brake pads

[catbed]

i was just wondering what everyone is running for brake pads and what their feelings are about them. i am getting new pads soon and i want the best. well close to the best. some brands i have heard of are EBC, Vesrah, and Ferodo and i know there are sintered and organic but thats about it.

[doctorgonzo]

I run EBC organic. Sintered are "better" I think as far as stopping power, but harder on rotors.

[catbed]

i have heard sintered are harder on rotors. anyone else?

[bwringer]

i have heard sintered are harder on rotors. anyone else?

This is a moot question, because AFAIK, sintered pads are not available for our antiques.

Which is good, because sintered pads would be a bad idea rubbing up against brake rotors created before sintered pads were in wide use. Possibly even before sintered pads were invented.

Go look up the price of a set of GS850 rotors and you'll see that you want to do everything you can to make them happy for a long time.


I've noticed that the Vesrah pads seem to have a bit more bite, but all the other brands I've tried feel exactly the same. So I use Vesrah brake pads.

If there are any low-mileage GS bikes left out there with the original pads still in place, you'll find that any modern brake pad will feel like a million bucks by comparison. Much like tires, brake pad technology has not stood still over the years.

With the stainless lines and Vesrah pads on my GS850, I'm very happy with the braking.

[Grandpa]

For 22 years on GS bikes, 850's and my GK, I've been using whatever is cheapest.

I get my pads on eBay. Brand makes no difference. As I write this, I have EBC's on the rear, and a no-name off brand on the front. Everything works, I don't think about it, I enjoy the bike, and I'm happy.

Cheap Grandpa

[TheCafeKid]

This is a moot question, because AFAIK, sintered pads are not available for our antiques.

Which is good, because sintered pads would be a bad idea rubbing up against brake rotors created before sintered pads were in wide use. Possibly even before sintered pads were invented.

Go look up the price of a set of GS850 rotors and you'll see that you want to do everything you can to make them happy for a long time.


I've noticed that the Vesrah pads seem to have a bit more bite, but all the other brands I've tried feel exactly the same. So I use Vesrah brake pads.

If there are any low-mileage GS bikes left out there with the original pads still in place, you'll find that any modern brake pad will feel like a million bucks by comparison. Much like tires, brake pad technology has not stood still over the years.

With the stainless lines and Vesrah pads on my GS850, I'm very happy with the braking.

If this is the case, there are a few vendors who are falsely advertising their pads as "sintered". I have a set of "sintered" pads i just got. I know nothing of the difference between sintered and not, as they look exactly the same as my old pads except they seem to have more of a metalic content to them.

[Grandpa]

Much more important than brand of pad:

1. Cleanliness of brake fluid. I change mine once a year. I use DoT 3, the cheap stuff.
2. Cleanliness of brake calipers. I clean them thoroughly every tire and/or pad change.
3. Riding often and riding hard. There's no substitute to a magnificent product like a GS motorcycle being put to intense, frequent use.
4. Braided steel lines.
5. Changing the pads before they're worn too much. Check them every tire change and, if there's any doubt, replace them anyway.

My brakes never fade, they never disappoint me. I ride hard, I ride often.