Just a word to the wise. Tonight I changed my front brake pads because this morning I noticed marks on the rotor. In case you are not aware of the fact that the front rotor cost over $350 to replace I am letting you know it does.
New policy for me is change the front brake pads at the beginning of each new riding year (spring) whether they need it or not they only cost $35 and take less then 20 minutes to change even for a beginner. Do the math if you do this each year you should get at least 5 years out of the rotor and still only spent $175 and taken 1 hour and 4o minutes of your time.
Just a thought :thumb:
Robert
Wow. Was that dealer retail? Seriously I'm not trying to be a jerk, just curious.
Glad you got it taken care of, though, and great reminder to everyone to check their pads.
Dude if you know a cheaper way to get a new rotor post it and broadcast it loud! I am dealing with a shop in NJ. I about fell off my chair when I heard the quote from him! Moral of the story though is watch those rotors! it's much cheaper to replace the pads. I am anal about my maintenance to begin with and I noticed marks and I was like wholly ....
Quote from: JB848 on July 16, 2009, 08:12:58 PM
Dude if you know a cheaper way to get a new rotor post it and broadcast it loud! I am dealing with a shop in NJ. I about fell off my chair when I heard the quote from him! Moral of the story though is watch those rotors! it's much cheaper to replace the pads. I am anal about my maintenance to begin with and I noticed marks and I was like wholly ....
Heck, even one of the fanciest street and track rotor on the market (EBC wave rotor) is "only" $220 from dennis kirk. Really nice, light, and tough as nails. I've burned up a caliper, master cylinder and 3 sets of sintered pads at the track and still haven't warped the rotor!
I sold a stock mint 2008 rotor with 1000 miles for $30 shipped a few months ago. You can find nice ones with a little effort. It came with a mint rim I bought on ebay.
All GS500 rotors are the same, just the color is different. There has to be a better way than $350.
Dude, there is enough of them after the kat swaps that they cost next to nothing ...
I can make em, prolly for under 100 a piece but why ever bother ... 20 prepaid's and I'll start on it, but ... screw that I aint getting started ... it is useless ... plenty available.
Cool.
Buddha.
not trying to be a jerk, but why not change it yourself? i think that $350 is all being charged for "labor" 'cause you can get a decent front rotor for a lot cheaper. http://www.bikebandit.com/product/19426?mg=3607&t=1&td=1 is a nice one.
if you haven't made any commitments i'd try and get out of it. :dunno_white:
g'luck.
cheers,
~drin
Quote from: drincruz on July 16, 2009, 08:41:53 PM
not trying to be a jerk, but why not change it yourself? i think that $350 is all being charged for "labor" 'cause you can get a decent front rotor for a lot cheaper. http://www.bikebandit.com/product/19426?mg=3607&t=1&td=1 is a nice one.
if you haven't made any commitments i'd try and get out of it. :dunno_white:
g'luck.
cheers,
~drin
+1.
Ok this is why I posted this to help every one else! East Coast Suzuki
I have been to the East Coast Suzuki before. never bought anything from them though since i live 10 minutes from Burger's Suzuki dealer and they are really good about ordering and finding whichever part i need. Usually takes them 2 days and their prices are fair compared to ordering stuff over the internet.
Yeah, there's gotta be some labor in there. Ask them how much it is just for the rotor. The first new bike I bought was a ninja 250, and after I took it back for inspection the next year they told me it needed a new chain, brake pads, whatever else that all came to about $300 some in parts, so they did it, and handed me another bill for $700 in labor >:( >:(
Never again will I make that mistake!
I work at a Suzuki dealer and the OEM rotor from Suzuki is $202. GS Twin price $175 shipped :cheers:
Well Thanks for all of the input. And no that was not labor included. I do all of my maintenance thank you very much.
East Coast Kawasaki I believe it is called is on the high side with all of their prices because they can and where they are located.
The guys that work there are really cool but they don't set the prices the owner does so.
When I do buy a new (never used) rotor I will definatley call scottpA_GS and get one from his business.
