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  • No one likes squealing and squeaking brakes.

  • We’ve had a follower sending this good question.

  • Here Foreman Oh gives his answer on what causes it and how to remedy it.

The question for TechTOC with Foreman Oh Kah Beng today is about squealing disc brakes, something that none of us like. What could be the cause and what would be the solution? TOC Automotive College Motorsports Consultant and Most Fun Gym Principal Instructor, Foreman Oh Kah Beng answers.

QUESTION:

My brakes are always squealing when I apply them. I have tried cleaning them but it still happens.

— TAN SUAN HOR, Melaka, Kawasaki ER-6n

ANSWER:

May I assume that you clean your brakes (disc brakes?) with commercially available brake cleaner solutions? You may try to do so if you are not already. Spray onto the discs directly and wipe off the residue. Be careful to not spray onto painted areas such as the rims and leave it on!

Cleaning brake discs – Courtesy of rideapart.com

However, if you have already done so and they still squeak, the discs are most probably “glazed.” Sand and dirt picked up during rain storms will get trapped between the brake pads and discs. Then as you brake, enough heat is generated to embed the sand and dirt into the discs. This is glazing. As such, you need to either “skim” the discs if they are within their wear tolerance or replace them altogether if they are not. There are workshops who provide this service.

Glazed brake disc

Other conditions that can cause brake squeal are worn pads, broken securing clip (which holds the pads in place at the back of caliper), pads with insufficient insulation or insulation shims, and no surface cut (which is common on motorcycle brake discs).

Parts of brake pads

Hence, you may also try different brake pad compounds. Those with high metallic content (usually those marked “FOR RACING”) will scour the discs and squeal. Keep an ear out when a racing superbike comes to a stop in the pits.

Keep sending in your questions to me at TechTOC with Foreman Oh to stand the chance of receiving a complimentary session at Most Fun Gym.

You may follow us at Most Fun Gym – MFG through our Facebook page.

Please visit the TOC Automotive College Facebook page or their campus (map below) or call call (+603) 7960 8833 for more information. Likewise, you can find more information about the TOC Bina Bakat Program here, or email info@toc.edu.my. Please click on this link for further information on the TOC Superbike Technician Course.

  • Our new column, TechTOC with Foreman Oh seeks to assist you with your technical questions or issues with your motorcycle.

  • The winning question earns the sender a complimentary session at Most Fun Gym (MFG) worth RM300.

  • Prizes are also available for 2nd and 3rd placed questions.

We have been featuring the TechTOC with Foreman Oh column for a couple of weeks now and we’ve received a few interesting questions. Please click here for the first and here for the second column.

We’ve received many enquiries from our readers and followers in the past and although we attempted to answer every question, we couldn’t answer all due to our heavy schedule and time constraints.

But we now have “Foreman” Oh Kah Beng, also known as “KB” among his friends and “Sifu” by his students (us included).

We’ve featured KB and his current Most Fun Gym (MFG) motocross school extensively, as we discovered that riding in the dirt has immensely improved our riding skills. Please click on the link below about MFG.

Mastering All Roads by Riding Where There is No Road

As we’ve also written before, KB was the very first Malaysian GP rider, who raced on classic race bikes such as the two-stroke TZ750 against other GP greats such as Wayne Gardner and Ron Haslam. And won. Please click on the link below to read more about KB.

Most Interesting Biker –Oh Kah Beng

To refresh, KB has now been appointed as the Motorsports Consultant at the TOC Automotive College (TOC) due to his racing, wrenching and coaching background.

Not only that, the riders and even the mechanics of the TOC-HKM Toyo MSBK team are undergoing MX training at MFG in order to upgrade their skills.

So, since TOC and KB are providing motorcycle-based training, who better to answer your questions than the legendary Foreman Oh Kah Beng himself.

