Mechanic left rear drum too tight!

[warriorpoet]

Hey guys! I'm very new to motorcyles but im fairly mechanicly inclined. I dropped my bike off at the shop to get some new tires. I got it back and it ran great...super smooth wonderful ride. I noticed on my way home that it was hard to move the bike when it was in neutral. That little voice in my head told me to check it out but i ignored it. It would move but it wasnt near as easy as when i first got my bike. I drove it home and then drove it to work this morning....on my way to work i noticed a significant loss of power and smelled that wonderful burning smell. So i pulled over and my rear brake was smoking. I loosened the nut to release the tension and drove the rest of the way to work. The bike works fine but now the ride isnt as smooth. Any ideas what could be wrong? do i need a new drum brake?

[raul10141964]

If the mechanic don't know haw to set the brake i will check if the spacers are install correctly

[Water Warrior 2]

Here is what happened at the shop. The rear wheel was installed and likely the tech adjusted the chain slack for you and over did it slightly. By moving the wheel rearward for the chain adjust the rear brake drum actuating lever is pulled slightly. Hence, the rear brake drags and heats up. You backed off the brake and solved the problem. Good for you.

[warriorpoet]

Awesome! thanks water warrior! So now after riding it for a day ive found that the ride isnt as smooth as it was before....the brake works fine but there is a slight consistent bobbing coming from the back tire i believe. Could the brake being too tight cause the tire to be out of balance?

[eranby]

I would ask the tech to check the rear brake-there might be some debris
in that cause the problem, rear wheel balance has nothing to do with that.
best thing is open the rear brake and have good inspection on the brake shoes
condition.

[Water Warrior 2]

How tight is the chain. If it was tightened too much it will act as a rebound spring when the rear suspension compresses as you ride. I noticed that on my Vstrom when a tech got enthusiastic about the first chain adjustment during the first servicing. I always did my own regular servicing after that.

[warriorpoet]

I adjusted the chain to the correct measurements and im still getting a fairly consistent bumpy ride...ill have the mechanic look at the brake on friday and keep yall posted...its driving me insane

[Water Warrior 2]

The new tire could be out of round. Raise the rear of the bike by whatever means you have and spin the tire. Actually you should maybe do both tires for an out of round condition. Also check for a slight wobble of the tires just to eliminate a few more possibles. Best to go armed with as much info as possible when visiting the shop again.
Here's a thought. Did you check the tire pressures.
If a new tire is out of round it should be replaced by the shop.

[5th_bike]

Mine had that with the new rear tire, I put it on blocks and rotated the wheel and over a length of about 6-8 inches there was an max. 1/8 inch bump in the tire, they replaced it for free. FWIW it was a Dunlop. The new one was fine.

[warriorpoet]

This may be a silly question but how do i measure if the tire is out of round?

[Water Warrior 2]

This may be a silly question but how do i measure if the tire is out of round?
When you spin the tire you will see that it is not round but likely has a bump or is slightly oval. It should be round and not out of shape. Viewed from the side as it rotates it will be noticeable. Do try to spin the tire and view it from the rear too. You may see a bulge on the side of the tire if it is defective.
Give the entire tire a good inspection on both sides where the tire seats to the rim. It should be seated properly but you never know.
Did you check the tire pressure as I suggested??

[warriorpoet]

Tire pressure is good and the wheels look good...i took the bike into the shop today to see if they could diagnose the problem....turns out that the rear sprocket drum is loose.... with the bike sitting still i could move the sprocket a good half inch back and forth....probly due to the extra stress on the sprocket from the brake being to tight...mechanic is going to fix it at no cost =)

[Water Warrior 2]

Tire pressure is good and the wheels look good...i took the bike into the shop today to see if they could diagnose the problem....turns out that the rear sprocket drum is loose.... with the bike sitting still i could move the sprocket a good half inch back and forth....probly due to the extra stress on the sprocket from the brake being to tight...mechanic is going to fix it at no cost =)
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