so trying to be smart..i took off the rear wheel to clean under the tail where it was all muddy. well after having some trouble getting the wheel back on with the chain a piece of the brake falls out some of the pads. and now i need to allign the wheel and fix the chain. any suggestions?

 

You're not an idiot. Kudos for taking life by the horns and doing this yourself! A lot of riders never go beyond changing the oil.
I strongly recommend getting a copy of the Factory Service Manual & Supplement, which is different from the Owner's Manual. It gives you all of the parts diagrams and torque values on this, as well as instructions.
Once you got this and the necessary tools, it's just like following a cookbook.

The part(s) that fell out are indeed the brake pads. With the rear wheel removed, you shoule be able to grab and lift off the caliper from the swingarm. Clean that caliper out as well as you can, and it should become apparent to you how the brake pads are reinserted.
There should also be a small, thin metal clip which is the pad-retainer. It is very easy to install the brake pads incorrectly, so take your time and ensure they're lined up straight (relative to the disk rotor.)
I accidentally put the pad in slightly ****-eyed and the pads wore out completely in less than 5000 miles. When they're installed properly, they should last almost 20,000 miles.

Get the factory service manual and supplement. It will cost ~60-$70, but it will easily pay for itself in the long run.
Good luck and let us know how it goes!
-CCinC

 

hey chris thanks for the advice. i took the caliper off the swing arm and brought it inside because when i had finally got it off the piston was stuck so high that i couldnt fit both pads in between it.so i finally got the piston out of the chamber.(excuse my choice of words.) and i put it back in. probably a dumb idea. so now i put the caliper back on the bike and the wheel and chain on...but now the piston doesnt have any pressure and the rear brakes dont work at all..there was no brake fluid in the resevoir so i went to schucks and bought some..and still no pressure. and the piston is stuck in the chamber now. any suggestions? am i gonna have to buy new brakes?

 

You unhooked the brake caliper from the hydraulic line?
Errm... I really wouldn't go any further until you've got the Factory Service Manual and Supplement.

If you misstated the part about removing your brake caliper and taking it inside, and it is still mounted on the hydraulic line, all you need do is force the pads apart (but not too far) enough that you can fit them around the brake rotor, then mount the wheel, brake caliper, and axle on the bike, pumping up the pressure in the brake (which will take a few pumps of the brake pedal and will press the pistons and pads out to their proper point.)

In either case, I wouldn't take any more steps until you've got the Factory Service Manual and Supplement.

Good luck.
-CCinC

 

yeah i did...so back the idiot point.
i just took the caliper to a motorcycle service place. they got the piston out of it....i guess i should just take my bike in? i guess i f*cked up. any idea what that might cost to fix?

 

Before I can answer that, I must ask (with trembling hand) what else you're not telling us about.
If you didn't push the pistons in far enough damage the brake slave cylinder piston seals, I suppose a competent tech should be able to press the pistons back out with compressed air, reattach the line, fill it and get you back together in less than an hour (~$80). Of course if the piston seals are damaged and now leak, it will take longer and you'll probably have to wait a week or so while the ordered seals come in.

If you had bought the service manual, it would have cost less than this and you would have been spared the needless expense & embarrassment. (And the manual details how to do other things like this.) While you're at the dealership, tell them you want to order the Factory Service Manual and Supplement too.

And don't get too discouraged. I've made plenty of more expensive mistakes than this. As long as you learn something, it's not money wasted.
If you're already paying the tuition, you might as well pay attention too.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
Peace!
-CCinC

 

into the shop we go....on f riday

 

well the bikes in the shop...75 bucks to bleed the rear brakes...uhg too bad idk how to do it myself

 

You mean: "Too bad I didn't spend that money on the Factory Service Manual and a $7.00 bottle of brake fluid instead."
What did you learn today?

 

haha well if i did buy that service manual then i would need to buy a vacuum pump to bleeed them...its a good think i just went to the shop and didnt f*ck my bike up even more