Vague brakes Help
 

Can you help ! My front brakes feel not as sharp as they used to. The pads are still ok even though the bike has done 11k.
I was wondering the following:-

Even though the pads are ok do they absorb stuff like wax and dirt etc, and changing them would make the difference.

On previous bikes I have had to clean and lubricate the caliper pistons.
If so clean with what, lubricate with what.

Any other sugestions !

Thanks R-L

if they are original pads i would definitely change them for some double H pads before you look at anything else. should notice a marked difference.

but Weeksy Kev only weighs 4 stone wringing wet so his hardly have to do any work .. at the last Newlands Corner meet we had to tether him to a table so hi didnt get blown away ....

He makes a great windsoc though as you just judge his angle and direction of lean ....!!!!

:sing:

I normaly find that slidding the bodywork down the track stops the bike well and saves on brake pads !!!!
Thought I would add this before the Pilsbury Dough Boy thought of it.

Anyway what about me brakes then. Do I take it that i need new pads.
If so these Double H things are they any better than the standard Duc Ones.
Do they work well from cold etc.

Regards R-L

ps Dibble I beleive someone else will be wringing wet on Thursday ! And I will be there to see. ENJOY !!!!!!!!!

R-L,

If there has been a noticeable drop in stopping performance and you are still generating the required clamp force at the caliper (check very carefully that you can ease the pads away from the disc friction face a couple of mm and that the pistons move back into the caliper housing - apply the brake - does it clamp up again very easily?) and your pads are still within their servicable limits and your discs still look pretty much like they always have, then you have probably contaminated your pads. I am assuming here that you have not well and truly 'cooked' your brakes.

The original pads are sintered metal construction and as such, they are much less tolerant to contamination by oil, wax etc. than conventional organic pads. Maybe it was a bit of over zealous lubing/spraying of the surrounding parts?

A good check would be to replace the pads and see what happens - I have found the original spec pads to be generally OK. I would use another OEM set before going for something a bit more 'exotic' (read, higher, more consistent friction value, but less pad and disc life). Caution here - when your discs warp (and they surely will, because they all do), then, if you want to get the discs replaced under warranty, you had better make sure that the Duc dealer does not spot that you have had got any pads fitted that are not OEM spec.

Finally, do not lube the pistons - they do not need anything more than the lubrication provided by the brake fluid.

Need any more help - drop me a mail

Cheers, Chris.

Well i took out the pads this evening and they look as if there is loads left on them, but very smooth even polished finish.
Whats been nagging me is that i do regulary was the brakes and surrounding area with jizzer and them use a wash/wax detergent. do you think this has an adverse effect.
With these pads only half warn after 11k + miles it seems prudent to stick with the origanal. Is this what you think.
Cheers Kev

Sintered pads are less succeptible to 'glazing', but this can occur if you consistently brake very lightly. You can usually overcome this by going out and giving the brake some serious work to do. If glazing was the problem, then your brake should be back to normal after a good run.

I use detergent for cleaning, but no wax additives - I have never had a problem other than occasionally a small drop in performance resulting from a bit of overspray of WD40 - this is soon cleared though.

If you have checked everything else, I would go for a new set of OEM spec pads. If this does not fix it, then you still have the old ones to put back in whilst you are looking for other causes.

Can you post a picture of the pads/discs?

Cheers, Chris.

11.5k must be some sort of record.......

A 998 Bip has the four pad braking set up same as my S (I think), which I reckon works great as OE kit.

You should try changing for OE kit first, but it's not cheap with 4 new pads to buy. Having said that, it's all very well to go like stink, but if you can't stop..........

Right Ill take a photo them. What about if i rough up the polished faces of the pads.
Thanks for your input
Kev

buy some new ones you tight git ....

When Ducati designs a brake system it has to balance a number of opposing variables. I mentioned some of them in an earlier post.

http://ducatisportingclub.com/contro...d.php?tid=5300

In particular, their OEM brake pads offer good wear characteristics (reasonable replacement interval with not too much brake dust) along with a safe initial “bite” behavior along with a reasonably good “feel” in both dry and wet weather conditions.

When you change to an aftermarket brake pad you have an opportunity to change the initial braking behavior and modulation characteristics to more suit your needs and preference. So yes, there will be a difference. Overall stopping power stays pretty much the same, so with any pad you can still stand the bike on its nose from 70 mph. If you have to do it repeatedly, say on the track, then the extreme temperature characteristics also becomes part of the pad selection trade-off.

With 11,000 miles on your pads you certainly can afford to use a softer pad to reduce the vague lever feel you describe. But the 11,000 miles also suggests to me that you do mostly light braking on the street. So keep in mind that performance pads are generally designed for improved performance under track conditions and may not have the safest behavior, say during a panic stop at street speeds in the rain. The performance characteristics of different aftermarket pads are different depending on the speed that you’re braking down from.

No matter which pad you choose you’ll accommodate to its peculiar behavior just like you did with the OEM pads. This is probably the main reason why your brakes don’t “feel as sharp as they used to.”

It’s hard to know where to begin choosing different pads but keep in mind when you hear recommendations from others, that your stainless steel rotors will behave differently if they’re using cast iron rotors which have a higher coefficient of friction and wear.

In general, people think most popular aftermarket pads are better because they are formulated to provide more initial bite. Same overall braking power at street speeds mind you, just a higher initial decceleation when you pull the lever. In my view, Ducati OEM pads are better suited for the street since in a panic stop they’re less likely to lock up. Your milage may vary ...