Hi All,
its been a long long long time since I last posted here.
A bit of info first the bike I am talking about is a 2021 V7 850 Stone. I got it in June 2021 and now have over 16000 miles on it and it has been ridden in all weathers that the UK can throw at it. This is just a heads up post for those with V7 850s and possibly also V85TT
I had the back wheel out to get the tyre changed.
So with the back wheel out I noticed that the rear brake pads are badly in need of changing. So order a set from Gutsibits.
I thought it would be a good idea to pull the caliper and get all the screw and bolts freed off and loosened just in case there was a stroppy one. And yes there was indeed a stroppy one. In this case one of the pins that holds the pads in the caliper.
These are a bit different to the ones you normally see in Brembos on Guzzis, instead of the normal push pin and retaining clip, these are allen headed one with the threads round the allen head (see piccy). Complete bugger to get out as Brembo (I assume) has used thread retainer. The second one is not budging even with the application of a lot of heat. Its not budging so much that all my efforts have fubared the allen head. So quick peak at parts list and a and a call to Gutsibits here in the UK(talked to Ed the owner ). But looking at the picture of the bit on Gutsibits website and Ed and I come to the conclusion that the part is not correctly numbered in the Moto Guzzi parts list.
The pin that is stuck is the one that is at the front of the caliper where all the gunge gets thrown. Im thinking that this has contributed to it being stuck very tightly.
The pads where unevenly worn with about 3mm left on one side and 1mm on the other. (Sorry no piccy) I havent seen a Brembo caliper like this before. It isnt the usual opposed piston type, but a single piston on a sliding carrier like a lot of the Japanese ones. I'm think that like the Japanese ones these will be prone to the sliding mechanism seizing. So that would be worth checking.
TO put this in to perspective my V7 850 is now over a year old and has over 16000 miles on the clock and has been ridden in all weathers. So I wouldnt expect to see this on lower mileage bikes or bikes that havent been ridden in winter or bad weather. If you are coming up for first or second service it maybe worth while asking who ever services the bike to check that the caliper pins can be removed and that the pad wear is even.