But it gets better, because in the interest of training more riders the fundamentals of handling a motorcycle:

  • The winning question receives a complimentary training session at MFG, coached by KB himself. Don’t worry about the motorcycle and equipment, as MFG will loan you the appropriate riding gear from head to toe and put you on the bike corresponding to your skill level. The package is worth RM300. Yes, absolutely free!
  • The 2nd-placed question will win you 2 tickets to the 2018 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK).
  • The 3rd-placed question will earn you a coveted Most Fun Gym t-shirt.

Please send in your questions now (PM us at https://www.facebook.com/BikesRepublic/), but please be specific about the issue(s) you are facing, and include your full name and your city of residence. So, start typing!

  • TOC HKMTOYO Racing Team leads the Superbike standings.

  • The team is formed through the TOC Technical College and HKMToyo Racing Team.

  • Round 1 of the 2018 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship marked the first outing for the team.

The TOC HKMTOYO Racing Team was recently constituted, concurrently with the launch of TOC Automotive College’s (TOC) Motorcycle Technician Training course. (Please click here for our coverage.)

As TOC believes that technical training does not only involve repairing vehicles, as motorsports is seen as the ultimate way for the school to impart knowledge and training to their students in a fun way to face the challenges associated with racing. As such, they have also a racing division called School of Motorsports. This division has spawned four-wheeled racing champions in the past and it is only natural that they extend it to two-wheeled motorsports as well.

Headed by Team Principal Mohd. Najuib Alias, HKMTOYO Racing Team is the defending MSBK champion from 2017. The team had also worked with MARA for industrial training in the past thus the tie-up with TOC Automotive College for the 2018 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship makes sense, if not inevitable.

The newly formed team combines the technical skills, knowledge and experience of the HKMTOYO Racing Team and personnel from TOC. TOC had also secured the services of Malaysian GP legend and current MX trainer at Most Fun Gym “Foreman” Oh Kah Beng as the Motosports Director to supervise the team and provide MX training.

Four riders are contracted to the team for the Superbike and Superstock classes.

In the Superbike category, Ramdan Rosli raced in the FIM CEV Moto2 Championship in Spain. He was also a wildcard rider in the World Moto2 championship between 2014 to 2016. He rides the BMW S 1000 RR.

The second rider is Muhammad Jamalul Tarmizi, riding the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R.

As for the Superstock category, Amirul Hafiq Azmi and Nasarudin Mat Yop are the riders.

In Race 1 of the Superbike class, Ramdan took it easy at start of the wet race, falling behind Rajini Krishnan of Team RACR and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman of Chia Motor PJ. Soon, he was able to find his rhythm and started stalking the second-place man, and eventually passing Azlan Shah with 4 laps remaining to finish 2nd.

Muhammad Jamalul rode a steady race to finish 5th, for a tally of two TOC HKMTOYO bikes in the Top 5.

As for Race 2, Ramdan had started strong and was in a three-way battle among Rajini and Azlan Shah. However, Rajini crashed at the start of Lap 3, leaving the two other riders to fight it out. Unfortunately, Ramdan had started to slow from that point with brake problems and allowing Azlan Shah to ride away 2 seconds faster per lap.

As for Muhammad Jamalul, he went one better this time and came home in fourth.

“There was no front brake. The lever came all the way back to the handle grip,” lamented Ramdan. “The only I could make it work was to hold the lever back slightly but I still didn’t have full braking power.”

That was amazing feat considering the monumental challenge.

In the Superstock category, Amirul Hafiz Azmi finished in 5th in Race 1 but forced to retire in Race 2, while his teammate Nasarudin May Yusop picked up 3rd in Race 2.

The TOC HKMTOYO Racing Team now leads the riders’ and teams’ championship in the Superbike Category of the 2018 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK) as the series heads into the Ramadhan and Hari Raya Puasa break.

PICTURE GALLERY

He’s a living racing legend and proof that age doesn’t matter. Get to know Oh Kah Beng in this instalment of our Most Interesting Biker series.

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We take a peek inside the Most Fun Gym (MFG) motocross park in Sungai Penchala.

(more…)

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