Replace your Brake Pads On Time
One of my motorcycles has embarrassed itself slightly at the back. A rumbling sound on the brakes around 2900 kilometers alerted me to the fact that the rear brake pads were worn right down to the metal. Now I admit that I'm quite heavy on the back brake, using it loads when cutting through traffic. But less than 3000 kilometers is a new record for wear – so if you use your rear brake often, it's worth checking the rear brake pads before they get down to the metal like mine.Changing the rear brake pads was simple enough, although I was cursing the single-sided swingarm design again. It robs you of space to work. And the underslung caliper also acts like a trap for gunk and water and dirt, making it a real mess to clean.
But a paintbrush and some brake cleaner soon had it cleaned up. Two 14mm bolts and two 4mm Allen bolts hold it all together, so it's a ten or fifteen minute job to swap out the old rear brake pads.
I had some new carbon sintered street brake pads for the back, and they were on in a trice, and bedded in about 20 to 25 kilometers riding in Bangkok Songkran traffic, with all the water on the roads and people throwing water at me I used my rear brake the most to keep the motorcycle stable.
