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Let’s Talk About.. The Whoa!
Now I’m not talking about the horse out in the pasture… at least not one with 4 legs. I’m talking about what makes your steady stead stop . Now I know you are all thinking BUT WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT SCOUT!? Never fear I am here to explain it to you!
Let’s talk about the Whoa! Or in other words what makes your bike stop! (Hopefully not Fred
Flintstone style feet dragging!) The brake system on a motorcycle is composed of several different parts and all of them need to be working and working well together to get the proper WHOA effect.
Let’s look at some of these parts. Your brake system starts right on your handlebar with your
brake lever, you want to make sure that the lever isn’t bent and doesn’t have any cracks or and that it has that funny knob at the end. (P.S. ever wonder what that knob is for… it’s to keep your hand from sliding past the end of the lever). If your bike has ever gone down on that side make sure that the lever is still intact and safe to use.
Next is the master cylinder, you actually have two of these. These are usually rectangular or round, the one for the front brake is usually on the handlebar and the one for the rear brake is usually down by the rear brake pedal. You want to make sure that the lids are on tight and that the seals inside are not damaged or worn. The master cylinders hold the brake fluid, usually DOT 4, this is how pressure is sent to each of the brake calipers to extend the pistons that apply the brake pads to the rotors. Brake fluid is hygroscopic which means that it attracts water from the atmosphere. If this happens, as the brake fluid heats up, the water in the fluid turns to steam. This steam is less dense that the liquid brake fluid and therefore your stopping power is reduced. Brake fluid should be replaced every 1-2 years or when it becomes discolored which is a sign of contamination. New brake fluid is crystal clear, as it becomes contaminated or attracts water it starts to turn amber colored… the darker it is the more contaminated it is!
Next we have the wheel assembly part of the system… this includes the caliper, brake shoes, and brake rotors. The caliper is that chunky part down by the wheel. This contains hydraulic pistons that react to the change in pressure created by applying the brake levers. As the pistons extend they push the brake pads into the brake rotor, which is the shiny disc on both wheels. Most Brake pads typically last 20,000 to 30,000 miles depending on how aggressively you ride, and what type of pad is installed. There are several different types of brake pads that each offers a different performance, longevity, feel and price. The cheapest are Organic Pads are composed of organic carbon based materials, such as ceramic or glass
pieces and other earthy fibers. Organic pads have a soft bite and typically provide less overall performance. Because of this performance users tend to apply harder brake pressure. This in turn causes more brake dust and possible noise issues, and also causes the pads to wear quicker. Organic pads also tend to fade in the heat… meaning they get so hot that their performance decreases. Sintered brake pads are made from metal or metal
alloys and their composition can be tailored to specific requirements. This puts them at the higher end of the price range. These pads tend to have a harder initial bite and better performance. Most bikes come from the factory with sintered pads installed. Ceramic pads are manufactured similarly to sintered pads except the material is ceramic instead of metal alloys. Unlike organic pads that may have ceramic pieces, ceramic pads are mostly
ceramic that has been heated and had pressure applied to make a braking surface. They can handle the high heat generated during racing conditions, but take longer to get up to optimal temperature. Therefore for street applications they may have less bite than sintered pads. Lastly there are semi sintered pads, these bridge between organic and sintered and also fall in the middle of the price range as well. Semi sintered pads combine organic material along with sintered materials. These pads offer a medium bite and good performance. So what brake pads come down to, is really your personal preference and braking style. Most brakes have wear grooves in them so you can easily see how much brake pad is left without taking them off to inspect them.
Lastly is the rotor, that’s the big shiny disc on the wheels. The caliper fits over the top of the rotor and the brake pads rub against the face of it to create friction and stopping power. Now as long as you are maintaining your brake pads and don’t get them so low the rivets dig into the face of rotor, you shouldn’t have to replace the rotor more than every 30,000-80,000 miles under normal circumstances. If the rotor face is not smooth or you feel a pulsing when you are braking under normal circumstances it may be time to replace the rotors.