Uh.. so I locked up my rear about 10 times tonight, just riding around Vancouver... I rode out here from Toronto, my bike had 5500 km on it then, it now has 11,000 km (I've been riding around vancouver and BC) ... I've also noticed that my front brakes aren't what they used to be. What's normal life span for tires and brakes on stock GS500s?
Brake pads 8-10K if you lucky, and rotors 20-30K depending on the pad material.
Tires, well stock tires go at 5K or less for the rear and 10K front.
Cool.
Srinath.
How do you know if the rotors are bad, what signs do they show?
i pretty sure that it's like cars, if there are grooves in the rotor, then it needs to be replaced.
Quote from: seshadri_srinathBrake pads 8-10K if you lucky, and rotors 20-30K depending on the pad material.
Tires, well stock tires go at 5K or less for the rear and 10K front.
Cool.
Srinath.
Seriously? Kilometers?
I'm at 11,000
km now.. you're saying that my stock tire, and brake pads are all done for?
How does one inspect the pads anyways?
I can't just adjust the play on the front brake lever? My friend (who used to ride, maybe not the best adviser mechanically) looked at the front pads and said they are down to half an inch.. he just looked through the calipers or something.
Am I not safe riding the bike as is back to Toronto (5000 km)
edit: oh yeah, and if anyone cares,
here's a link to a few pics of the trip.
Quote from: JasonBWere from a real country here, America, that uses miles not that dinky kilometers that makes it seem like your going faster with the higher numbers....
That's really helpfull, thanks.
For those not so math inclined. And I thought the american school system sucked.. :roll:
http://www.sirius.on.ca/running/km_miles.html
I posed the question in KM .. he answered without specifying.
Where the hell do you come into the equation?
Srinath, miles or kilometres? I'm unclear.
Thank you.
Well that is a loaded question???
Since it sounds like you use your rear brake all of the time I would have to guess you will wear out your rear pads and tire at a higher rate than others due to locking up your tires.
Your riding style will also become a factor in the milage you will be able to get out of a set of tire or brake pads.
Also it depends on what brand and model of tire you are using and if you keep the correct amount of air in the tires at all times.
I would say you should get about 8000 to 10000 miles out of a set of quality tires under normal conditions. Your brake pads should last twice the stated mileage above.
Quote from: tkm433Well that is a loaded question???
Since it sounds like you use your rear brake all of the time I would have to guess you will wear out your rear pads and tire at a higher rate than others due to locking up your tires.
Your riding style will also become a factor in the milage you will be able to get out of a set of tire or brake pads.
Also it depends on what brand and model of tire you are using and if you keep the correct amount of air in the tires at all times.
I would say you should get about 8000 to 10000 miles out of a set of quality tires under normal conditions. Your brake pads should last twice the stated mileage above.
Thank you, sorry for getting irate earlier on..
I think I ride fairly conservative. I've done like 3 burn outs and I don't lean it right over (for lack of skill) ... I started riding 2 months ago, and the bike had 2500 km on it then. I don't normally lock up the rear, just started happening last night. I use the rear a bit more when i ride two up, which I've been doing since getting to vancouver. The front brakes feel softer than they used to be, that's why I'm asking about them. The rear never felt really strong, they don't feel much different now, just stronger as compared to the fading front.
Stock tires, stock everything.
I was locking up under slightly heavy breaking at stop signs and what not, using both front and rear. I don't always use the rear, just when I need a quick stop to aid the front, otherwise I use mostly front.
Quote from: JasonBWere from a real country here, America, that uses miles not that dinky kilometers that makes it seem like your going faster with the higher numbers....
Last I checked Canada was in America too :P
Oh my. Whaaat a turd this good question spawned.
Wear bars on the tires will tell you that your tires are shot. If you have a .5" on your pads they are Maxi Pads and you don't have to worry.
If they sqeek, ditch them. If they are thin consider it.
Are we all here to bash people or what? The guy asked for help and what does he get. :guns: Im sure srinath ment thousands of miles, k meaning thousand.
smp: I can't speak for siranth completely, but based on the numbers he gave I think he was quoting miles.
JasonB: You're really terrible at geography and logic. First off, America is not a country it is one of two continents (North America or South America). Second, the country is called the United States of America (which is why we abbreviate it USA or just US). Third, not everyone on this board is from the US (or "America" as you put it). There are people from Canada, Europe, and probably many other places. And last, even if we were all from the US, some of us could have seen that he was asking in km and answered him in km (just a possiblity), just because I live in "America" doesn't mean I can't figure out the numbers in kilometers and respond to smp's question accordingly.
