Why no back brake?

[Snorty]

So I'm going to get a new back tyre put on today, on the way up the road I go to use a little back brake, no resistance in the pedal at all...

I took the pressure off immediately thinking of some sort of fluid leak...

Get there (after reaching triple digits) to see my caliper is no longer on the disc... held on by the torque arm only and the two bolts completely missing.

Wut? Do caliper bolts tend to vibrate loose? I know they were tightened up well when the rear pads were changed...
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[Pete.]

No, they don't usually vibrate loose, especially being probably fine thread bolts in cast alloy. They were either not tight enough or too tight and pulled the threads.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Snorty]

The threads were fine, I put some new ones in. Maybe somebody is trying to kill me.
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[Snorty]

In any case it shattered my pads to bits, lucky it was still attached to the torque arm or that could have been ugly.
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[-Matt-]

I didn't go down this route myself as i was using a torque wrench and was worried it might actually cause more problems, but a friend of mine tightens by hand [perhaps not wise with 'critical' bolts i dont know ] and i know he uses a small dab of medium loctite on the bolts to keep them secure.

[Snorty]

I'm a bit suspicious to be honest.
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[-Matt-]

Row with the mrs

[Snorty]

Hah, no Mrs to have a row with.

Perhaps it was just loose but to be honest the last time it was interfered with (by me) was around 700 miles ago. I'd have thought if it were loose I'd have noticed before now, or it'd have happened before now, which makes me wonder if somebody has tampered with it.

There are easier ways to do it I suppose. Cutting the brake lines would make more sense.
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[Vincent]

Very serious................if someone has loosened them, but not unheard of. Can you think of anywhere it may have been tampered with while parked up? I'd be tempted to lay a trap.
Yeah - very, very serious

If you left it loose, if you don't already, it's worth double-checking all fasteners when working on anything crucial like brakes. If you get paranoid, you could stick a dab of paint on the nut once tightened so you can check it at a glance.

Definitely not not nice to think someone may be messing with your bike though - I've had it happen.....just the once when someone I knew thought it might be funny to loosen my handlebars. That sort of thing really grinds with me
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Space Is Deep

[Snorty]

Would've been worse to do the front brakes, I'd have flown out of my driveway and straight into the wall opposite ha.
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[-Matt-]

Did you torque them up out of interest or just 'very tight' by hand.

Vincents paint on the bolt idea sounds good as a precaution

[Snorty]

[-Matt-]

I'd start there as a first step when you get them back on, but definately go for the paint as a precaution just in case some lunatics out to get you

Having only used a torque wrench on mine it made me realise [maybe not as important as it seems i dont know] but how far off i probably would of been in terms of the torque had i done it by hand.

Even if you don't torque the entire bike by the book, perhaps at least worth it on the few real critical bits that are likely to fuck you over if they do come loose like with the brake

[MarJay]

Maybe the tyre fitter loosened them to make getting the wheel off easier, and then forgot to tighten them?
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[nathan k]

Well atleast who ever is trying to kill you is not very good at it, who only does the rear brake these days?

[Acemastr]

I'd have gone about 6 months before realising this
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2017 KTM 350 XC-F - 2014 Yamaha R6 - 2005 Yamaha YZ125
2016 Toyota Tacoma Limited

[Vincent]

It may have been someone looking for cheap parts for their own bike.
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Space Is Deep

[BTTD]

[barrkel]

[Pete.]

[instigator]

[Islander]

[-Matt-]

If i read and understood OPs first post didnt this happen before reaching the tyre fitter

I wasnt endorsing the loctite option by the way just something i know a mate does,do at your own risk til someone can verify

[MarJay]

[Pol Anorl]