Front brake pad replacements

[Alexander]

Hello everyone!
I replaced the old front pads of the GS1000G with a compatible but Carbon Ceramic one.
I replaced the entire cylinder of the oil pump, purge everything.
The braking is long and the lever almost reaches the bottom, I don't like it!.
Even the rear wheel doesn't actually brake well.
I will try to go back to classic pads, hoping they are thicker to recover the brake lever and
brake better when cold.
Has anyone managed to get a decent brake out of this little beast?
Best

[rphillips]

The old GS brakes will never be like the newer more modern brakes but work perfectly fine as designed. Thicker pads have nothing to do with lever pull. I'd guess you've still got a tiny bit of air somewhere in the system.

[dgates1]

Brake pad thickness would not make your brakes squishy, as the piston moves further out as the pad wears anyway. Must be air in your lines somewhere still. Bleed them again. Sometimes holding the brake lever overnight with a zip tie or similar will help the air bubbles move up to the reservoir.

Changing pad material can sometimes damage the rotor if it was not intended for that material.

Stainless steel braided brake lines are a great improvement. If you have original lines, it's time to change them.

[KiwiAlfa156]

If you have no air bubbles in the brake lines/calipers, another source of long lever travel is sticking caliper piston seals. The caliper piston has to be able to slip through the seal to take up the wear at the pads. This is why you have to push the piston in when you fit new pads.

When you pull on the level (or push in the pedal) the piston moves to push the pads into the disc. And the seal which has some grip on the piston deforms rather than letting the piston slip through. When you release pressure this deformation relaxes pulling the piston back in like a return spring and stops the pads from dragging in the disc. as the pads wear the piston travel overcomes the friction between the seal and piston and the piston slips through to self-adjust for pad wear.

If the friction is too great (due to dirt or corrosion or the seal being 'dry') between the seal and piston the piston doesn't slip past the seal, the excessive clearance at the caliper is never taken up and lever travel remains excessive and no amount of brake bleeding will fix it .

The solution is to unmount the caliper and work the piston back and forth using pressure from the level and a g-clamp or other suitable tool to push it back which will unstick the seal and allow the caliper to self-adjust under normal use.

It took me years of frustration and liters of brake fluid to work this out.

[Alexander]

Brake pad thickness would not make your brakes squishy, as the piston moves further out as the pad wears anyway. Must be air in your lines somewhere still. Bleed them again. Sometimes holding the brake lever overnight with a zip tie or similar will help the air bubbles move up to the reservoir.

Changing pad material can sometimes damage the rotor if it was not intended for that material.

Stainless steel braided brake lines are a great improvement. If you have original lines, it's time to change them.

in fact I want to go back to the normal pads,
unfortunately the original ones are no longer available.

Yes I still have to insist on the air, I will try your method, is it possible that a bubble
makes the lever move halfway through the stroke, - it almost hits the fingers - without losing any pressure?
I noticed that the piston does not return quickly to the stop.
Maybe I mounted the gasket incorrectly...

[Alexander]

If you have no air bubbles in the brake lines/calipers, another source of long lever travel is sticking caliper piston seals. The caliper piston has to be able to slip through the seal to take up the wear at the pads. This is why you have to push the piston in when you fit new pads.

When you pull on the level (or push in the pedal) the piston moves to push the pads into the disc. And the seal which has some grip on the piston deforms rather than letting the piston slip through. When you release pressure this deformation relaxes pulling the piston back in like a return spring and stops the pads from dragging in the disc. as the pads wear the piston travel overcomes the friction between the seal and piston and the piston slips through to self-adjust for pad wear.

If the friction is too great (due to dirt or corrosion or the seal being 'dry') between the seal and piston the piston doesn't slip past the seal, the excessive clearance at the caliper is never taken up and lever travel remains excessive and no amount of brake bleeding will fix it .

The solution is to unmount the caliper and work the piston back and forth using pressure from the level and a g-clamp or other suitable tool to push it back which will unstick the seal and allow the caliper to self-adjust under normal use.

It took me years of frustration and liters of brake fluid to work this out.

Great!!! I think that's exactly the problem I found.
The piston with the gaskets were replaced, after cleaning the pump and without adding
grease to the seat, maybe it's the gasket that isn't working properly.
The pads and gaskets have traveled maybe 1000 mi

[Nessism]

Try pumping up the lever, to build pressure, then tie back the lever in the actuated position for 12 hours or so. This often moves the piston closer to the disc, and firms up the lever. Another thing, if you are still using the original rubber brake lines, time to replace them.

[Alexander]

Try pumping up the lever, to build pressure, then tie back the lever in the actuated position for 12 hours or so. This often moves the piston closer to the disc, and firms up the lever. Another thing, if you are still using the original rubber brake lines, time to replace them.

thanks, i will follow your advice before replacing everything

[bonanzadave]

thanks, i will follow your advice before replacing everything

Motorcycle Brake Parts Authorized EBC Retailer | Brakecrafters

[Alexander]

Motorcycle Brake Parts Authorized EBC Retailer | Brakecrafters

Thanks for the tip, great site and well stocked, certainly for me between duties and shipping it's not cheap!,
in the end I took these which should be organic anyway, hoping they are better than the carbon ceramic ones, an old Ferodo model