This can't be right. My front brake pads have never really worn down. They are nowhere close to being worn enough to replace. I rarely use the rear brake, and do 95% or more braking with the front. While I don't really have complaints about the braking, I am doing a bunch of maintenance at 100K, and I'm maybe worrying too much about the state of these brake pads. I have noticed they are squealing a lot for the last 10k miles when I apply the brakes. So---any reason to replace these? Since there is lots of pad left, can they be sanded to make them "fresh" again? Alright---fire away!
Last time I had the front wheel off, I removed the pads for inspection and found them, well.....grooved a bit from normal wear. I merely sanded them on the concrete drive and reinstalled. They have worked very well ever since with no noise. The rotors are fine, as well. The brakes on my '01 have never failed me.....
I bought fronts at the start of this season for my '01 after 53,000 miles. The OEM brake pads were far too expensive, so I bought two sets of Galfers. I cleaned up both rotors and reinstalled the original pads as they weren't even close to worn and put the Galfers on the shelf. I had to laugh out loud when I pulled the pads. We do a lot of two-up, loaded for camping and I was sure they must be worn, but I couldn't justify changing them there was so much life left.
Yup.My '04 only has 40K, but the pads look almost original thickness. Must be all the compression braking, because it sure is not a case of "babying it" !
You guys must drive all freeway and just downshift to stop. My R1100GS goes thru pads about every 20,000 and that's taking it easy. What's the secret?
Thanks for the reply's. I'd say about 75% or more freeway miles. But many 10K's miles "sport" riding in the twisties around the SF Bay Area and beyond. I guess I do a lot of compression braking, now that I think of it. My worries alleviated, the new tires are on and the brake maintenance done---time to ride!
June, last year, I replaced the OEM front pads on my R1150GS at 90k miles. Compared to the Carbone Lorraine replacements the OEM pads were slightly more than half worn. One advantage of fresh pads is that the pistons (after being cleaned and retracted into the caliper bores) are less exposed to road grime. At the risk of turning this into another one of "those" threads, I used a very small amount of Rem Oil on the pistons and seals on re-assembly. I was surprised at the improvement in piston retraction after brake application, as the front wheel spins effortlessly on the centerstand. Where before, pad 'drag' was very noticeable. Even after a year the effect is still noticeable. YMMV. _jay
