I was hanging out with my bro the other night. He knows a fair amount about cars but has never ridden on or worked on a bike. He was looking at it and said that my brake pads on the front and rear were both in contact with the rotors. I looked and thought they were fine, and did no more about it.

Then I looked two days ago and saw a small line all the way around the outside of the rotor about an inch in from the outside edge. (I wish I had my digi camera...thanks Larry for busting it  :x ).

So...does this sound like trouble? It's only got 1200 miles, so the pads are still new. I have done all services at home.

Dave  

The pads will rubs the rotors slightly.

Look through the front rotor photos in the rotor replacement FAQ.  If your rotor looks like something betwen my spotless new rotor and my about-to-be-replaced rotor, you're fine.

If the line you mentioned is developing somewhere BETWEEN the outer edge of the rotor and the inner edge of the wear ring, you might want to pull your caliper and see if a foreign body has gotten lodged in the pad(s).

But at what point do you want to replace the rotor?
Is there a thickness spec that has to be adhered to?

Quote from: GSRiderBut at what point do you want to replace the rotor?
Is there a thickness spec that has to be adhered to?

Look more closely at the pics Kerry provided; you'll see the spec stamped right into the rotor carrier hub, between the silver allenhead bolts.

OK, if you can't find it, here's a hint: Look for:

"MIN. TH. 4 mm"

Hope that answers your question; good luck.

:lol:

I feel like an idiot  

Thanks alot!

Quote from: GSRider

I feel like an idiot  

Welcome to the club; someone said we get hats and jackets, so I'm waiting for mine to be delivered any day now!

noob question. don't worry about it, everybody has done it.

To see if the contact of your pads is not too much, put your bike on centerstand, lift the front and spin the wheel by hand. If it comes to a stop without having made at least one full revolution, your brakes drag and you'll need to overhaul the caliper.