BRAKES DONE AT 10,000 MILES !!! Was it something I did?!?

[dduelin]

Kind of off topic but riding a motorcycle fast in stop and go traffic assumes a level of risk I am not usually willing to take. Intersections are killers of motorcyclists and I try to shadow a car or truck in the adjoining lane next to me when approaching an intersection. I feel very vulnerable rushing a busy intersection alone and if I am 10 or 15 over the limit I am really going to be difficult for the latte drinking iphone texting brain dead drivers waiting to turn in front of me to my judge speed and closing distance. Left turners and right on red light runners tend not to pull out in front of an approaching car or truck but don't extend this courtesy to approaching motorcycles - if they even see them.

I spend my working days driving in urban traffic, 600 average miles a week, day in day out year in year out. Once in a while being in a hurry saves me 5 minutes in 30 miles but most often it doesn't. If I need to be somewhere on time I simply leave in time to get there. But I'm an old guy that likes getting even older.

 

[CMGuy]

Kind of off topic but ... .
... I'm an old guy that likes getting even older.

Yeah, a bit off topic but these threads tend to do that.

My wife says I drive too fast, too aggressive when we're in the car. However, I find that because I'm a whole lot more vulnerable on the bike I tend run under the speed limit and not over it, watch the lights way ahead much more so than when I'm in the car, and generally be more aware of what's around me.

Something that was beat into my head when I took the basic rider course was SEE - Search, Evaluate, Execute. To quote the text book, "Search for factors that might lead to risky situations, to Evaluate how the factors might interact to create risk, and to Execute an action to maintain a margin of safety." I've actually started using that when driving in the car and, while my wife still thinks I drive too fast, I think I'm a better driver for having taken the motorcycle course.

And yes, I, too, am and old guy who wants to get even older.

 

[Jay Fridays]

Understood, But I am so anal retentive on being punctual, and never getting anything less than perfect attendance.... that I can't help it....lol

I rush, I try not to , but I can't help it... I drive that way in the ambulance, in my truck, and on my bike...
However, I have never been in an accident.. Not saying I'm perfect, however, I am HYPER vigilant on the road. I assume every car does not see me. I assume every car is gonna pull out, and I assume everyone is going to change into my lane... Thsi has help me avoid several accidents in the years I have ridden.

Although, I do understand that some things just happen. Regardless of how good you are, or what you think you can see coming.... I try ro relax, but I assume that's why auto insurance gets cheaper as you age.....lol

I'm just not mature enough yet....lmfao

 

[L.B.S.]

Don't fret Jay, I fully expect my rear brake pads to be toast within an extraordinarily short period...

I have never worn out a set of rear brake pads or shoes in a drum set up, in my entire life. This is years and years and hundreds of thousands of km's on the same bikes.
I was the King of nuclear front braking. "what, bikes even have rear brakes?!" lol

...until I got my F800. Due to unmentionable rant stuff, I wore the rear pads out on that thing within 5,000 miles!

With my NCX, ironically enough, I expect to have similar wear out issues, but for opposite reasons. I love the brakes on the NC, but because the ABS/Linked set up is bundled, that means if I want full front braking power, I have to use the rear pedal in order to activate the centre 3rd piston in the front caliper.

Also, Since I can't lock up the rear, I simply find myself using it with abandon when ordinarily I wouldn't be going near the thing. Getting on my CBR with no ABS or weird linked stuff, and the world's most touchy insta-lock rear brake after riding the X, it's, well, an interesting re adjustment, haha.

Oh, and mud and gravel covering every square inch of the beast is going to chew the heck out of the pads on my bike for sure, so there's that to look forward to, heehee.

 

[Jay Fridays]

Ya, funny thing.... I was reading the California Motorcycle Driver's Handbook. It says the safest practice is to always apply the front and rear brakes equally... 50/50...

What you do y'all think about that?!?

 

[Johnny D]

Ya, funny thing.... I was reading the California Motorcycle Driver's Handbook. It says the safest practice is to always apply the front and rear brakes equally... 50/50...

What you do y'all think about that?!?

Well if the government says it, it has to be true.

 

[Johnny D]

This guy has the exact opposite problem. His rear brakes were hardly worn at all, but the front ones were toast. His mechanic is still looking for the problem

 

[draco_1967]

Just a thought on aftermarket pads that may last longer vs the stock pads: would you rather replace a set of pads for $30, or a brake rotor that wears prematurely for $300+?

Brake pads are like oil, filters, and tires: consumable.

 

[dduelin]

Interesting...

Do you recommend any brakes for the NC.. I seem to currently be in the market for a new pair.... think I'll test my luck with a new brand...lol
View attachment 6605

I tend to stay with Honda OEM. I find them to be a good combination of feel during wet and dry braking and long term wear of both pad and disks. I can't help with an aftermarket recommendation.

