SuzukiSavage.com - Inexpensive Volar Brake Pads

paulchristi

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Inexpensive Volar Brake Pads
10/04/13 at 05:10:41

Hi, I've seen many posts on cheap brake pads, and can offer some testimony. I recently installed a set of Volar kevlar front pads that I bought on ebay for less than $10.

I'm very happy with them so far; they brake smoothly with no squeal, what more could you want? I can't yet speak to the durability of them, but at the price, not bad so far.

I should add that on my bike safety is job 1. I had no qualms about using inexpensive front pads, because the front brake is kind of a safety hazard anyway on a bike. If the pads would have been grabby, I would have just used my rear brake until I got home and then chucked the things.

Paul Christiansen
Tucson, AZ

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Dave YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 18101 Camp Springs, Kentucky Gender:	Re: Inexpensive Volar Brake Pads Reply #1 - 10/04/13 at 05:30:19 paulchristi wrote on 10/04/13 at 05:10:41: I had no qualms about using inexpensive front pads, because the front brake is kind of a safety hazard anyway on a bike. Paul Christiansen Tucson, AZ If the front brake on your bike is a safety hazard......You need more practice!
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Re: Inexpensive Volar Brake Pads
Reply #2 - 10/04/13 at 05:42:20

Despite what you have heard from other people about front brakes being any sort of hazard you still need to learn how to use them to the maximum effect.

Your front brakes are much better stoppers than the rear brakes on the Savage.

You need to learn to use your fronts and your rears in combination for all normal braking. You need to practice you some "emergency stops" on your favorite deserted road using just the rear, then just the front, then both together so as to teach yourself the very real advantages of constantly using BOTH of your brakes all the time (with more braking taking place on the front).

If you don't practice using both your brakes all the time and making it your common habit, then when Mr. Real Emergency Stop comes along you will either do a low side or hit the backside of a car because you can't instantly stop using everything you got.

We teach hard motorcycle braking and manoevring to Savage owners twice a year on the Savage mountain trips. Go to the stickies up at the top of Cafe to find out when the next one takes place near to you.

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paulchristi

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Re: Inexpensive Volar Brake Pads
Reply #3 - 10/04/13 at 06:17:54

Hey guys....sorry, I didn't mean to imply that I don't know what to do with my front brakes. I've been riding for 45 years, and I certainly know how to brake properly in all conditions.

At the risk of sounding defensive, I'll elaborate.....what I meant to say was that the safety hazard is an erratic front brake. If your front brake acts up, you have a backup to get you home, therefore, trying out inexpensive pads on the front isn't putting your life on the line to save $20.

For example, here in AZ we have flash floods that leave a layer of sand and silt on the roadway. You definitely don't want to lock up your front tire in that stuff, which means that you will brake differently than you would do on dry pavement. Having unpredictable brakes on an iffy roadway is a safety hazard.

I agree that pretty much any part of the bike operated improperly is a safety hazard, and all riders should educate themselves accordingly.

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Dane Allen Serious Thumper Offline Carpe Diem!! Posts: 1217 Riverside, CA Gender:	Re: Inexpensive Volar Brake Pads Reply #4 - 10/04/13 at 09:31:37 Thanks Paul, very good stuff. I am due for a pad swap in a about a month so will give these a look.
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justin_o_guy2

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Re: Inexpensive Volar Brake Pads
Reply #5 - 10/04/13 at 09:54:00

paulchristi wrote on 10/04/13 at 06:17:54:

Hey guys....sorry, I didn't mean to imply that I don't know what to do with my front brakes. I've been riding for 45 years, and I certainly know how to brake properly in all conditions.

At the risk of sounding defensive, I'll elaborate.....what I meant to say was that the safety hazard is an erratic front brake. If your front brake acts up, you have a backup to get you home, therefore, trying out inexpensive pads on the front isn't putting your life on the line to save $20.

For example, here in AZ we have flash floods that leave a layer of sand and silt on the roadway. You definitely don't want to lock up your front tire in that stuff, which means that you will brake differently than you would do on dry pavement. Having unpredictable brakes on an iffy roadway is a safety hazard.

I agree that pretty much any part of the bike operated improperly is a safety hazard, and all riders should educate themselves accordingly.

Good post,,& yea, a front tire that isnt rotating at the same speed the bike is moving is a very bad thing. I Touched the front brake on a gravel road, settingup to turn around,, probably going about 10 MPH,,
Feet were still on the pegs when I finished sliding,,

When they flip that switch & turn on the gravity, it pulls things down QUICK!

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