Quote from: scottpA_GS on July 17, 2009, 07:14:16 AM
I work at a Suzuki dealer and the OEM rotor from Suzuki is $202. GS Twin price $175 shipped :cheers:
How much are the brake pads? I don't know if mine need replaced yet, but I'm replacing most of the random stuff, so I figure I should get at those too.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SUZUKI-2005-GS500F-GS-500-FRONT-BRAKE-ROTOR-p_W0QQitemZ350219668925QQcmdZViewItem
nothing wrong with that one.
http://kneedraggers.amazonwebstore.com/EBC-ProLite-Brake-Rotors-Suzuki-GS500F/M/B000KJWIU6.htm?traffic_src=froogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=froogle
that one looks real nice
http://kneedraggers.amazonwebstore.com/EBC-ProLite-Brake-Rotors-Suzuki-GS500E/M/B000KJQK0A.htm?traffic_src=froogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=froogle
and if your bike is not '04+
Quote from: tt_four on July 17, 2009, 08:21:05 AM
Quote from: scottpA_GS on July 17, 2009, 07:14:16 AM
I work at a Suzuki dealer and the OEM rotor from Suzuki is $202. GS Twin price $175 shipped :cheers:
How much are the brake pads? I don't know if mine need replaced yet, but I'm replacing most of the random stuff, so I figure I should get at those too.
OEM fronts are $40 shipped (GStwin price)... I think EBCs are cheaper but I dont have a book at my desk right this sec.
You can look things up on www.cernics.com PM me the part # and I will get you your GStwin price :thumb:
Anyone needs anything feel free to PM me. Sometimes I post in these threads and never look in em again :icon_mrgreen:
:cheers:
Quote from: scottpA_GS on July 17, 2009, 11:08:01 AM
Quote from: tt_four on July 17, 2009, 08:21:05 AM
Quote from: scottpA_GS on July 17, 2009, 07:14:16 AM
I work at a Suzuki dealer and the OEM rotor from Suzuki is $202. GS Twin price $175 shipped :cheers:
How much are the brake pads? I don't know if mine need replaced yet, but I'm replacing most of the random stuff, so I figure I should get at those too.
OEM fronts are $40 shipped (GStwin price)... I think EBCs are cheaper but I dont have a book at my desk right this sec.
You can look things up on www.cernics.com PM me the part # and I will get you your GStwin price :thumb:
Anyone needs anything feel free to PM me. Sometimes I post in these threads and never look in em again :icon_mrgreen:
:cheers:
Now this I don't understand I got the EBC's yesterday and put them on last night and they were only $32.00 + tax ? What gives here?
What do you mean "what gives" ?
Its Like I said... EBC's are cheaper... ???
OEM compounds are better and usually are all around better pads as far as Im told. Give me the EBC part# and Im sure I can beat $32
FA129 Fronts $26 Shipped for GStwin :cheers:
FA129HH $30 Shipped :thumb:
Although it's a good idea not to let your pads wear all the way down to lessen the severity of rotor grooves, you can change your pads every year and your rotors will wear anyway. They will still get thinner. I wait until the pads are near but not at their service limit before I change them. I never ran a controlled experiment, but I would doubt that changing pads every year would make rotors last significantly longer than changing them when they're nearing their service limit. You may get another season or two over about 8 years depending how much you ride, but you would have spent about 3 times as much on brake pads. I don't see you saving any money, and rotors are easy to change. Why not do it yourself? That's where the real savings is! :thumb:
Quote from: bill14224 on July 17, 2009, 02:24:21 PM
Although it's a good idea not to let your pads wear all the way down to lessen the severity of rotor grooves, you can change your pads every year and your rotors will wear anyway. They will still get thinner. I wait until the pads are near but not at their service limit before I change them. I never ran a controlled experiment, but I would doubt that changing pads every year would make rotors last significantly longer than changing them when they're nearing their service limit. You may get another season or two over about 8 years depending how much you ride, but you would have spent about 3 times as much on brake pads. I don't see you saving any money, and rotors are easy to change. Why not do it yourself? That's where the real savings is! :thumb:
Yes good point. I know they will wear no matter what, but, grooves bad, smooth good. Your pads will wear to the grooves but you lose however small some of the braking potential with grooves vs smoothe! And to add to your point I am kind of anal as far as watching and checking the mechanical side of my bike and I developed grooves on my perfect rotor in the matter of a week trying to stretch the life of the pads. Bad idea. If you think they should be changed it's probably to late. And if you read
all the thread I do do all of my labor myself. Most of the time I plan way ahead and by things cheap online but this time I weighed the damage to the rotor vs price of buying parts out right at the stealership!
