Grabby front brakes

[rpduc]

Anyone got any suggestions on front brake pads?

I put some new pads in there that came in a box of misc. spares when I bought the bike and they are extremely grabby. A ham-fisted stab at the right lever will put you over the bars before you know it. Don't ask me how I know... They also groan/squeak and feel like they're grinding away my rotor...

These pads were not packaged so I don't know what they are, but I don't like 'em. I'd like to find some far less aggressive pads if there are any available.

 

[MattR]

They may be sintered pads since you hear noise under braking. My front brake is also sensitive, but I like it that way. Also, I prefer carbon pads on front (Moose M1) and sintered pads on rear (Moose XCR?).

One quick option that you can do is "grind" some relief grooves in the pads. By removing some material, you are reducing the surface area. Instead of one large area, you can divide it into several smaller areas. May be worth a try if you are buying new pads anyways.

 

[rpduc]

My front brake is also sensitive

Sensitive yes, but they're more like an on-off switch now. True there is not much excuse for ham fisting the front brake, but all finesse goes out the window when I exit a blind corner (with confidence ) and "they" put a tree where I thought the trail was headed.

Are your carbon pads less grabby than a sintert (sp?) pad?

To add insult to injury the bike landed ass-end-to and packed the brand new Q Stealth with mud. After being perplexed awhile about it not starting another rider finally came by and alerted me to the mudcake. Should have figgered' it out myself since it acted exactly how it does when you forget to yank the wash plug after cleaning.

 

[MattR]

I like carbon for their stronger feel. My front brake is one finger with light touch. So it is pretty sensitive. I don't think it is on/off like you describe.

Also, check your front rotor. If it is heavily grooved from the pads, it may be hanging up the pads during contact.

 

[rpduc]

Thanks for your suggestions Matt,

Looks like you're the only one "interested" in brake pads...

I'll have to look closer, but the front rotor is pretty worn, probably grooved.

Got any suggestions for an economical front rotor? I didn't check GoFasters, but I'd bet the OEM unit is spendy...

 

[MattR]

Honestly, it would have to be a deep grooved shoulder to hold the pads. With the bike on a stand, you could spin and see if the pads are "locking" on to the rotor. By the way, my rotor has a slight stepped shoulder from wear and the pads don't hang up.

Another thing to consider is if the rotor is warp/bent slightly. As it rotates, it may want to grab in one spot more and give the feeling of on/off. My Husky SM610 has a slight warped rotor and pulsates like this. It is very hard to modulate gently without getting a on/off feel to it.

Regarding a new rotor...
I think only a GG OEM front rotor is available. I don't believe there are any crossover rotors. The rear rotor may crossover to KTM but that is a different story. Actually, the OEM rotor is pretty durable and price is fair... if you end up needing a new one.

 

[PEB]

I think there are wave rotor available but they were like 440 more than tyhe Oem which I want to say was $90. I recently saw an aftermarket rotor and pads on E-bay for cheap.

 

[Rick]

Braking makes a front rotor.

 

[Skidad]

I also like less grabby front brakes and usually look for an organic or carbon/kevlar pad like this EBC pad.

http://www.ebcbrakes.com/motorcycle_brake/sintered_brake_pads/carbon_mx_tt_pads/carbonmx.shtml

 

[rpduc]

Thanks for all the comments.
I'll maybe give some of those EBC carbon "X" pads a shot.

 

[gg3]

I had a pad issue last year.Replaced the front pads that the bike came with(02 EC300) which worked excellent.They had a red back plate & the pad had a series of grooves which divided it into 4 parts.Didn't know what type it was so tried some cheap vespa pads on a dealers recommendations.The bike became a hookers bed on a Saturday night!The squeaking was rediculous even after a bedding in period & roughening up with some sand paper.Also grabby.Dumped those & upgraded(on price) to some Premier pads.Started out ok,then after a couple of stream crossings got real grabby with no feel at all.
Then stopped being a tight arse & got some EBC mx-s pads which had always been great on other bikes.Since then no noise ,just smooth progressive feel with no grabbing or lock up(well,the odd emergency grab).

 

[reiterrider]

I'm using EBC red pads for the front and I have the opposite problem.
They don't grab hard enough, which might be the right pad for you?
They work pretty good in dry conditions, but really fade in the wet.
They were also thicker than original, it took a while for them to bed in enough so they wouldn't make contact with the rotor while not engaged.

I'm going to try the R series pads #FA131R for the rear and see how they work out.

For the ultimate durability EBC presents it's "R" series high density series pads. A sintered copper material made in our own USA facility, the "R" series of heavy duty ATV and moto-x pads have become an aftermarket standard offering high durability, high resistance to contamination by mud, water, sand and grit etc. offering reduced disc damage and long pad life. Sintered brakes are a very modern and interesting technology, click here to read more about EBC

Here's a brake selector chart from EBC
http://www.ebcbrakes.com/selector.shtml

It would be great if Roscoe or other vet riders would chime in on the right pads front and rear.