Woah Benny

In one of my many converstations with they guys at the Bultaco Center of Excellence, they told me that there are no new brake shoes for my motorcycle.  It seems that the 17" wheels that Bultaco used on the Mercurio are yet another of those rare things.  So - what to do?  Brakes are pretty important.  Google is my friend.

Of course - before you send anything off, you have to take something apart.  I started taking apart brake drums this weekend.  Wow - nasty mess inside.  But - I was able to get the old shoes off without breaking them.  Actually - I cheated a bit.  I had found a front brake on E-bay for a mercurio, and I bought it.  As rare as the bikes are, it seemed like a good idea.  I figured I'd mess with this one, and understand how to dismantle it before I messed with the one on my bike.  If I break it - so what?  I tore into it, and I broke one of the parts of the shoe where it attaches to the backing plate.  Whoops.  Good thing I got the real one apart without drama.  Also - after beating on the "test" drum for awhile to try and remove a bearing, I've decided to send them out for that job!

So - the second part:  Google helped me find Speed and Sport (www.speedandsport.com).  I talked to Matt - and they will re-condition my shoes (front and back) with new lining, as well as change my wheel bearings and paint the hubs.  Hopefully, when done, they will look like this (which is from Matt's site):

But first - I have to unlace the hub out of the wheel.  Spoke wrench is enroute........

Next I'll have to call Buchanan's and get some spokes.