Front brake resevoir cracked

[b3nje909]

well not technically, but the viewing glass has.

after a spiritied ride on saturday morning to Sofala just north of Bathurst.
I noticed "condensation" on my resevoir lid..
I thought it was just me fanging through the landscape at $1.40+ for most of it, in about 8 degree weather.
upon further inspection it felt oily.
somehting was amiss..

I called old skool biking friends who knew more about bikes than I do about anything and got them to inspect it.
we came to the conclussion that it was leaking somehow.
It had just had its 20k service and maybe over filled.
washed, wrapped in glad wrap, and let be.
we then got drunk.

The next day, as we headed towards bathurst, I still had the glad wrap on, this was also a rather spirited ride, that showed the ambient temp as 4' (which means ****ing cold, I have never seen it go below 14' before).

stopping at bathurst showed liquid still leaking.
grabbed cloth, tape and tapped resevoir up to avoid leakage onto tank for ride home.
first tho, went to mates house to top up with brake fluid.
it was pretty much empty.

topped up and noticed it leaking from the viewing glass. which upon finer inspection revealed a crack...

uncool.

how this crack came to be is a mystery, why we didnt notice it saturday morning is also a mystery. I have thunk and thunk. I just blame bad luck..

I then had to ride back to sydney with **** all front brake fluid.

Took it to Bikebiz today (no literally) and got them to look at it.
Tash took photos and will try to get it under warranty (is a year old to the day yesterday). she said dont hold your breath..

So I'm probably looking at a new brake/mirror assembly...
I've forked out alot for bikes recently, and this development is most unwelcome.

Any ideas of a good cheap set?
Stock will apparently have to be back ordered, take two weeks and will cost about $270 (wtf!?)

 

[b3nje909]

Clutch Radial brake Master Cylinder FZ6 FAZER 04-09 08 - eBay Other Motorcycle Accessories, Accessories, Motorcycle Parts Accessories, Vehicle Parts Accessories. (end time 26-May-10 12:06:17 AEST)

yay or nay?

 

[Discofrank]

bad luck dude

i would go for warrenty for sure and tell them u noticed on friday but had no way of getting the bike in before you did


as for that master cyl that is for a bike with radial brakes which u do not have

 

[Bikebiz]

as for that master cyl that is for a bike with radial brakes which u do not have

No, the master cylinder is a radial one on this product. It's not referring to the calipers. It doesn't matter what's on the caliper end, they all simply push the fluid out! Radial in this instance is because the piston is perpendicular to your bars so you theoretically get less 'loss' with your pull.

Ben I reckon this could be the go. From speaking with Tash it's not looking good (based on historical warranty claim results). Wish you could replace the glass then bring it back in for the photos!

And hey it's from the Shine Trust Company

But seriously, only issue I can see is that the current master cylinder also houses your mirror mount. This one doesn't, so you'd need to buy one. If the warranty comes back negative, I think it's either try this, or see if the wrecker has one which could be around the same $$$$.

 

[Wolfman]

Nasty stuff Benji! I cant believe some of the OEM parts prices! Yesterday, I got quoted $18.66 for one rear sprocket nut! And $70 for a OEM tail light globe holder!!!!

Result, i left the slightly gnawled rear sprocket fastening nuts on the bike, and went to the Auto electrician's and bought a globe holder that fitted into my tail light with a tiny bit of modification with the dremel, for $12!

As for your situation, i reckon you might get lucky at the wreckers, or fail that, i reckon MCS do OEM replacement levers, and master cylinder replacements, i just cant find them on the net to confirm...but most dealers carry MCS catalogues...

Good luck, you would think Yamaha would have the common sense to fix this under warranty, even if only, for goodwill purposes...

 

[victorb]

If you can wait a week or two for shipping, check on ebay US.

