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Life of front pads

14K views 16 replies 11 participants last post by  Petros Galiatsis 
#1 ·
Can people let me know how many miles they have had out of a set of front pads. Mine are at 24k and dealer thinks they need replacing. Also what would you expect it to cost?
Thanks
Mike
 
#3 ·
The life of the pad depends on various factors, and most important the braking habbits of the driver.

If you are questioning your mechanics opinion (and you have every right to do so), why don't you just check for yourself? the pads have ware indicators on them. Those are sort of grooves on the brake material. Once those are exposed, or totaly disappeard (depends on the type of the groove - not all pad have the same approach) you need to change your pads. simple as that.
 

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#4 ·
If I ever get close to 24k miles I'll be soooooo happy!
Ofc it depends on if you do say 12k on easy highways or 12k in the city commuting and pushing hard between lights, avoiding pedestrians, buses, cabs, pigeons and idiots...
My miles are mainly commuting so if I get 12k out of the pads I'll be very happy. Don't think they lasted that long on the Varadero.


On this topic, have people gone for the oem pads when they've changed or tried any others like Brembo pads etc?
 
#5 ·
30,000 kilometres and I changed mine. They still had about 1/3 life left in them, I just did them as part of winter maintenance. They could easily go another 5,000+ kilometres.
Brake pads are pretty easy maintenance that you can do yourself and save some cash. Take them apart and have a look at them and see if you really do need to change them.
 
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#6 ·
I took them out of one of my bikes and it was obvious how to do it and a doddle. But I seem to remember it wasn't obvious when I took a look at the Africa Twin callipers.
BTW I want to try fitting the EBC organic pads (I know :rolleyes:) not because of my love of the planet but to try and lessen the corrosion that happened to my previous two sets of gold wheels. But the service manager said EBC are not making them yet for the Africa Twin.
Mike
 
#9 ·
Yeah - but it looks like the service manager is right. I can find organic for the back but only sintered ones for the front. Mind you it was the rear rim that was suffering from the corrosive particles so maybe I will buy an organic rear only.
Mike
 
#12 ·
On all my Varaderos, once the OEM had to be changes, I used the ARTRAX ones.

Actually I used to use Premier once before, but they ruined the disks within 30K kms or so.

The ARTRAX are about 1/3 or less of the OEM cost and I have found them equally effective in braking while totally insane as far as it goes for life time.

On my previous Varadero, the rear pads wore out at 7K kms, swapped with ARTRAX and I sold the bike with 51K on the clock; the pads had still appr 1/3.

I am now at 7000 Kms on the ATAS and the rear OEM pad are gone; already purchased the ARTRAX and will be installing them next weekend.
 
#13 ·
I am at 20k (kms) and yesterday my front brakes started to make some noises. The sound you get under hard front braking is now noticeable all the time.
Brakes still pull up but I can see there is not so much meat left on the front pads, so its time to replace.

I try to go off road as much as possible but reality in Europe is that a bulk of riding is still on road. I mention this because the last tour I did in Oct19' I totally finished off my rear brake pads. I was down to metal before I noticed.

This is only as a anecdotal reference for wear of pad.
So my rear pads gave out before my front ones
Rear ~15k kms and front ~20k
 
#15 · (Edited)
I just changed out my front pads on my AT 17' at 20500km.
Was not sure of the condition of them, but in the last few rides I was getting a more prominent buzz from the front brakes. That same buzz made by the perforated rotors, but louder. Also this sound seemed to stick around even when not braking.

When I got the old pads out, I still had not gotten through the wear lines, but not have far to go.
I guess I could have pushed it another 10k kms, but that sound made up my mind.
Also easy since the set of pads (2 x 2) costs about USD45.- and it took me literally 10 min per side to do the change out myself.
Gotta give it to Honda for making this operation so easy. I happen to have a torque wrench so I could complete the job according to spec of the shop manual, but I did not get new mount bolts from the calipers as recommended by the shop manual. I guess will change them out next time I do the brakes, if I still have the bike in another 20k kms that is.

I chose to go with SBS Street Excel Sinter HH Front Brake Pads
For reference, I ride about 20% off road.

Also pertinent, is that I have already had to change out the back pads that wore out before the front.
I did this at 18300km while on tour in Italy last year. This one took me more by surprise because I was completely not expecting them to be finished. I noticed a strange sound from the back brakes during a long offroad decent. The brakes had given away a fair amount of their bite and there was an uncomfortable grinding sound. They saved me till the bottom of the hill, when I noticed the back brakes were down to metal on metal already! Luckily I found a Honda garage quite quickly and they did the change for me for €60 inc. the pads.
 
#17 ·
To whom it may concern:

in a previous post I suggested the ARTRAX brake pads.

Indeed, while the life time is superior to the OEM ones and the braking effect similar, I noticed that they generate excessive heat. My rear disk has become bluish and during a twisted, descending road last Sunday, my rear brake fluids were boiled.

this was my 2nd set of Artrax. My bike has 20K Kms. The OEM needed substitution after 7K kms while the first set of Artrax lasted some 11K kms.

I will be switching back to OEM.
 
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