Which brake pads do i use

[Guest]

I am in the process if fitting Kawasaki twin piston front brake calipers to my 550. My question is which brake pads are best for my application. I am using rotors off the single disc GS models. Can I use the high performance pads as advertised by MRS SUPERDEALS (they look like solid copper pads, metal like, not fibre looking),or are the organic pads better. Are the rotors I am using a bit soft for the High Performance pads and will they score over time.
Also another question, I have one set of pads for one caliper so does it matter if the other caliper has a different brand and type of pads. (Cheap, Cheap). I'm just being tight.

[salty_monk]

Don,

I am using Kawa OEM Tokico pads in both the set-ups I have. No problems with either so far.

I don't think you'll have problems with different pads each side - Billy in Canada has a big disk one side & a small the other on his 1000 with seemingly no ill effect (plus plenty of bikes only have brakes on one side so slightly different power on each side shouldn't be any issue. It may affect the "feel" of the brake though.

The Stainless disks should be no softer than the stainless used on the edge of a stock Kawa disk.

Dan

[Suzuki_Don]

Thanks Dan. Much appreciated. Guess I'll find out who sells Kawa OEMs in Sydney as I only buy from Suzuki dealers so far.
Cheers.

[chef1366]

I don't think the thicker rotor will have more stopping power. The thinner rotor sides caliper piston will just come out more.

[80GS1000]

Try some sintered pads from EBC or Vesrah. You won't believe how well they stop you. I use the EBC HH (highest friction cooefficient) sintered pads on my GS and my GSXR racebike. Combined with Goodridge steel braided lines, they make stoppies a trivial matter and stop the bike on a dime.

Personally I'd rather change brake rotors more often and go with a grippier pad so I have the most available braking force when needed.

You should change all your pads as a set and match up identical pads in each caliper, don't want differing amounts of braking force on either side of each brake rotor or the wheel...

[Suzuki mad]

I used GG coded pads in the classic bikes as they are designed to wear the pad down that the disc. Works well for me.

In the modern day bandit use HH synthered pads. Changed from GG. Makes a load of difference to the stoping but the noise from the disc and the damage its causing I may well swap back to GG's.

Suzuki mad

[Zook]

For those of you with the Kaw caliper mod I used to have a Kaw Concours and the OEM pads chewed the rotors quickly.
Switched to Galfer green compound pads (organic) and stopping power increased while rotor wear was nil. I would rather replace pads than rotors, as rotors can be spendy and sometimes hard to remove from the wheel.

I just bought front pads for the GS 1k and got the EBC GG pads because that's what my buddy had on the shelf. They do have metal in them but nothing like other types.
The rear are the EBC HH compound and that rotor is pretty well grooved. Don't know if it's from these pads or from 33k miles of others. I haven't ridden the thing yet!

[salty_monk]

Thanks Zook. No extreme wear on mine as yet but something to watch out for. When I next replace maybe I'll search out the Galfer green's.

PJ - While I understand all your points, for road use I don't think it will matter.
Plenty of bikes have brakes on one side only, can't get more un-balanced than that.
Personally I'm with you, I would use matching pads & replace all 4 as a set.

Don - when I next replace I will likely go aftermarket not OEM if for nothing else because they are cheaper. I went with Kawa OEM just because I had them (came with the calipers.

Dan

[Suzuki_Don]

Dan, I have two sets of OEM pads from the Kawa calipers I bought. I have one set of HH pads as below pic. These pads have a sintered solid block of copper alloy on each metal backing and I have just bought on EBAY two other sets of organic with copper compound pads from a supplier here in Oz (2 sets for $36). So I now have more pads than I will ever know what to do with. I will use the HH pads with the single Honda CBR disc if I decide to go that way or the organics if I go twin discs with the 650 fork upgrade.

Thanks for all opinions. I am sure further discussion will be of value to others in the future.