Love the bike, but still got problems

[dave hendy]

Dave, be careful: if those pads are sintered, there's every chance of wrecking the brake disc.

Did wonder about that but as Nippy Norman only shows the sintered ones and Motorworks show both I decided these should be OK as I never touch the rear brake unless holding the bike at standstill. My discs allready seem more scored than normal with the standard pads

 

[DING-DONG]

I've run brembo sintered rears and fronts on several bm bikes and never had any issues, i prefer the feel of sintered pads .

 

[Nick V]

Did wonder about that but as Nippy Norman only shows the sintered ones and Motorworks show both I decided these should be OK as I never touch the rear brake unless holding the bike at standstill. My discs allready seem more scored than normal with the standard pads

Be careful anyway... if you do damage the disc as a result, BMW won't honour the warranty. Use of non-standard parts 'n all that.
Sintered pads have a high metal content, which requires specially alloyed steel in the discs.

I've run brembo sintered rears and fronts on several bm bikes and never had any issues, i prefer the feel of sintered pads .

The point is that the rear brake on the new bikes might have gone back to the 'formula' of the old Oilheads: sintered pads and harder steel discs at front, organic pads and softer steel discs at the rear.

Use it, don't use it. Just don't say I didn't warn you.
The only way anyone's going to be able to tell for certain is by using sintered pads on the rear and noting the outcome...

 

[yankeedoodledandy]

Be careful anyway... if you do damage the disc as a result, BMW won't honour the warranty. Use of non-standard parts 'n all that.
Sintered pads have a high metal content, which requires specially alloyed steel in the discs.
The point is that the rear brake on the new bikes might have gone back to the 'formula' of the old Oilheads: sintered pads and harder steel discs at front, organic pads and softer steel discs at the rear.
Use it, don't use it. Just don't say I didn't warn you.
The only way anyone's going to be able to tell for certain is by using sintered pads on the rear and noting the outcome...

So in the interest of further data: I replaced my worn out OEM rear pads with sintered Carbone Lorraine pads from beemerboneyard at 6k miles. Bike now has 10k miles on it. Rotors look ok, not sure if I'd call them "scored" rather than just "well grooved". Time for the micrometer.

Rear rotor measured thickness is 4.79 mm, new is supposedly 5.00 mm, wear limit is 4.5 mm.
For reference on my braking frequency, front rotors measured 4.40 mm/4.39 mm, new is 4.50 mm, wear limit is 4.0 mm.

So for 0.5 mm spec life, I'm 40% through the rear rotor life in 10k miles and 20% through the fronts. I'd say this means Nick might be right about the rotor material, so I'm switching back to organics ASAP, I'll just buy them in sets of 4 so I have extras ready for more frequent changes. FWIW, the listing for brake pads at the website I used didn't say anything about the OEM being organics, live and learn I guess.

 

[PaulW]

So in the interest of further data: I replaced my worn out OEM rear pads with sintered Carbone Lorraine pads from beemerboneyard at 6k miles. Bike now has 10k miles on it. Rotors look ok, not sure if I'd call them "scored" rather than just "well grooved". Time for the micrometer.

Rear rotor measured thickness is 4.79 mm, new is supposedly 5.00 mm, wear limit is 4.5 mm.
For reference on my braking frequency, front rotors measured 4.40 mm/4.39 mm, new is 4.50 mm, wear limit is 4.0 mm.

So for 0.5 mm spec life, I'm 40% through the rear rotor life in 10k miles and 20% through the fronts. I'd say this means Nick might be right about the rotor material, so I'm switching back to organics ASAP, I'll just buy them in sets of 4 so I have extras ready for more frequent changes. FWIW, the listing for brake pads at the website I used didn't say anything about the OEM being organics, live and learn I guess.

I have been wondering about whether to go for EBC sintered or organic. I phoned their technical guy and he could not tell me even though I gave him the Brembo part numbers from the original BMW pads (07.5270.80 1st set, 07.5270.85 2nd set, 3rd set just about done) - 26,000 miles in total and 3 sets of pads = unstoppable ??

