Oddball brake "problem". Betcha never heard of this one!

[11Rider]

Hi there my fellow 11 compadres. I was taking my front end apart this evening in order to put on my new fork gaiters (looks righteous IMHO). While I was in there I took a closer look at my brake pads. The pads are wearing on a diagonal plane, and significantly so. The effect is on both brakes. If you were to look at one, you would see that one pad is thin on top and thick on the bottom, while the corresponding pad is thick on the top and thin on the bottom. This effect is so pronounced that each pad is near its wear limit on the thin side and almost new on the thick side. The brakes work fine (one caliper has a slight leak) and do not drag. Any ideas??

[natemoen]

If you have a special that is how they are designed, if you have a standard something is messed up.

[fredintoon]

Betha ain't the first to not f**king believe it.

- - - I took a closer look at my brake pads. The pads are wearing on a diagonal plane, and significantly so. The effect is on both brakes. If you were to look at one, you would see that one pad is thin on top and thick on the bottom, while the corresponding pad is thick on the top and thin on the bottom. - - -

Hi Rider,
if your bike is a Special it has ATE style swivelling calipers with pads that are supposed to be tapered.
The first time I checked my Special's front pads I tossed them out and bought new ones.
The garbage truck had come and gone by the time the new tapered pads showed up.

[SFerinTEXAS]

That was a really bad bet.

[DGXSER]

Join the looonnngg line!!!

Of folks who have posted that exact same "WTF" post. I would be willing to bet that almost EVERY new owner of an XS11 Special has posted or asked that exact same question. Yours truly inclusive.

But, as stated, that really is the way they are manufactured. It is by far the most F'ed braking system I have ever seen, and they drive me nuts trying to get things aligned. But it is what the Yamagods put in place.

[11Rider]

That was a really bad bet.

You made me laugh out loud I do have a Special. You are all saying that even the NEW pads woud be tapered?

[Rasputin]

Absolutely!

[natemoen]

Absolutely they will be!

[11Rider]

Wow, thanks guys. I was convincing myself the forks were bent or something. Thanks again!

[DGXSER]

I AM willing to bet that the pads you think look worn out and destroyed in a seriously goofy way, may well be practically brand new!!!

Straight form the factory the pads are all but down to the metal on the top or bottom and almost 3/8"at the top (maybe a 1/4").

See this THREAD (Told you I did it to )

[11Rider]

I could believe that since the guy I bought the bike off of is a member here with a good reputation and seemed told me he went over the bike thoroughly before he sold it to me.

[Ken Talbot]

Here's the photo again:



The groove down the middle of this Special pad is the wear limit indicator. When the groove is gone, you replace the pads, and scratch your head about how much friction material is still there in the wide end of the wedge.

[justme1100]

On a side note, my XJ rear pads are tapered and I thought that something was wrong so I tossed them and when the new pads arrived you should have seen the look on my face. The "old" pads had been brand new, I later found them in a box of old parts so I have used them this summer. Strange set-up but what ya gonna do.

[petejw]

just curious what bike the gaitors came off?

[11Rider]

I ordered them new through Bike Bandit (I think). I've had them for a while and finally had the time to put them on. They fit perfectly. I'll see if I can get a pic up sometime.