Brake pad advice

[salty_monk]

Two things I've picked up with aftermarket brake pads over the years in general not just the GS....

Make sure the backing plates are the correct size, some brands I've had to relieve with a file to make sure they move in the caliper properly. If it catches then generally it will make the brake drag (or stick on).

Be wary of cheaper pads when they get low on friction material. One way they save $$ is to use a thinner backing plate. If your rotors are a bit worn, backing plate a bit thinner & the pads are worn out there is a danger that the pads have excess tolerance and can drop out of the caliper. I've only seen it happen twice but it does happen....

 

[bwringer]

Two things I've picked up with aftermarket brake pads over the years in general not just the GS....

Make sure the backing plates are the correct size, some brands I've had to relieve with a file to make sure they move in the caliper properly. If it catches then generally it will make the brake drag (or stick on).

Be wary of cheaper pads when they get low on friction material. One way they save $$ is to use a thinner backing plate. If your rotors are a bit worn, backing plate a bit thinner & the pads are worn out there is a danger that the pads have excess tolerance and can drop out of the caliper. I've only seen it happen twice but it does happen....

Agreed... whatever the vehicle, pay very close attention to brake pad fitment. If you need to do much fettling.... reconsider. Low quality in the parts you can see will certainly also mean low quality in the compounding as well.


I've tried cheaper pads (why, O why, do motorcycle brake pads cost so %$#@! much?) that actually seemed to work fine at first, but scared the absolute poo out of me in the first hard rain.

In addition to thickness and overall shape, there is a very difficult balance that needs to be achieved in the compound for street usage. You need pads that last a decent number of miles, that don't damage the rotors, and have good, predictable, progressive friction characteristics in the dry (not too "grabby", just grabby enough...).

It seems that the hardest part to get just right is behavior in the wet. What you want is consistent, predictable friction, so you know exactly what you're going to get when you grab the lever. The major brand "organic" pads are the best in this regard, hands-down. Just when proper braking is most difficult, you have what you need, predictability.

Personally, I've found that sintered pads, like EBC HH, give up a little something in this regard on modern bikes, but it's at a more or less acceptable level. In return, you get better grab and power in the dry.

However, the cheaper pads I've tried (and I've tried several) seem to turn greasy in the wet. Worse, once they finally sweep the water off the rotor, they grab suddenly. So you get a sphincter-clenching endless moment of little or no braking action, you pull the lever even harder, then two or three turns of the front wheel later, there's a sudden grab. Not good for continued verticality.

 

[salty_monk]

Yeah brake pads aren't a place to go cheap... Luckily we don't have to deal with the wet weather much here, the sun is shining today