Anyone know what this part is

[Reg Varney]

Hi,

I've been lurking for some time but now I need to ask this fountain of knowledge a question.


This evening I was replacing the rear brake pads on my 09 Alp 700 ABS, when I'd finished I noticed what looks like a small spring on the ground below the bike, I've checked the workshop manual and the online parts diagram, but it doesn't show it in either.


The brake seems to be working fine, but does anyone know where this part goes

[hotbulb]

Difficult to tell from the photo, but could it be the "Pad Reatainer" (sic)? .... that seems to be the only spring-like thing (apart from the Pad Spring which is pretty distinctive)
Or is it just one of those odd bits that appears on the ground randomly, but which you only notice at the end of a complicated job,and cause all sorts of worries.(I once had a gravel drive and was forever finding odd things which looked as if they were terribly important - but I could never find where they'd come from, and never found anything missing from the Land Rover)

[jarl]

It's not shown on that picture (why not?) but it's the pad retainer spring for the other side of the callipper. So there's the pad retainer spring shown on that picture, and on the opposite end of the pads, the bit you're holding sits. The curve is so that it covers the contact point of pads to callipper, and then gets out of the way for the pad retaining bolt.

Or at least, it is on my 650.

[sadpsych]

looks like hotbulb may be right about the randomly appearing important looking thinghymabob.

The pad retaining spring on the 700 is flat and L shaped, the pad spring is also flatish. none of the springs on the brakes fold over on themselves like the one in the pic.

[Reg Varney]

Well went to two Honda dealers this morning and spoke to the "mechanics" and they just scratched thier head and said they didn't know what it is


Perhaps hotbulb is right, it's one of these random bits that suddenly appear on the ground


Went for a long run and the brake seems to be working ok


Thanks for your replies.

[Kjell Lindberg]

Could it be that the old Pad spring was broken, and this is a part from it?

[AlanH]

A clearer photo would help but from what I can make out, it doesn't look like part of the caliper - more like a trim clip of some sort.

[Lutin]

It might have nothing to do with your bike at all.

[Windmill John]

Lutin got in before me, but how about from a pair of pliers, circlip pliers etc?

[Lutin]

Lutin got in before me....

I have a reputation to uphold, don't ya know.