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Main Area => General GS500 Discussion => Topic started by: Tang on December 14, 2008, 04:59:56 PM

Title: Need new brake pads
Post by: Tang on December 14, 2008, 04:59:56 PM
Need new brake pads front and rear  :mad:

anyone got any suggestions?
Title: Re: Need new brake pads
Post by: fred on December 14, 2008, 05:07:00 PM
I just put EBC HH pads on my bike, I like them a lot, they stop very well. I also installed EBC Pro-Lite rotors at the same time. I is worth checking your rotors if you need pads, some people have reported needing rotors as much as every other set of pads... Here's Kerry's page with all your options for pads and rotors with sources and part numbers and everything:

http://www.bbburma.net/Documents/GS500_Brake_Parts.txt
Title: Re: Need new brake pads
Post by: loki7714 on December 14, 2008, 05:07:37 PM
Just outta curiosity what happened to your old brake pads? And you could try bike bandit.
Title: Re: Need new brake pads
Post by: Tang on December 14, 2008, 05:09:33 PM
i duno what happend to my old brake pads i just have to squeeze harder and push harder on my brakes for it to stop =/

i dunno if thats the brake pads or rotors but i plan on changing them anyways i havn't changed them since i bought this bike in april
Title: Re: Need new brake pads
Post by: fred on December 14, 2008, 05:31:02 PM
Quote from: Tang on December 14, 2008, 05:09:33 PM
i duno what happend to my old brake pads i just have to squeeze harder and push harder on my brakes for it to stop =/

i dunno if thats the brake pads or rotors but i plan on changing them anyways i havn't changed them since i bought this bike in april

Could be brake pads, could also be in need of new brake fluid. Also check your brake lines. They're supposed to be replaced at regular intervals. When I did my brakes I did pads and rotors and went to stainless steel lines so I never have to worry about replacing them again. This also meant I changed my brake fluid, which is pretty much a given when you replace the brake lines. Doing all this made my brakes way more responsive.
Title: Re: Need new brake pads
Post by: galahs on December 14, 2008, 09:28:12 PM
I have EBC HH at the front and EBC GG at the rear. I like the combination  :thumb:

Check out the wicki
http://cgi.stanford.edu/~sanjayd/gs500/Upgrades/BrakePads
Title: Re: Need new brake pads
Post by: natedawg120 on December 15, 2008, 09:57:46 AM
Also check your brake fluid.  As the pads wear more fluid stays in the caliper/lines.  If your fluid is low and air got into the lines that would explain the mushy feeling.
Title: Re: Need new brake pads
Post by: beRto on December 15, 2008, 11:50:49 AM
Quote from: Tang on December 14, 2008, 05:09:33 PM
i duno what happend to my old brake pads i just have to squeeze harder and push harder on my brakes for it to stop =/

i dunno if thats the brake pads or rotors but i plan on changing them anyways i havn't changed them since i bought this bike in april

In your case, it's probably worthwhile to remove your brake pads and inspect them. You should evaluate how much of the pad material remains (i.e. pad thickness) and if the pads are glazed. You can post a couple of photos for feedback.

It sounds like your pads are worn out, but it's good to confirm. Next time you should be able to identify a worn out brake pad before the braking gets this bad! :) :o
Title: Re: Need new brake pads
Post by: Y2K6GS500F on December 15, 2008, 12:23:37 PM
Quote from: galahs on December 14, 2008, 09:28:12 PM
I have EBC HH at the front and EBC GG at the rear. I like the combination  :thumb:


+1  :thumb:
Title: Re: Need new brake pads
Post by: fred on December 15, 2008, 02:12:05 PM
Quote from: beRto on December 15, 2008, 11:50:49 AM
Quote from: Tang on December 14, 2008, 05:09:33 PM
i duno what happend to my old brake pads i just have to squeeze harder and push harder on my brakes for it to stop =/

i dunno if thats the brake pads or rotors but i plan on changing them anyways i havn't changed them since i bought this bike in april

In your case, it's probably worthwhile to remove your brake pads and inspect them. You should evaluate how much of the pad material remains (i.e. pad thickness) and if the pads are glazed. You can post a couple of photos for feedback.

It sounds like your pads are worn out, but it's good to confirm. Next time you should be able to identify a worn out brake pad before the braking gets this bad! :) :o

In my opinion it is not really worth removing the brake pads without intending to replace them. They are such a pain to get on and off (especially in the front) that if you go through all the effort, you might as well pony up the $20 for a new set of pads and replace them. Then you'll know they're good.
Title: Re: Need new brake pads
Post by: beRto on December 15, 2008, 02:23:09 PM
Quote from: fred on December 15, 2008, 02:12:05 PM
In my opinion it is not really worth removing the brake pads without intending to replace them. They are such a pain to get on and off (especially in the front) that if you go through all the effort, you might as well pony up the $20 for a new set of pads and replace them. Then you'll know they're good.

Fair enough.

The point I was really trying to make is that inspecting the pads and understanding why they are worn out (assuming this is the problem) would be a useful exercise. In the interest of safety, it is worthwhile to be able to determine when pads need to be replaced by visual inspection.
Title: Re: Need new brake pads
Post by: Berowra on December 15, 2008, 03:46:48 PM
I have a 2007 naked and you can easily see the brake pads from the front just by shining a light back across the disc.  If you still have the original pads on, there are usage bars cut into the pad to make it easy to see how far you have to go.

I was recommended to bleed the brakes each time I change them - it doesn't cost much and with the right tools doesn't take long.