That's all folks......Thanks for coming out.
John L.
Instead of being such a prick to people, try putting that energy into learning about other cultures and countries. Dicks like you give the USA a bad name, and its too bad, because 95% of americans I know are some of the most decent people around.
Ignorance like yours spawns hate, which spawns war, which adds to your bad rapoure. :nana:
Oh yah, my rear tire lasted 6000km, but i had a little too much fun with smokey burnouts, so I replaced it with a Bridgestone BT45 150/70.
I would really recomend that tire. Once you replace the tire, you will wonder how you ever rode with the stock junk, especially worn stock junk.
My rotor is marked with a minium thickness. I remember the front as being 4 MM, can't remember the rear but it was thicker. I check the thickness in several places on the rotor with a micrometer.
If you have a repair manual the thicknesses and what to look for in condition are listed for both the pads and the rotors.
As already mentioned the tires have wear indicators.
Sheesh some people cant take a joke.
Ah well if ya didnt catch the witty humor then your twisted up too tight and need to go pick up a woman/man with your GS and get bent.
:thumb:
Taking this a little off topic...I hear so much about the Bridgestone BT45's, and all of it good. I wonder how much better a radial like the Metz setup (Z2's and Z4's) would be over a good bias ply like the BT's? I would call my riding style average to mildly aggressive, and I'm waiting til the end of this riding season, then will replace my stockers with one of the above choices...just not sure which way to go..BT's or Metz??
My brakes last about 20.000km and my tyres.....well, that differs. My bridgestone BT45 lasted about 20.000km. My Dunlop D207 Sportmax went on for about 10.000km. and the tyre I have now, a Bridgestone BT010R will last about 5000km. according to the dealer. Most of the times they will last a bit longer so the BT010R will last about 8000km, I think.
It depends on the type of tyre and your driving.
At 11,000km are you seriously still on the stock tyres? (Yes JasonB that IS how the rest of the world spells it ) Change them immediately! They were not that good to start with and are now probably lethal. As for the brakes, I have 25,000km on my '01 and neither the pads or the discs (all stock) are showing any signs of giving out any too soon. BTW, tyres will last you 2 1/2 to 3 yrs max before the rubber goes hard and the bike starts to slip all over the place, much like yours is doing. What year model do you have still on it's original tyres?
That's funny....
I read some REAL statistics (not bullshit ones like "EVERYONE who rides a motorcycle will crash!" :bs: ) it ranked the USA as the most insular of all countries on the planet.
I cant remember the real numbers but it was like 80% of all those polled between the ages of 18-30 could not locate Japan on map and over half could not locate their own country on a map! WWII ring a bell? That was Japan right? Hiroshima, The 'Fat Man' bomb dropped by the 'Bockscar'? You know where the New Mexico desert is where they tested the A-Bomb... surely!? :o
I'm not here to bash the USA, I am a huge fan (Koby, Tyson, Dee Dee off FOX News), but I'm just make the point that we are on this board from a huge different number of countries and we all have different ways - that's what makes the world so great (and this board), different cultures and traditions. A bit of respect would go a long way.
I will crawl back under my rock with my History book now..... I like flame grilled BTW! :thumb:
Stay Safe
Does anybody know how much can teh front brake rotor cost? where to buy it?
[/quote]
Quote from: smpI posed the question in KM .. he answered without specifying.
Where the hell do you come into the equation?
Srinath, miles or kilometres? I'm unclear.
Thank you.
Very sorry man...I am no tire/brake expert...But I was talking miles not kilometers.
Sorry for all the rest of the flaming/name calling...I didn't intend to start it but I guess I baited some people into it.
Cool.
Srinath.
Thanks for all the input.
Someone asked how old my stock tires are... it's a 99 GS, got it this year with 2500 km on it ... so I guess they are in their 4th season.
I rode the Vancouver to Whistler Sea to Sky highway (also dubbed the "scream and die" due to so many casualties on this windy, coast mountain highway) ... I had a blast! I never got a skid or anything while cornering, actually, that's never happened.
The other night though when I was out, I just remembered that it was kind of cold out, I guess that could have played a factor... also, I had been riding two up all day and using the rear with the passenger on was fine, I guess I didn't ease up on it after losing the baggage.