You'll have to make sure that the master cylinders are the same between 05/06 and your bike year, and you'll lose the mirror mount (that's the way they come in the US) but... $30.. :thumbup:


04 05 06 Yamaha FZ6 FZ 6 600 Front Brake Master Cylind: eBay Motors (item 250605213816 end time May-26-10 14:00:14 PDT)

05 Yamaha FZ6 FZ 6 Front Brake Master Cylinder 45F: eBay Motors (item 130331689126 end time Jun-14-10 08:22:02 PDT)

 

[b3nje909]

I've dropped into a bike shop here.
They can get a "mcs mc8" for about 160.
Has mirror mount as well. Done quick google search but can't find it...
Other thing is, the bleeding of the fluid. If I could do this myself I'd save about 150

 

[Bikebiz]

We can supply MCS but just spoke to our parts guy and he wouldn't even want to suggest using them (quality reasons). They're ok for 30yo bikes but not much chop for our things.

Did you hear back from Tash yet?

 

[Kriswithak]

Surely a wrecker has one from a similar year FZ6 that will fit?
I got one for my zeal for about 90$ from memory (the full assembly including lever from memory) and they are alot harder to find than a wrecked FZ6! They also took it off for me, which probably added to the price. I had the same issue with my zeal funnily enough, although it was 10 years old not 1! Maybe a rock flung up or something.

Probably worth checking around the different bike places if its not covered under warranty, I'm sure there is a shop that would value your business enough to do a better price than that.

 

[b3nje909]

my other option..

is get a trick matching leaver housing set, with a "pi$$ cup" style resevoir...
and then add bar end mirrors.......

 

[Nobby]

Dude, if you have not dropped the bike or bashed the master cylinder into something,then it is clearly a manafacturing fault.Ive dealt with yamaha a few times on warranty issues.Try to get hold of the yamaha guy yourself.On my old bike(xtx660) I got a brand new tank(fuel) resprayed & fitted,this bike I have a brand new instrument cluster(still in box if anyone interrested)because they could'nt find why my highbeam indicator light would'nt work(I found the broken wire)Persistance is the key:thumbup:

 

[Hellgate]

Hey all I know is you've got a dating service on Ebay in AUS!

That brake/lever kit looks good but I'd be wary of it, OEM is usually the best for many things, and in this case it looks like you've got a good case for warranty.

 

[Nobby]

PS,You can contact Yamaha through the customer service link on there web site...

 

[Bikebiz]

I'm not taking anyone's side on this one (ie being from the dealership) but they're surely going to knock it back. A crack in the viewing window on the master cylinder reservior, a year from delivery, isn't a manufacturing fault. There's no confined stress point on the glass even under full application. If there was a manufacturing issue the seal around the glass would weep, or it would blow out all together. It wouldn't crack.

All signs show it was from a stray rock. It would be nice if they warranted it for good will's sake, but you have to understand that if they did this on all occasions they'd soon go broke! If the viewing window wasn't cracked, it wouldn't even be questioned by them.

 

[Kriswithak]

No harm in trying however.
Doesn't cost anything to send a few emails and argue your case.
The should be interested in the case regardless of fault, since having the viewing window at the front is a bad design concept for this very reason.
Also not sure on the FZ6 but the old one I had was plastic not glass, and the fluid actually had deteriorated the material over time, unlikely but possible a bad fluid change may have caused the issue if the wrong stuff was put in.

 

[b3nje909]

I've given up on warranty, and taken matters into my own hands. Found a 06 model I think, has the plastic viewing glass. Got it for 30.. It's mirror mount is damaged tho, so I'll find a barend mirror and get on with riding.

Find it incredible what some shops wanted for bleading the brakes, took it to my guy, he can fit it for 40 with fluid. Win.
Why some places think they can charge 150+ to fit a brake resevoir is beyond me..

This is not, for the moment my be all end all fix. I would prefer a better looking resevoir as this one is kinda scratched, but for time being, it gives me some wheels again.

 

[b3nje909]

Did some1 say street fighter!!!!

the replacment resevoir I got had a cracked moutning bracket for its mirror. riding around with one mirror looked odd. so a replacement was needed.

bar ends cost wayaaayyyy to much. so I found this instead.

Dual Star.
$40

available from Ballards at Penrith.

Me like.
I've realised that I only ever used my mirrors to look for the fuzz behind me..
so now, I'll just slow it down abit..

 

[Kriswithak]

That mirror for checking how cool your looking, or seeing other stuff