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rear brake pads on '98 RT


wolcott

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I pulled my rear brake pads a couple of weeks ago, and was surpised to find a good 1/8" braking pad left. I had some new EBC pads but figured that even if I went on a 2K 0r 3k trip i would still be safe. Now having 2nd thoughts.

1)Do you think I will be safe with a 1/8" material left even if I went on a trip- say 3k total (even though it will probably be shorter)?

2) Or should I just repull the caliper and put on the new EBC pads, to be on the safe side?

3)Have '98 RT and use both front and rear lever/pedal when I brake. Is this the proper way to brake on older, non-servo ABS bike? What would happen if I just slammed on the front brake lever (which to my understanding activates both front & rear brakes) at 70 mph?

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It is very unlikely that you could possibly wear out the remaining lining in only 3k miles. I wouldn't worry about using the current pads for your trip. (Of course replacing them is easy and maybe worth it just for your own peace of mind.)

 

And yes, except for a few very specific situations you should use both the front and rear brake when stopping. These systems are completely independent on the 1100 bikes.

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Why screw around. If you have the pads on hand replace them and be done with it. Aside from the peace of mind, the little money you leave on the table by not using the last few mm of the old pad lining isn't worth the chance of being in the wrong place when the old pads finally get to metal and start chewing on the expensive rotor.

 

It doesn't sound like you are referring to high performance riding braking techniques use at track speeds, so braking in unison is the correct procedure on the R1100s for street riding.

 

Also, it is not correct that any year 1100RT has any linkage of the front and rear breaks regardless of speed.....For a number of us the unlinked brakes on the R1100s are a desirable thing thumbsup.gif

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Just so you have more conflicting advice, I say take a set of brake pads with you and change them on the road if necessary. It's easy enough to do in a parking lot.

 

To answer your third question, if you slam on just the front brakes, the front binders will stop you PDQ all on their own. Try it for yourself. I rode my '98 RT for a while without rear brake pads installed and it wasn't a problem (but stay off the rear brakes so you don't pop a piston out or force it into the rotor -- they don't stop you very well). In my opinion, riding without front brakes is a serious safety issue, but riding without rear brakes is not.

 

To prove to yourself whether you have front-to-back linked brakes or not, do this: put the bike on the centerstand and start it up in neutral. While idling, your rear wheel should begin to turn slowly (if not, spin it by hand or drop it into gear if you're sure the rear won't get traction). Apply front brakes via the front brake lever and observe the affect on the rear wheel. Release and let the wheel spin again. Then press on the rear brake pedal and observe the affect that has.

 

Checking back-to-front linking is a bit more work since you'll need to weight the back and get the front wheel spinning by hand, but otherwise the steps are the same.

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Your brakes are THE most important system on your bike.
Not really. Without an engine you'll never need the brakes.
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