Brake Pads

[steveb]

I'm coming up to needing to change my brake pads, I was wondering if anyone can recommend any specific sets?

I'm not going to change my disc's from standard but would like to improve the brake performance by using better pads.............unless they are going to wear my disc's out uber quickly.

Thanks all

[marlbororman]

Braided hoses make a big differance mine came with them fitted, and rode it for a couple of years, then swapped bikes on a ride out, for one on standard hoses, and found myself panicking on the first corner i came to

[tony.mon]

Been using sintered pads on standard discs for four years now with no wear probs.

Even cheap HH sintered pads are better than Honda originals, IMHO.

[vtrbarmy]

Haven't had to swap them out on my STorm yet, but on my Zooki 1400 I use SBS pads, found them just a tad better and forgiving than EBC (also good pad) - no wear on discs with either, braking nice and controlable, wet or dry.

If you do go SBS though, go for SBS Excel, these are the road versions, SBS Carbon are the race ones, work brilliantly once they have warmed up, trouble is they cool down again in road conditions like motorways and aren't quite so good. Nope SBS Excel - love 'em.

[steveb]

Braided hoses make a big differance mine came with them fitted, and rode it for a couple of years, then swapped bikes on a ride out, for one on standard hoses, and found myself panicking on the first corner i came to

All braided up already............like you, mine came with them.

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

[AMCQ46]

I rate the EBC HH pads, but I gave up on the standard calipers as the braking was poor no mater what I tried.

Fitted SS hoses, EBC pads, stripped and cleaned the MC and Calipers, but it was never as good as I wanted. Now have CBR600 calipers and master Cyl and am very happy with braking.........at last..........oh and I put EBC HH in them as well.

[Zakalwe]

I use EBC Extreme pads on the track, and they are fecking awesome (once they get some heat in them) proper brick wall stuff, but a bit pricey.

On the road I stick with OEM Honda pads. They work spot on and have a good balance of power and wet weather performance.

Get a bucket of soapy water, and give the pistons a good clean. A little dab of silicon or red rubber grease around the pistons before you push them back in keeps the seals in good order. Clean the brake pins with a bit of steel wool, and then give them a smear of copper grease. A wee dab of silicon grease or copper grease on the back of the pads helps as well (make sure to keep the copper grease away from the seals otherwise it can cause them to swell up.

One thing to watch out for is how you bed them in. Give the discs a wee rub of some emery cloth and a spray of brake cleaner to remove some of the old pad material (especially when changing pad types). Get the bike out on a quiet road, then get up to about 50-60MPH (make sure your front tyre is warm), then brake as hard as you can down to about 10MPH. Back up to speed and repeat *IMPORTANT* DO NOT come to a full stop, as this can leave an "imprint" of the pad on the discs which can give a slight judder or pulsing.
Repeat this process about 10 times. If you are braking as hard as possible (back wheel should be going light) you will feel the pads getting stronger as the high spots wear off, then they will fade (green fade). Ride around for a bit (again never coming to a full stop) to allow the pads and discs to cool off, then repeat the whole process.

Green fade is caused by the pads gassing off the phenolics used in manufacture (the gases actually push the pads off the discs slightly as the heat builds). Doing 2 cycles of about 10 hard braking "burns" off these gases. Plus the hard braking beds the pads in, and transfers some of the material onto the discs, without allowing the pads to glaze (which will happen if you don't get them up to temperature).

Do this and your brakes will be spot on. The worst thing you can do with new pads is not use them hard enough as they will glaze, leaving you with wooden brakes.

I would also change the brake fluid with the pads....always makes your brakes feel a bit sharper with new fluid.

[benny hedges]

I rate the EBC HH pads, but I gave up on the standard calipers as the braking was poor no mater what I tried.

Fitted SS hoses, EBC pads, stripped and cleaned the MC and Calipers, but it was never as good as I wanted. Now have CBR600 calipers and master Cyl and am very happy with braking.........at last..........oh and I put EBC HH in them as well.

i'm also using the ebc hh all round and the braking still isn't up to my required standard - broke them in proper, as zak suggests, high speed initial burn, then i took them out & scuffed up the discs & pads with wire wool, same as i used to do with my racer.

if i ride fast i want to stop fast - i find the braking is slowing me down if you know what i mean...
same scenario as your good self..
so i have been planning to go down the same cbr600 route...
i was putting it off seeing as ive only just fitted new pads 300 mile ago or so, but tbh i 'll probably end up morphed with a chevron sign at this rate so i'd rather change them sooner rather than later.

there's a load on the bay atm so the question is, which year(s) cbr600 is the best option - and what make... i notice some have nissin fitted and they don't look much different than the std calipers...
there's a set on there incl braids and mc, so i think i'll go for that if it's compatible.

then there's the rear... any ideas what caliper / mc combo is best for the rear, before i go out & spend silly money???

[AMCQ46]

benny,
get CBR600F calipers, before they went to the CBR600RR, the calipers are the same Nissin parts as fitted to the first Blades and the SP. The CBR M/C is an old fashioned one with integrated reservoir, so you may think that doesnt match with the clutch side, but I think it looks fine.

More details on this thread
http://www.haymouth.co.uk/phpBB3/viewto ... t=calipers

[gilson]

I've got some Ferrodo XRAC pads. They are the best Ferrodo do. They are for standard calipers and they are really good. Although I only used them on the track.

They cost me 75GBP a set. Let me know if you are interested.

[benny hedges]

I've got some Ferrodo XRAC pads. They are the best Ferrodo do. They are for standard calipers and they are really good. Although I only used them on the track.
.

working at ferrodo on monday & tues - i'll see what i can blag lol.
want some heat shielding plate while i'm there as well, for inside me belly

hear you amc - cbr600f it is. next on the list.

[steveb]

benny,
get CBR600F calipers, before they went to the CBR600RR, the calipers are the same Nissin parts as fitted to the first Blades and the SP. The CBR M/C is an old fashioned one with integrated reservoir, so you may think that doesnt match with the clutch side, but I think it looks fine.

More details on this thread
http://www.haymouth.co.uk/phpBB3/viewto ... t=calipers

Excuse my naive knowledge, but I have Nissin callipers on my Storm, are these likely to be the originals or would they be off a CBR6?

Thanks for the info on bedding in pads, will def be doing that, and thanks for the suggestions on pads.

[benny hedges]

the nissin you have are most probably the original nissin storm calipers - same make but a different animal inside.
not exactly 100% on the differences but it's probably surface area, number of pistons, slave cylinder capacity and stuff that makes the difference.

the storm brakes are fine for moderate touring style riding, but if you want to go to it's limits the brakes are tosh and need to go in the bin

[AMCQ46]

http://www.haymouth.co.uk/phpBB3/viewto ... t=calipers

Excuse my naive knowledge, but I have Nissin callipers on my Storm, are these likely to be the originals or would they be off a CBR6?

Thanks for the info on bedding in pads, will def be doing that, and thanks for the suggestions on pads.

Steve,
your standard calipers are also Nissin, they are probabaly fitted on all honda's of that age, but the piston size and the pad area is much smaller. Best way to check is to count the number of pad retaning pins. if there is only 1 screw through pin holding the pads in, they are standard. If there are 2, the caliper is off a CBR600, or a blade or an SP1/2