This past Saturday, I stopped by my friendly mechanic for a quick chat. While talking, I did what I usually do: look in the shop’s scrap metal pile. There, amidst discarded bolts, nuts, and rusted pieces of exhaust pipes, I saw this little piece of aluminum.
The first thing that came to mind was: Rear Brake Master Cylinder Cover!
Now, it may not look like much, but I’m a visionary or sorts. On the plus side, I envisioned the smooth quarter-sized bend as an ideal shape for my application. I asked if I could have it, received a snide joke in response, and took it home with me.
I feel a little background is appropriate:
For the past few weeks I’ve been getting my 650GS ready for this year’s riding. Since the snowbanks in front of my house are well over four feet tall, I can’t get any riding done this time of the year. Nevertheless, this doesn’t prevent me from dreaming up, and planning, rides I’d like to complete once the white stuff melts away. The first big ride of the year will come in mid April: a 2500-mile trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
To improve my chances of a trouble-free journey, I’ve been working on the bike, improving this and that, and adding a few protective pieces. One of the items on the to-do list was, in fact, a rear brake master cylinder cover. The cylinder itself is installed in a very vulnerable place, that is, low to the ground and fully exposed to rocks. Aside from being expensive to replace, finding myself without rear brake in middle of nowhere is the last thing I wish for.
To shift the odds my way a little, I’ve been looking to add a cover to this indispensable piece of equipment. Touratech makes one, but, as with all Touratech stuff, it is expensive. A fellow ADVer fabricates and sells well made aftermarket pieces, and I was about to order one, that is, until I found this little piece of scrap aluminum.
Well, I got it home, measured a few different angles, and got some basic tools ready: A saw, a drill press, and a few files.
The first step was to cut the scrap piece in two. The larger one would eventually become the master cylinder cover, while the smaller piece would become a cover for the reservoir.
Once cut, I aligned it with the brake cylinder, and marked the mounting holes location. I then cut a little off, bent the piece in a vise, and drilled the holes.
Next, I mounted it on the bike and, with the help of a level, marked my lines so the final shape would run parallel with the ground. This is simply a design preference, but I do like the look of it.
After the piece was cut, I measured where to cut the horizontal slots I wanted to have on it. Two holes were drilled on the opposite ends of each slot, with the remaining metal between those being cut out with a saw.
A few passes with a file to smooth things out, add a little radius here and a little there, and the cylinder cover was ready.
Once satisfied with the final appearance and function, I moved on to the smaller piece I cut off earlier. A little bending in a vise, a few cuts, and two horizontal slots later, it was ready to be installed.
Now, this is what I call Ultimate Recycling!
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