Another question, do I want to stiffen or soften the suspension for riding two up? Planning a trip out to Vancouver Island this weekend with a friend.
Quote from: smpI just remembered that it was kind of cold out, I guess that could have played a factor... also, I had been riding two up all day and using the rear with the passenger on was fine, I guess I didn't ease up on it after losing the baggage.
Another question, do I want to stiffen or soften the suspension for riding two up? Planning a trip out to Vancouver Island this weekend with a friend.
Sounds like your tires need replacing basd on the previous posts. But, sounds like the factors you mention above contributed more to your tire breaking loose.
Best to dial in more preload on the rear shock when riding two up. In fact, the rear shock is so soft many have to go to the max preload for one up! There should be a tool in the tool kit under the seat (hopefully you still have that-if not one is available new, just not sure where best place to buy it would be). Use the spanner wrench (as itsw called in USA, not to be confused with spanner wrenches as open end wrenches are known in the UK...LOL) to turn the collar on the shock toward a higher number for more preload. Check johnla's site for picture of the tool-
http://johnla2.tripod.com/ Enjoy.
smp... I kinda got lost in all the posts, so I'm not sure if you got full answers to your original questions.
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TIRES
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I replaced the stock tires on my '99 at about 10,000 km for the front and about 8,000 km for the rear. Like someone mentioned, look along the centerline groove of each tire for the "wear indicator bars". They are little bumps of rubber that do not normally contact the asphalt. When they start to get ground away by contact with the road, your tread has worn below its "safe" level. Time to change the tire (to a BT45! ;) ).
I would be very surprised if both tires didn't need replacing before you get all the way home. Perhaps the best thing about replacing the stock tires with BT45s while you're still in Vancouver would be the much improved ride as you go back over the Rockies. You'll be glad you did! (They will last longer than the "stock rocks", too.)
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BRAKE PADS
=========
You can visually inspect your pads, but you have to almost stand on your head to do it. Each pad should have grooves (about 1.5mm wide) cut across the width of the pad.
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For the FRONT
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1) Kneel in front of the bike and position your eye close to the right axle bolt.
2) Look up and back at the calipers, sighting along the surface of the rotor. The pads, of course, are the thin slices of material between the metal caliper bracket and the rotor -- they actually contact the rotor surface.
3) You should be able to see the ends of the 2 grooves in the material of each brake pad. They appear as small square-sided voids in the contact area between the pads and the rotor. (A flashlight can help out here, especially if you're out in the sunlight.)
4) The pad material was probably no more than 5 or 6mm thick when brand new, so don't expect to see a lot of material there. But if the grooves are nonexistent (ground away) or 1 mm or less in depth, you should probably get a new pair. I'm guessing that you'll be OK; my front pads lasted about 17,000 miles (27,000 km).
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For the REAR
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1) Kneel behind the bike and position your eye about where an imaginary line extending along the right side of the swingarm would cross the circle of the rear tire.
2) Look up and forward at the calipers and locate the pad material on either side of the rotor.
3) The rear pads are smaller than the front ones - they may have only one groove. (I can't remember for sure.)
4) Same info applies regarding the depth of the groove(s). If you tend to use the rear brake "too much", you may find that the rear needs to be replaced even though the front doesn't. (Happened to ME in my "early riding career".)
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If you need to replace any pads, let me tell you about my experience thus far. When they wore out, I replaced the stock pads on my '99 with EBC Kevlar (also called "organic") pads. On my test ride I came down a gentle hill, applied the brakes, and thought "YIKES! WHERE ARE MY BRAKES?" It took me a while to get used to the reduced drag exerted by the Kevlar pads. My second GS500E (a '96) still has its stock pads, and I can tell a DEFINITE difference between the two in terms of stopping power. The stock setup feels almost too "touchy" for me now, because I ride the '99 way more than the '96.
The Kevlar pads will probably help the rotor last longer, but since you'll be doing some major uphill/downhill stuff on the way home, you would probably be best served by using OEM pads. (IF you need to replace them, which I doubt you do....) I have yet to try a "sintered" pad - I'm not sure I need the extra stopping power, and my understanding is that they will eat the rotors more quickly.
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Hope this helps!
EDIT: I incorrectly reported the number of miles on my OEM front brake pads when I replaced them. See corrected figures above.