SuzukiSavage.com - Red or Gold?

skrapiron -FSO

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Red or Gold?
04/14/08 at 18:11:16

Well, I'm approaching my next service interval. In addition to the standard oil change and valve adjustment, its now time to change the cam chain and the front brakes. The canm chain, I got covered, thanks to Lancer.

The brakes, not so much.

At the 7500 mile maintenance, I swapped the stock pads for EBC gold pads. They have lasted nearly 18,000 miles but are due to be changed. I still have some pad left, but the rotor is below service spec. Since I have to replace the rotor, I need to decide what direction to go with the brakes.

I liked the golds for the sure stopping power when I needed it. They lasted just about forever. But they were noisy, squealed alot and ate the rotor for dinner.

The red pads are metal reinforced organic. I won't get near the wear out of them that I got from the golds, but I won't be changing my rotor every year either. I have not run the reds before and don't know quite what to expect.

Alot of you have many more years experience with the Savage than I. Would you recommend sticking with the golds and a new rotor, or can I save $6.00 a set of pads and get reasonable service life out of the reds?

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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28884 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Red or Gold? Reply #1 - 04/14/08 at 18:54:59 If you're looking for sheer braking power the reds aren't it. Takes more force to stop. No squeal though.
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Red or Gold? Reply #2 - 04/14/08 at 23:55:59 I am needing to slap the 2nd set of reds on it. I got 11K out of the first set, the stockers delivered 5K & were toast. I feel like the red grabs well enough. It will slide the front tire & thats as much whoaaa as it gets. Gotta reel it in tho,
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Savage_Rob Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Mechanically Inclined Amateur Posts: 6972 Texas (Dallas area) Gender:	Re: Red or Gold? Reply #3 - 04/15/08 at 13:13:39 I've been very happy with ceramic pads. Stop great and no squeal.
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skrapiron -FSO

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Re: Red or Gold?
Reply #4 - 04/15/08 at 13:43:29

Well, I went with the reds. Here's what I think (initially) WHOA, Nelly! Whoa!!!!

I can see why someone would carp about the Savage's brakes being underwhelming. Ok, I know that I need about 100 miles of city riding to properly break them and the new rotor in and all that, but the brakes feel vague, mushy, like they just don't want to stop. Scary...

The golds were much more precise. I knew I was going to stop every time I pulled the brake. Oh well....

On a positive note, no more squeal when I hit my brakes (front at least) and they were $6.00 cheaper than another set of golds..

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Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: Red or Gold? Reply #5 - 04/15/08 at 14:11:57 you going to stock rotor it or fancy drilled rotor? - you might want consider a low flex stainless brake line
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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28884 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Red or Gold? Reply #6 - 04/15/08 at 14:16:24 used rotors on fleabay all the time. ss brake line ahoy!
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skrapiron -FSO

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Re: Red or Gold?
Reply #7 - 04/16/08 at 11:43:03

I kept with the stock rotor ($25.00 off of Fleabay.. YeeHa!) I thought about having it cryo treated and cross drilled, then I had another shot of whiskey and chased that thought from my head....

On a more serious note, what do you guys usually use to lube the caliper guide pin? When last it was off, I used a dab of lubriplate universal meduim duty grease. When I pulled the caliper apart last night, the pin was mostly dry and I saw where the inside pad had been dragging across the top. Not good.

When I reassembled it, this time I coated the pin with a generous helping of engine assembly lube (high pressure lithium soap grease impregnated with molybdenum and graphite). I assume this should hold up longer than the standard axle grease I used last time. (Funny, but I use the lubriplate on every brake job I do. It has never 'worn off' like it did on the Savage. Not on my Vespa, not on my Vino, not on my CBK.... Wierd...)

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Savage_Rob

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Re: Red or Gold?
Reply #8 - 04/16/08 at 11:56:32

skrapiron -FSO wrote on 04/16/08 at 11:43:03:

I kept with the stock rotor ($25.00 off of Fleabay.. YeeHa!) I thought about having it cryo treated and cross drilled, then I had another shot of whiskey and chased that thought from my head....

On a more serious note, what do you guys usually use to lube the caliper guide pin? When last it was off, I used a dab of lubriplate universal meduim duty grease. When I pulled the caliper apart last night, the pin was mostly dry and I saw where the inside pad had been dragging across the top. Not good.

When I reassembled it, this time I coated the pin with a generous helping of engine assembly lube (high pressure lithium soap grease impregnated with molybdenum and graphite). I assume this should hold up longer than the standard axle grease I used last time. (Funny, but I use the lubriplate on every brake job I do. It has never 'worn off' like it did on the Savage. Not on my Vespa, not on my Vino, not on my CBK.... Wierd...)

I used the molybdenum (pronounced "MOLLY B" in the Navy) brake grease on mine.

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Digger

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Re: Red or Gold?
Reply #9 - 07/26/08 at 21:29:33

FWIW.....to lube brake caliper slider pins, I use a high-temp silicone grease. Mine is supposedly good up to 600 deg F.

If you're really anal, you can use this stuff:

Permatex Brake Lube

As far as the brake pads go, if forced to choose between the two EBC pads you mentioned, I'd go with the red (organic) every time. The front brake pads are extremely easy to change out on this bike, the rotor is not.

IHTH someone!

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Digger
2001, Metallic Glacial Blue, Raptor Petcock, Verslavy (first hole) (otherwise, mechanically, the bike is stock), 13,xxx miles
I don't own a cage.
www.astronautbiker.com

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Red or Gold? Reply #10 - 07/26/08 at 23:20:31 I used antisieze..
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4carbcorvair Full Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 175 Maine Gender:	Re: Red or Gold? Reply #11 - 07/27/08 at 04:18:58 I didn't notice any difference between the reds and stock pads. Stops just as quick and no mushy feel. Except I can actually hear the bike now when I hit the brakes instead of the pads squealing.
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