Front Discs

[andybesy]

Hello Folks,


Bike went in for a service this week with local Yamaha dealership, all the standard stuff done and strait forward, but have been left with a question about front discs.


I asked for new pads front and rear - they've done the rear but said it wasn't worth doing the front as the discs are starting to wear and it'll just eat the pads.


Recommendation is that discs and pads should be changed at the same time in a couple of thousand miles. Estimated £300.


I've done 16,000 miles and was wondering if it's typical to need to replace brake discs at this mileage due to wear?


I'm eager to look after the bike well, but after telling the dealership I'll think about it and get back to them it's occurred to me that I can get quite a lot of pads for £300.


I'm going to take a really close look at the discs myself this afternoon and will let you know what I see, but I hadn't noticed any grooving.


They described it as a wavy feel when you run your fingers over them (but I don't think they meant anything as extreme as warping).




If it needs doing then it needs doing, but just trying to get a feel for the situation as it's a bit unexpected, and difficult to afford.


Any advice / experience welcome.


2002 FZS 600 16,000 miles


Thanks, Andy.

[darrsi]

The wavy feeling is indeed a worn disc, i'm starting to get it on my rear disc as i think the pads i'm using are a bit harsh and i'm always on the back brake in traffic and it obviously does more work trying to pull the bike's weight with just the one caliper rather than 2 at the front.
When they say wavy they will mean grooving.
If it's a mild grooving then it's not an immediate issue, and it can buy you time to save a few quid but if it's really grooved then common sense says they need sorting.


You could get discs and pads for less than £300 though, but that would obviously mean fitting them yourself.


It's not a difficult job, but you need to take your time doing it so that it's done properly, making sure surfaces are nice and clean on the wheel hub, everything is torqued correctly, and while your at it clean up the pad pins and give the caliper pots a going over with a toothbrush and brake cleaner, then red rubber grease them up.


On a negative note, you've gotta hope you don't have any seized disc bolts, or you don't round off the allen heads of any bolt, 'cos that will stop you in your tracks unless you are equipped to deal with it.


Also, make sure you line up the lugs of the speedo sensor in your wheel when refitting, otherwise you'll snap them and be left with no speedo and another unwanted bill.
It's a common mistake, i've done it, as i'm sure many other foccers have too. 


ps: make sure you thoroughly clean off the sticky residue from any new discs you might buy with brake cleaner.

[Fazerider]

At 16,000 miles you can expect some grooves to have developed. It does affect the bedding-in period of new pads slightly, but shouldn't be much of a problem assuming the disc is not at the wear limit of 3.5mm.
Checking the disc thickness is a bit of a fiddle since you need to measure the thinnest portion and the edge of the disc will be full thickness. I glue a couple of small ball bearings to the blade of a vernier caliper to give an accurate reading. Alternatively, they're cheap enough tools that you could buy one and grind sections off to give a measuring area that's small enough to get down into the grooves.
I normally expect about 35,000 miles from front discs, but riding styles (and pads) vary.

[packie]

I replaced mine at 23,000 miles due to been under the minimum thickness. I found that to be very poor IMO. My Bandit 1200 is still going strong at 40,000 miles. Maybe you pay a price for that extra bite that the excellent Fazers have.

[unfazed]

I replaced mine after 62500miles.
Post a picture of the discs, unless the brakes are binding it is unlikely the discs are worn at 16000miles

[andybesy]

Hi,


Pics as requested.


Taken on today's adventures around ikea.


Andy

[darrsi]

I'd say you've got more life in them yet.


What make of pads do you use?

[andybesy]

The service history (from previous owner) indicates the front & rear pads were both changed at 6000 miles for "Ceramic Carbon". No brand indicated.


My invoice from recent service shows the rear was changed for EBC FA104.


They stripped, cleaned and greased both calipers, and so I'd expect any serious problem would have been spotted. Bike feels good.

[darrsi]

The EBC pads on the rear make sense as they're organic. Mine aren't, that's why they're eating my newish rear disc. Organic one's are a softer compound which is all you really need for the rear, but they do create more dust.


The ceramic pads are more than likely the main reason for faster disc wear on the front, they'll be a harder compound but with minimal dust.


Whenever you do get round to needing new discs maybe you should try a different brand of pads on the front.
SBS pads seem to be highly rated from previous posts that i've read on here.

[andybesy]

OK. Well thanks ever so much for your replies everyone.


My instinct is that while it's probably good advice to change the discs it doesn't seem to be critical.

So i'll explain to the garage that I can't afford new discs quite yet and ask them to just fit new pads for now.

Then I'll see how I get on with them. If it eats them and I need new discs later in the year then so be it. If not then all the better.

Even if the pads just get me to the other side of our upcoming European tour then that's useful.

Incidentally I do plan to get in to doing more of the servicing myself, but I need to build confidence and daren't learn on this bike as it's my only form of transport and its so good I don't want to ruin it.


Plan is to buy a cheap project bike and learn on that - so it doesn't matter if I strip and nut and it's off the road for weeks. Build a bit of confidence before I do it for real on the Fazer.


Thanks once again for your advice, Andy

[unfazed]

Plenty of life on them, ceramic pads are the cause of that type of wear definitely. I'd recommend the use of EBC FA252 HH in the front all the time because the organic are a bit to slow to bite.

[Lumpy]

OK. Well thanks ever so much for your replies everyone.


My instinct is that while it's probably good advice to change the discs it doesn't seem to be critical.

So i'll explain to the garage that I can't afford new discs quite yet and ask them to just fit new pads for now.

new discs and pads every time then, what a joke garage.
 
Better still fit them yourself, I wouldn't have ANY faith in a garage that told me that load of BS I'm afraid.