what is the thickness of your rotor?
actually the grooves give you a larger contact surface area if you think about it for a while
are the grooves heavy or light
if light grooves and thicker than min spec.....
you are wasting $ and time worrying about it.
if you really think a couple of little grooves will kill you...get a new rotor
good luck and ride safe
Quote from: werase643 on July 17, 2009, 03:30:30 PM
what is the thickness of your rotor?
actually the grooves give you a larger contact surface area if you think about it for a while
are the grooves heavy or light
if light grooves and thicker than min spec.....
you are wasting $ and time worrying about it.
if you really think a couple of little grooves will kill you...get a new rotor
good luck and ride safe
I guess this is debatable whether there is more surface or not with grooves vs smooth. You make a valid point. I am going off of years of training from my father who was a certified mechanic in CA. That doesn't mean he or I could not be wrong.
Your concept of more surface with grooves has merit but the principal behind disk brakes is smooth surface to smooth surface give the greatest "potential" for friction which is the basics of all brakes.
The purpose of drilling and grooves is to provide extra surface area for cooling not braking power, and also to release outgassing of the brakes. Newer pad formulas make outgassing almost a non event so all those fancy designs like scallops, waves, drills and dual rotors and grooves is purely for cooling to prevent fading or possibly for wet weather braking. Motorcycles are lightweight to begin with and even with a single disk brake you can easily do a brakie where you use 100% of the available braking power.
So in the ideal world a solid disk provides the best braking power but it'll fade quickly if it can't shed heat which the fancy designs are for. One thing I do notice is slotted rotors almost never glaze brake pads, though they do go through pads a bit quicker. I think the slot going across literally scrapes any glazing built up on the pad which is nice but at the expense of pad life.
So by your definition I am right. Grooves bad smooth good excluding the cooling effect by holes and venting etc?
Exactly surface area and brake rotor diameter determine ultimate braking power. How fast you can shed heat determines braking endurance. Wanna see tremendous stopping power? Check out a Buell with their ZTL rim mounted brakes you've got so much brake leverage so close to the tire surface the braking is outstanding in terms of feel, responsiveness, and the large rotor diameter also means lots off cooling time before the same rotor patch gets squeezed again. Pure engineering genius.
wow that ztl really is sweet. i had to look it up.
grooves are not good at all. you might have more surface area for a bit, but the big picture is that you should be replacing the pads before the grooves appear, so if there are grooves, they reduce the surface area that the new pad meets the rotor with, and kills the life.
Quote from: JB848 on July 17, 2009, 05:44:09 PM
So by your definition I am right. Grooves bad smooth good excluding the cooling effect by holes and venting etc?
I think it depends on what kinds of grooves we're talking about. If it's grooves like a slotted rotor on some performance cars, then yes, that will help with some cooling and venting like the holes that are drilled do. However that take away a bit of the surface area of the rotor, same has holes do. Grooves running in a continuous circle around the rotor, like you get over time. They would add surface area giving you a greater area of friction. I think of it like this. Say you have an area this big _______ and that is a flat rotor. That has less surface area than one that does this /\/\/\/\/\ . Of course you have to remember the brake pad will take this shape and fit the contours of the rotor.
In the end, will that extra little wave in the rotor help you. Doubtful. Will it hurt. Doubtful. If it bothers you, change it. As long as your happy and it's safe, I say roll with it.
Chris