Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge brake pad survey

I know it's not a record but I just changed my stock brake pads out at 22,700 miles. Back pads were completely gone and the front were not far behind. I know a lot of you had to change out at 6000 or sooner. So, how many miles did you get out of your pads. P.S. I went back with pads from newbonneville. How many miles should I expect from these? If it matters I have an 04 America

22,700 wow did you ever use them?

04 Speedmaster rear changed at about 10,000 give or take and still have plenty of meat left on the front at 12,000+

Both at 15,000, balanced brake use by wear, carefully.....

Yikes, that might be a record!

At 19k, I've changed my fronts once at 7k and the rears twice, 5.5k (Triumph pads stink!)and 16k. Weird thing is I hardly use my rear brake. I did put HH pads on the rear 2nd time around.

I just brought my bike in today for the 12,000 mile service.
The rear pads were all but gone.
The front are still OK.

Rears at 6K each time and fronts once at 12K. Not sure why but this seems to be common.

Front and Rears at 6,000

City livin' means City Ridin'

I feel a "Top 10 reasons your brake pads wear out" coming soon to a forum near you.

My front didn't need changing I think due to the dual disc not uneven breaking. I use both breaks together but not much pressure on my front due to double stopping surface. Probably run cooler too due to same reason.

seems like the America guys use brakes up faster...I've tried to tell them that Speedies are better.

Rear pads at less than 5k, Fronts still ok at 10K

Quote:

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Top 10 reasons your brake pads wear out

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1 through 10: Brakes are only applied to reduce gas mileage.
When brakes are applied, you have to overcome the lost momentum by applying throttle. Think About It!

Yes, I am right, as always

I use my rear brakes in casual stops, trying to save my front pads for when I really need them. MISTAKE, because I apply my rear brakes along with the front in emergencies. Usually a little early. I bought the cheap pads on ebay from brakeplanet, and like them much better since they stop you just as well and are quieter, but they do leave a little more dust on your rims. But at $20 a pair?

Quote:

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the America guys use brakes up faster

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Yota,
We use pads faster, because the Americas are faster. Simple spacial aptitude. I mean, who had to get the BB kits first? Who was the first to rejet and get 36" diameter mufflers?

have to overcome momentum gained by applying throttle.

Hate to have to burst your bubble but you were wrong if you lost momentum by applying throttle you wouldn't need breaks.

HUH?

You lose momentum when you apply brakes. You have to apply throttle to overcome that. If you'd ride instead of post, you'd understand.
And I don't have a bubble - intelligence works fine for me.

I am such a but.

then read your own post my intelligence obviously overshadows yours here is what you wrote.

Quote:you have to overcome the momentum lost by applying throttle. :End Quote

I have 2,000 miles on my scoot so far this summer so I do ride.

You're gonna end up on the cover of DUH magazine.

It does now that he edited it I copied and pasted what he had posted. What I have between the quotes is what he first posted then when the error was pointed out he changed it simple as that.

I went through 2 sets on the front before 10k and changed the rear once before I sold it with 12k miles...
02 TBA

5K miles f/r, but I'm notoriously hard on brakes.

Number one reason you wear out your brakes:

Stopping hard is better than hitting hard.

rear at around 7k and just did the front at 17

Frank

We have brakes?!!!!

While we are on the subject.. i changed my rear pads last w/end at 17000kms.
I noticed that when i,m just about stopped, rear brakes realy squeal as if they are coved in dust.
Any one else had this problem?

I can't help wondering about you eating up rear brake pads. Maybe it's a cultural thing and how youre taught to brake? I use the front brake about 90% of the time (together with engine braking) and the rear very seldom. This is how we ride (OK, brake) in my part of the world. I've changed my front pads once and still after 30000 km I'm on the original rear pads. They still have some left...

Nah... it's just how we ride these dam fine bikes....

I have a 125 Criuser, and used the bake brake on that more than the front. Worryingly that was a drum on the back...On the rider course it was a sports tourer style and was braking 'properly'... Get on the America and back to using the back brake more.

And then I've had a warped rotor on the front for a couple of weeks so haen't really used the front at all. Then the back pad looked really worn, so engine braking became the norm...

However now have a brand new front rotor and new pads on the back. So I will have to get used to a normalformebrakemethod again.

Brake the same as you Bengt, my problem was that because I hardly use the back brake, the pistons seized, and it failed the MOT, not a difficult thing to fix, but embarrasing, still have original pads on back after 23500 miles. On second set for front, that I changed at about 13000 miles. Wonderful thing engine braking and gears, combined with anticipating riding conditions. Cant let up for a minute with the number of idiots there seems to be on the roads these days.

32k.

My front pads are getting there - I bought new pads but have yet to install them. Still a bit of pad left on each, but will change them soon.

Rear have been changed twice now. Went with HH the first time, but my dealer sold me organic the second time. I assumed the did not have the HH pads, or she would have offered me the option - especially after she sold me the wrong ones and I had to take them back and exchange them.

For the front, she asked me if I wanted HH or organic. Go figure.

I change my pads every time I change the tires.

Once a year.

If I remember right ,I think there were a few of us that changed their front pads before the 4k mark.Some of the first bikes to come out had very poor brake pads and also alot of warped rotors.

After reading all of these posts, what I don't understand is the use of rear bake on cursers type bikes.....I copied this from riding tip section:

"Try to use the front brake only - and don't grab it. You will slow up quicker using the front because the weight of the bike is transferred to the front of the machine as it slows, effectively driving the front wheel into the Tarmac.

The rear becomes very light when this is happening, so heavy use of the back brake will only result in locking the back wheel up - because the back tyre is making, so little contact with the road. Even the act of closing the throttle transfers weight to the front of the bike, so for this drill you are best off leaving the back brake alone"

So why do you guys rely on the rear brake so much

For me I have allways been a "front braker"....so it seems backward....

I've not changed any pads, but I've gone through several flip-flops.

Gerry

I am at 20,300 miles and I put my second pair of rear pads on about a month ago. the originals only lasted about 6K.

I still have the original fronts on.

Ahh, that is a tough one I have just over 10,000 on the clock replaced the rears at around 7,000. I have had 4 pairs of fronts the last pair I have just put in. This is of course down to the warped discs/rotors at the front and a replacement front wheel as well as the last disc/rotor. I expect Triumph to replace them again when the bike goes in to the factory on the 19th of this month..