the disc and on the inside of the calipers where-ever you can reach. Rotate the front wheel by hand and pump the brakes.Go for a short drive. And all the sound should be gone. This is what Auto service,Banashankari guys did when i complained them of squeaky brakes on my bike!

Hey saw your post now. Hmm this seems a lengthy procedure but should be effective too. But my sound is gone simply by spraying on the disc thats all.

[samschenker]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Although thr spray cleaner did not remove the bus type sound as i can get that on hard braking when close to stopping.

I am facing the 'sound when close to stoping' problem since a few weeks & my suspect is the diesel the washing guy sprayed on the caliper (when I got distracted by a phone call). Like doc mentioned it could be a possibility that diesel has hardened the pads & hence the sound.

Originally Posted by ebonho

So just so I know what to tell the SVC guys .....
Please give details bro.

As far as my experience goes with the same svc as Partha is when ever complained of the 'channeling' sound cleaner is sprayed on the caliper/pads sound goes away for few only to return after a few days/weeks.

Also in Pune during normal service do they remove the pads to clean or just use the cleaner spray?

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by samschenker

I am facing the 'sound when close to stoping' problem since a few weeks & my suspect is the diesel the washing guy sprayed on the caliper (when I got distracted by a phone call). Like doc mentioned it could be a possibility that diesel has hardened the pads & hence the sound.

?

Sir are you based in Bangalore only and which svc are you going to?

Diesel was never sprayed on my bike as I detail it myself. So still how could the pads have hardened? But the cheapest solution could be changing to newer pads like doc said as the rotors if damaged cost a lot.

The channeling sound will reappear because of the dirty conditions we ride in the discs will get dirty very soon. So disc cleaner becomes an accesory to buy for frequent use. But I dont think cleaning the pads will be a permanent cure as the sound will come back as the disc gets dirty.

My pads have a lot of life left in them but that bus / truck type sound keeps coming. Will investigate that in the coming days. Surprisingly none of these problems happen with the rear brake which i frequently use.