Which Brake Pads?

[ezrydr]

It's starting to look like replacement time for those front brake pads.  Actually I can't see in there worth a damn (can't make out the indicator groove) but they look like they're getting pretty thin.  Anyway might as well go ahead and do it before the weather gets hot.

So - recommendations?  What in your collective experience works best with the Magna's brake setup?

[roboto65]

I went back with stock compound. The sinter pads wear the rotor faster than the stocks but do stop faster the rotor is not cheap so rather not accelerate the wear LOL

[Greg Cothern]

Besides a stainless steel brake line improves a decent amount, so instead of spending twice on a new rotor, spend half and get a new line...

Stock pads seem to work just fine in my opinion, if you can lock it up its sufficiently capable!

[ezrydr]

Hm.  I hadn't thought of that possibility.  By "stock" I assume you mean original Honda pads?  I guess I should at least check into that.  I nearly always buy my replacement parts from Dennis Kirk since the factory parts always seem to be so much more expensive - but then I'm used to Suzuki, which really rips you off on parts; maybe Honda is more reasonable.

I've always used SBS but that was just what Kirk had at a reasonable price.  Never had much occasion to give this a lot of thought, because with the big twin disks on the GS1000 it didn't really matter; anything would have worked.

I wasn't planning on going to sintered pads, though.  As you say, they wear the rotor unduly; and frankly, I haven't had any complaints with the braking so far - in fact that was a pleasant surprise; I'd heard the Magna's braking was dodgy but it's been just fine for me.  (Last month I caught myself about to run a half-hidden stop sign in a notorious speed-trap town and got on the brakes at the last instant, so hard I got a little front-tire chirp and I could feel the back end go light; if I'd had any more braking power I'd have wiped out.)  I know what you're saying about the stainless steel lines; I had them on the GS1000 and they really did make a difference - and that's what I'll do with the Magna if I ever get to feeling the need for improvement.

No, I'm fine with the stock pads as they are; I just figure I'm going to need to replace them some time this spring or summer - I measured, they're just a tiny bit over 3mm thick, still usable but getting down there some.  So I wondered if you guys recommended any particular make.  Stock, huh?  Have to check it out, then.  Thanks. 

[roboto65]

Sorry what I meant was stock material not original equipment LOL Dennis Kirk have good deals on them.

[Charles S Otwell]

Hondadirect-Parts.com has them listed for $31.00 a set.  Let us know what you find , price wise.. I'm getting close to needing a set myself..

[lragan]

When I first bought my Magna in Sept. 06, it had been garaged for a while, so I dutifully bought the shop manuals (standard practice on all my vehicles, including my ancient John Deere tractor) and perused the owner's manual.  Called the Honda dealer in New Braunfels, having concluded I needed a new rear sprocket and a new set of brake pads.  They ordered both for me.  When I took the bike in the shop manager took one look at the sprocket, and, in my presence, compared it to the one on the bike, and declared I didn't need a new one.  He was right, I am still running it 7K+ miles later and it is fine.  Further, he called me into the shop when he had the front brake pads fully exposed, and told me I didn't really need those either, (showed me the marks to use to tell, )and that the replacement pads were not as good -- even though this dealership ordered them.  They restocked both items at no charge.

These guys have earned my respect -- and my business ever since.  Only thing I remember about the replacement pads that he didn't like was that they were sort of golden colored instead of grey.   

[TLRam1]

Nice story to hear. I always prefer to trade with the good businesses.

I live in the Dallas area but the times I have stopped in the dealer you are referring to they have bent over backwards to may our visit pleasant.

[Chokse]

I know that everyone is slamming the sintered pads, but I for one have to give them a thumbs up.  Last year, after nearly getting into an accident because the brakes just didn't have enough stopping power, I rebuilt the entire brake system on my Magna.  I rebuilt the front caliper by putting new rubber parts, pad clips, seals, and new pistons ordered from Honda.  I also rebuilt the master cylinder with the Honda rebuild kit.  I then added a stainless brake line and an EBC floating rotor and EBC sintered brake pads.  After a year of riding and testing, the system works much better than the stock system.  First, the sintered pads do not produce any dust.  I used to get brake dust all over the front of the bike; now I get none, and I really mean NONE!  Also, the floating rotor makes the braking seem smoother.  I don't feel any vibrations when braking hard.  Finally, the sintered pads do grip much better, especially when wet.  So much so that I no longer use the rear brake (don't think I've used the rear brake in over 6 months).  I have a friend with a Magna that has a bone stock brake system, and when I first got this setup we decided to put it to the test.  We found an open stretch of road and side-by-side, we sped up to 80mph.  We each hit the brakes hard (I used only the front brake and he use both the front and the rear).  Each of us had some tire squeal from hitting the brakes so hard, but neither bike locked up the brakes.  When all was said and done, I came to a stop about 10 yards earlier than he did, and I was using only the front brake.  That alone sold me on the sintered pads and floating rotor; the lack of brake dust was just icing on the cake.  Yeah, it did cost quite a bit- the rotor was $150, the pads $30, the brake line $60, and it was about $100 to rebuild the master cylinder and caliper, so about $340 total.  Numbers are funny things though.  $340 is a lot of money, but is it worth more than my life?  That was how I looked at it.  At any rate, I'm sure that the Honda pads are fine, but since we have limited braking power on the Magna, especially up front, I wanted the best I could get, and I really think I found it.

[Curtis_Valk]

Chokse, from what I remember they slammed the sintered pads for wearing out stock rotors.  I remember someone else saying they work great with EBC rotors.

Curtis

[TLRam1]

I too have changed to the Double H sintered pads for the reasons stated above, every other part is stock. The braking was getting me into possible trouble putting the squeeze of death at times on the front brake.

I have heard the same, sintered will wear the rotor out faster but how much I have yet to find valid information on, will it wear over 10, 20, 30 , or 40k miles 1/2 , 1 mm 2mm or more?

Since installing the new pads I have not been short on or complained of brakes yet, I do ride 2-up often. I mic-ed my rotor ( a little under 6mm) for a comparison, after 5k miles no difference. This rotor has 56k miles on it.

From this short test this would be one of the first changes I would make on my Magna. It would have to destroy my rotor fairly quick for me not to make this change with the improvements I have had. I have put so much pressure with the old pads I always wondered in I was going to blow the seals on the caliper or something, now it doesn't take near the pressure.

I will keep you posted on wear for your benefit, at this point the improvement out weights the issue on wear for me.

[Sledge Hammer]

Never gave much thought to the idea of the seals failing under pressure.  Presumably, that would mean that switching to a stainless steel line would add to the stress on the stock seals, maybe pushing them past their design limits for stress. Is there such a thing as high pressure seals for this bike?

[TLRam1]

I don't know if that could ever happen, pushing seals pass there point, but with the amount of pressure I was applying I think the worst and what if's. 

[crash]

not sure what the compound is on them but we only sell ebc brand at the shop and everyone has been happy with them