Brake Pad Wear/Replacement

[Herb]

Anybody had to replace brake pads yet? I just checked mine and they're near to touching the telltale cut out mark(btw, anybody else have trouble seeing these cut outs while the pads are still in the calipers!?!!? I removed a pad to get a clearer look.)

I'm mostly a front brake guy except in bad conditions so my back brake pads are still in good shape but it looks like my fronts will be gone in under 14,000 miles. I'll be checking more frequently in the next month or so. My brake fluid level was dipping down.

Phil, Katherine. You changed your pads yet? Since I commute all year in some wet and dirty weather(I found some road sand in the air filter compartment when changing it!!??) so as the manual says I can expect shorter life on brake pads. Experience of others? This is pretty much what I got on my old cruisers but there was only one front brake disc not two....

 

[Phil Tarman]

Herb,

I'm coming up on 20,000 miles and aren't near to needing new pads yet. Sand will eat 'em up, won't it?

 

[elizilla]

My brake pads generally last a long time. So long that I have no sense for how long to expect them to last. So far, my NT's pads look fine.

 

[Lorien]

Let's ask the question again: Has anyone replaced brake pads? I ask because at 15kmiles mine are looking thin.

Lorien

 

[banjoboy]

I had my tires replaced at 6,000 miles. I could have gone a bit farther, many 1-2k, but at the rear brake was at 40%, I had the tech replace the pads as the wheel was off. The front had 80% still left and no need to do anything to it.

Terry

 

[JQL]

My rear pads were replaced by the Honda Agent at the last service (12,000 miles).

I do a lot of inner city riding during my commute to and from work and also a lot on the P?riph?rique and the urban motorways (primarily the A86), so they had taken a bit of a pounding. They might have just about lasted to the next service but it was doubtful.

The fronts are still OK.

 

[Lorien]

Fyi: I finally found those wear grooves that they talk about on the pads. They cannot be more! than 1mm from the metal surface of the pad. IF I ever get down to that little pad the slightest bit of uneven wear will have me putting metal shavings on the motor. Not sure what Honda was thinking there. Currantly at 16k and at least 4-5 mm left or more.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Lorien, That's all you need to keep from damaging the rotors. Disk brake pads wear amazingly evenly.

 

[elizilla]

Lorien, That's all you need to keep from damaging the rotors. Disk brake pads wear amazingly evenly.

At least on a relatively new bike like the NT. None of them are old enough yet, to have the stuck pistons that would make them wear unevenly. If you are inspecting your brakes (which you would do anyway, right?) and you see them wearing crooked, you shouldn't wait for the pads to wear down - fix that stuck piston immediately!

(With the older bikes I started my riding career on, stuck pistons were not unusual. After fixing stuck pistons on a couple of bikes, I once went to a forum event and walked around the parking lot and found that the majority of bikes had this type of issue. But at that point the bikes were all 15+ years old.)

 

[elizilla]

And speaking of older bikes... if you look at the scheduled maintenance for just about any bike, you are supposed to replace all the brake lines, every four years. I challenge you to find anyone who has ever replaced their brake lines as a maintenance item. The guys with the braided steel lines all do it as a performance mod. People not upgrading tend to just leave the stock lines aging in place. But it *is* on the list of things one should do.

Generally the only brake maintenance I hear of people doing, is replacing pads and fluids. I would say that any time you work on your brakes for any reason, it's a good idea to get in there and used the hydraulic system to push the pistons a little farther out than they would go with the pads in, inspect them to make sure they all move, and clean them. And when you replace the lines (as per the maintenance schedule!) as long as you are opening the hydraulics anyway, push the pistons all the way out first, clean the inside of the calipers thoroughly, and replace the piston seals, because they get hard with age.

 

[charlie b]

Not yet, but, I need to check the rear again. Since I got the Moto Guzzi (also linked brakes) I find I use the brake pedal a lot more than previously. On the Honda that means there will be a lot more wear on the rear pads.

And most of my travel is on interstate during my commute (2 lights in 30 miles). So brakes tend to last a long time for me.

Heck I am almost at 9k miles and the stock tires are still good

 

[Warren]

And speaking of older bikes... if you look at the scheduled maintenance for just about any bike, you are supposed to replace all the brake lines, every four years. I challenge you to find anyone who has ever replaced their brake lines as a maintenance item. The guys with the braided steel lines all do it as a performance mod. People not upgrading tend to just leave the stock lines aging in place. But it *is* on the list of things one should do.

Generally the only brake maintenance I hear of people doing, is replacing pads and fluids. I would say that any time you work on your brakes for any reason, it's a good idea to get in there and used the hydraulic system to push the pistons a little farther out than they would go with the pads in, inspect them to make sure they all move, and clean them. And when you replace the lines (as per the maintenance schedule!) as long as you are opening the hydraulics anyway, push the pistons all the way out first, clean the inside of the calipers thoroughly, and replace the piston seals, because they get hard with age.

I am a chicken. I am going to leave any brake work up to the dealer. The whole ABS deal is more than I want to deal with.

 

[elizilla]

I am a chicken. I am going to leave any brake work up to the dealer. The whole ABS deal is more than I want to deal with.

Well, if you are having the dealer replace the hoses, have them rebuild the calipers while they are at it. Pinch pennies by getting aftermarket braided lines instead of the rubber OEM lines, since they're cheaper and better.

 

[Warren]

Well, if you are having the dealer replace the hoses, have them rebuild the calipers while they are at it. Pinch pennies by getting aftermarket braided lines instead of the rubber OEM lines, since they're cheaper and better.

I have SS lines on my XS650 which are a great improvement. I even put those on myself but all the way around vintage bikes are a lot easier to work on. In fact the XS650 only has one disk on the front with a single piston. Pretty easy to service. I am surprised that the OEM's have not gone over to SS brake lines as standard.

 

[karl]

You are talking about Teflon hoses to replace the "rubber" hoses rather than all the steel lines on the bike. Other than the lower cost what is the advantage/ is there a down side?

 

[elizilla]

Talking about braided steel lines.

Advantage: They expand less under hydraulic pressure so the brakes will feel crisper. They don't sack out with age. They look cool. You can get them in a rainbow of colors, even mix and match banjo colors and line colors.
Disadvantage: You have to either find a vendor who already has the measurements for the bike, or else you have to send in the existing lines to be matched - there's a length component AND the angles of the banjo harware. Also, get the coated ones, otherwise you'll get rub marks anywhere they touch.

 

[karl]

The stuff inside is Teflon or PTFE if you get past the Hype. They do as you stated have some advantage over unserviceable "rubber" hose there are downsides as well.

 

[Phil Tarman]

there are downsides as well.

Karl, what are the downsides? I've never changed brake lines, but have thought about the braided and coated ones because they look cool. But, as everyone knows, I've never spent money just to look cool.

 

[karl]

It is possible to damage the tubing without visible damage to the protective wrap leading to a no warning brake failure. But yes they "look cool"

 

[Phil Tarman]

Hmm, didn't know that. Probably wouldn't spend the money anyway. I've never had any trouble with stock brake lines.