 

[Spaceteach]

Ya, funny thing.... I was reading the California Motorcycle Driver's Handbook. It says the safest practice is to always apply the front and rear brakes equally... 50/50...

What you do y'all think about that?!?

I think it was probably written by the same person that named the biggest parking lot in the Los Angeles area the San Diego Freeway .

Seriously, the front to rear brake balance kinda depends on the bike. It's hard to fool Mother Nature, and under braking, the bikes weight shifts to the front. The higher the bike's center of gravity the more weight is transferred to the front wheel. To me it makes sense to apply the most braking to the wheel that has the most traction, and under braking, I'm pretty sure that ain't gonna be the rear.

Just my opinion, of course,
Bob

 

[n30r3l0ad3d]

I always like cheap rotors and ceramic pads for vehicles. I would opt for ceramic pads on my NC when the time comes.

50 / 50 braking on the NC.. Hahaha.. Yeah, right.. More like 15 / 85 to stop it from nosediving.

 

[OriginalRocket]

I always like cheap rotors and ceramic pads for vehicles. I would opt for ceramic pads on my NC when the time comes.

50 / 50 braking on the NC.. Hahaha.. Yeah, right.. More like 15 / 85 to stop it from nosediving.

Um.... make sure you are absolutely sure you want to go this route. The Stock pads are Sintered HH (highest rated friction) I'm not aware of ceramic pads rated at this level. Prepare to squeeze extra hard on the brake levers.

 

[Old Can Ride]

Being almost 80% of stopping a motorcycle comes from the front brake, I don't know but two things that could cause the rear pads to wear out before the front pads. The 1st is a bad rotor on the rear, which has the pad always making some contact at all times. See if the rear rotor is bad! Second, is just riding the rear brake. A lot of folks to this, and it is not uncommon. Replace the pads and just keep that boot off the rear brake.

 

[Jay Fridays]

I think it was probably written by the same person that named the biggest parking lot in the Los Angeles area the San Diego Freeway .
Bob

Have you been on the 405 in rush hour?!?! or even non-rush hour?!? It is definitely the largest parking lot in the world. Us people in the San Fernando Valley, affectionately refer to it as the 4...0.... F#*K .......lol

 

[Jay Fridays]

I always like cheap rotors and ceramic pads for vehicles. I would opt for ceramic pads on my NC when the time comes.

50 / 50 braking on the NC.. Hahaha.. Yeah, right.. More like 15 / 85 to stop it from nosediving.

That's what I'm saying... all front brake feels like I'm gonna faceplant....lol

 

[Bubba Satori]

Could be riding style, a slightly dragging brake or a slightly inferior set of pads.
Glad it was caught before you gouged your rotors.

 

[CMGuy]

That's what I'm saying... all front brake feels like I'm gonna faceplant....lol

Amen to that.

People on this forum have complained about the "ineffective" brakes on the NCX, especially our sport bike riders who are used to dual rotors. However, in my novice hand, that front brake gives me the feeling it will flip me right over the handlebars. My brain tells me that won't happen but it has a hard time convincing my gut.

 

[Chris]

That's what I'm saying... all front brake feels like I'm gonna faceplant....lol

You need to practice braking using the front brake - that is the only brake that will effectively stop you. The rear brake is only supplementary. This advice changes only on very slippery roads when front brake can be too much.

The front nose diving is 100% normal and just the action of the basic laws of physics. The same sort of weight transfer happens when you use the rear brake only - but much less because you are braking so much less effectively.

You won't face plant, you'll just stop faster and might avoid getting a ride in one of your ambulances - but in the back this time.

 

[Chris]

Sorry to harp on on this subject. One of the few comprehensive pieces of research was published over 30 years ago. The Hurt Report (not a bad name considering the subject but it was named after the professor leading the research) found that the main cause of accidents was another vehicle, most often a passenger vehicle, cutting across the bike's right of way. But a major contributing factor was the motorcyclists failure to avoid effectively often because:

"Motorcycle riders in these accidents showed significant collision avoidance problems. Most riders would overbrake and skid the rear wheel, and underbrake the front wheel greatly reducing collision avoidance deceleration. The ability to countersteer and swerve was essentially absent"

Don't become another statistic. Learn to use your brakes effectively. The only time you need to worry about a front wheel skid is when the road surface is particularly slippery (rain on a dirty/oily road) because sometimes then the front brake can be too much in those conditions - but since you're riding a DCT-ABS version that effect for you is not going to be particularly bad and if you are ever riding in such conditions then you better be riding damn slow anyway.

 

[dduelin]

Squeeeeeeeeeze brake on, squeeeeeeeeze brake off, wax on, wax off grasshopper. Find a big empty parking lot and practice riding 30 mph then slowly roll off throttle simultaneously apply front brake coming to a stop without compressing the forks. Slow and easy does it. Don't upset the suspension and manage your traction. You could pay $200 to learn that drill at an advanced riding class or try it for free this weekend.