front brake adjustment; seat catch failure

[James Gillespie <jim.gillespie@xxxxxxxxxx>]

>>>>> Jonathan Schulster <Schulster@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

> I find the front brake on the ST to have way too much free travel
> before anything happens, although they are plenty powerful enough when
> it does start to bite.

    Me too!

> I am convinced this is dangerous, as I lost the front end for the
> first time ever on a bike (and survived!) on Sunday; the point at
> which the brakes start to bite seems to be totally inconsistent
> making it very difficult to judge even in the dry

    My bike isn't that bad, and I'm getting used to the biting point.

    After swapping email with Steve Lilley last week I tried tying the
brake lever to the bar overnight.  This worked initially but by the
end of a day's riding (about 100 miles, not pushing it) the lever was
going mushy again.

    I checked the routing of cables and brake lines and the left hand
side of the bike was fine but the brake line was being chafed on full
right lock.  The plastic coating has been worn away, revealing the
braided hose underneath.  I've cable-tied the brake line to the fork
leg but it's not an ideal solution.

> On another note; since the dealer fitted the pannier boxes last week I
> can no longer release the seat.  The key will not turn in the
> lock. Any ideas as to how this can be fixed?

    I wish >:-(  Yesterday I talked to the parts department of the
dealer I bought the bike from rather than the salesman; instead of the
salesman's endless "a couple of weeks" the parts guy called Triumph
and then called me back (a first!) to tell me that Triumph expect to
ship my bags in the week beginning 17 May :-(

    But at least I got a straight answer, which I find much preferable 
to being strung along by a salescum.

                Jim
- --
     Jim@          ,'_             And you can never have too many angle
  ixion.org.uk    / -.--.    ___   grinders, the most fun tool I've ever
+44 171 721 2672 _\_x ~-.`--'_.-'  played with.
                / /\\    \--'_ \\ 
'99 Sprint ST   \__/ `---'  \__/                         -- Mike Fleming

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