WHY you should take your brakes apart once a year.

[Courtney]

Rebuilding my front brakes after ignoring them for 4 yrs, other than to change the brake fluid. This is what I found. Imagine if I'd hammered on the front binders and this had wedged into the brakes somehow. Can you say massive stoppie??? Maybe not, but holey cow, NOT cool. SBS sintered brake pads, about 8 yrs old. This is called operator gets what he deserves, look at the rust that crawled under the bonded pad. We don't have an suicide icon or I'd put it here.

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[donebysunday]

OMG ! that is scary very scary ! Looking at that metalic full set on ebay now.

[Courtney]

OMG ! that is scary very scary ! Looking at that metalic full set on ebay now.

I bought the carbon/kevlar ones, apparently softer on our rotors.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Front-Rear-Carbon-Kevlar-Brake-Pads-1980-Yamaha-XS1100-LG-Midnight-Special-/360652851802?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item53f895ca5a&vxp=mtr

I'm one of the 5 he's sold so far. They are Volar brand pads, so I did a bit or research on other forums. Guys are saying they seem fine, but you also have the nay-sayers saying don't use cheap brakes. True to a point, but with the 1000's they've sold and nobody launching a law suit yet, I'm taking a chance. Of course I'll drive up and down my street with them first to see what they respond like. If they're great, I'll be ordering another set for spares.

[skids]

Mr. Hook! What side are we looking at here??? Hopefully not the pad sides!

[WMarshy]

Idk about taking them apart every year but inspecting them once a year is a good idea. Once a year I put on a new rear tire so the rear brake is checked then. Front tire is every 3rd year...

Maybe stop rining in the winter on salty roads...?

[Courtney]

[QUOTE=

Maybe stop rining in the winter on salty roads...? [/QUOTE]

Exactly. Out here in the winter they go through piles of rocksalt.

[Courtney]

Mr. Hook! What side are we looking at here??? Hopefully not the pad sides!

That is the pad material on the right broken away from the backing steel plate on the left. You are seeing the backside of the pad material, and you can see the bump in the middle of it goes into that matching crater in the middle of the steel plate. I opened it up like a sandwich to show it.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Court,

Wow, that is a bit scary! Guess the METAL in the sintered pad helped it to rust and breakdown??

Remember, it will take a little while for the new pads to seat in, so you can't gauge how they feel right out of the box, you'll want to put a few hundred miles on them and then you will be able to better tell how they brake/feel!

When I put the new sport bike dual piston calipers on mine, it took a while to reseat the pads...at first they didn't brake/grab very well at all and I was a bit disappointed....but now that they are "braked-in"....pun intended....they grab and work very well!!

T.C.

[Courtney]

Hey Court,

Wow, that is a bit scary! Guess the METAL in the sintered pad helped it to rust and breakdown??

Remember, it will take a little while for the new pads to seat in, so you can't gauge how they feel right out of the box, you'll want to put a few hundred miles on them and then you will be able to better tell how they brake/feel!

When I put the new sport bike dual piston calipers on mine, it took a while to reseat the pads...at first they didn't brake/grab very well at all and I was a bit disappointed....but now that they are "braked-in"....pun intended....they grab and work very well!!

T.C.

Agreed TC, and I'll be testing those brakes very cautiously as they are a new unknown to me. I've always used Yamaha or SBS pads, these Volar will have to prove themselves. I'm willing to be a guinea pig and "take one" for the team though. If they prove to be good, I'll be buying a backup set. For 26 bucks and free delivery off Ebay that's tough to beat, and that includes a COMPLETE SET for the whole bike, rear pads included.

[unicorncomputer]

How long are brake pads good for generally. I am not sure when PO did brakes last.

Please let us know what you think of them Courtney - if they are decent I may order a set to have as well.

Steve

Agreed TC, and I'll be testing those brakes very cautiously as they are a new unknown to me. I've always used Yamaha or SBS pads, these Volar will have to prove themselves. I'm willing to be a guinea pig and "take one" for the team though. If they prove to be good, I'll be buying a backup set. For 26 bucks and free delivery off Ebay that's tough to beat, and that includes a COMPLETE SET for the whole bike, rear pads included.

[Courtney]

How long are brake pads good for generally. I am not sure when PO did brakes last.

Please let us know what you think of them Courtney - if they are decent I may order a set to have as well.

Steve

Will do Unicorn, they should be arriving within the next week and I will put them in. I'll do a product evalutation.

[Courtney]

Brake pads last me about 3 seasons of riding mostly in the best 5 months of May-September. It all depends on what material you buy as well, as these carbon/kevlar ones will probably wear faster than sintered metal ones. Also your riding style. I'm pretty sedate these days, I've done enough hospital time.

[Prothec]

I bought the carbon/kevlar ones, apparently softer on our rotors.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Front-Rear-C...95ca5a&vxp=mtr

Unfortunately, the longevity of my front rotors will be from being bathed in fork oil.

[skids]

Unfortunately, the longevity of my front rotors will be from being bathed in fork oil.

Pads contaminated??? You don't want that!

[Prothec]

Pads contaminated??? You don't want that!

Yep, eventually I'll replace fork seals, dust covers and oil again, make sure they aren't going to leak, then new pads again. At least my commute is short..