So, RTFM I thought and lo and behold, in the back (section 10, p.157) it states explicitly - sintered for the front, organic for the rear. Have ordered FA363 Organic from EBC to see how these last in comparison.

 

[Nick V]

Yup. This from the owner's manual (01 Oct. 2012 onward version).

 

[Eunuch]

My bike went in for it's 6K and the rear pads were down to the metal - shame on me for not spotting it. I rarely use the rear too and though Barnstormers followed up with BMW as a warranty claim they wouldn't accept it. Apparently they would have if it had been under 4K miles.

Kinda peed, but I have to get on with life ... at least it was identified before I scoot off to Tuscany .

I got a refund .

Went back to Bahnstormers today to have an alarm fob coded and much to my surprise I found out that BMW seem to have had a change of heart and I was pleasantly surprised approaching the Service desk to hear I was getting a refund. They are refunding me the cost of the rear pads on the basis this was an acceptable warranty claim if the pads would not have lasted until 6K miles. Mine were completely shot around 5.5K miles when the service was done and despite the initial goodwill request from the dealer being rejected a subsequent revised position from BMW for some other affected people meant mine was potentially back in the acceptable warranty work category. I'm impressed the Service guy Andy at 'Stormers had the forethought to go back and get mine re-approved. Nice touch. Still had to pay to get the fobs coded though, so there ain't no such thing as a free lunch!

Either way, happy to have got the pads done for free.

 

[Shep]

BMW used to offer an 'off road' set of rear pads for the 1200's, thats what i used to use and they lasted ages, if they sell them as an option for the bike i can't see why the warrantee would be effected?

 

[dave hendy]

Be careful anyway... if you do damage the disc as a result, BMW won't honour the warranty. Use of non-standard parts 'n all that.
Sintered pads have a high metal content, which requires specially alloyed steel in the discs.

Just ordered some Organic pads will see if I can get a refund on the sintered

 

[Wrinkly]

Is there something bad about using your rear brakes ????

Steve

 

[Roymondo]

Just ordered some Organic pads will see if I can get a refund on the sintered

If they quibble (and assuming the pads are unused, of course!) just quote the Distance Selling Regs at them. Most eBay shopkeepers are pretty good in this regard though - they quite rightly value their 100% reputations!

 

[dave hendy]

If they quibble (and assuming the pads are unused, of course!) just quote the Distance Selling Regs at them. Most eBay shopkeepers are pretty good in this regard though - they quite rightly value their 100% reputations!

I have emailed them they will give me a refund minus postage! Better than nothing or new discs......

 

[Roymondo]

I have emailed them they will give me a refund minus postage! Better than nothing or new discs......

Er - how can they refund "minus postage" when postage was free to start with??

Under the DSRs they *must* refund you everything you paid in full (although you may be responsible for the return postage). It's not something they can opt out of or exclude in their Ts & Cs.

 

[dave hendy]

Er - how can they refund "minus postage" when postage was free to start with??

Under the DSRs they *must* refund you everything you paid in full (although you may be responsible for the return postage). It's not something they can opt out of or exclude in their Ts & Cs.

Good to know, I'll see what I get back! The organic pads are about £3.50 cheaper so that will pay for the postage back (recorded).

 

[PaulW]

Don't order FA363 or FA363HH for R1200GS LC

Despite what the EBC website explicitly states, the FA363, FA363HH are NOT the pads to fit the 1200GS LC - their database is wrong and they have confirmed this.
FA209/2 (Organic) are the correct fitment, Motorworks do them at a good price and are listed correctly along with Ferodo and Brembo replacements

http://www.motorworks.co.uk/vlive/Shop/Parts.php?T=5&NU=15&M=36&Ct=HA&SbCt=BA_15_36_HA_25

I have been wondering about whether to go for EBC sintered or organic. I phoned their technical guy and he could not tell me even though I gave him the Brembo part numbers from the original BMW pads (07.5270.80 1st set, 07.5270.85 2nd set, 3rd set just about done) - 26,000 miles in total and 3 sets of pads = unstoppable ??

So, RTFM I thought and lo and behold, in the back (section 10, p.157) it states explicitly - sintered for the front, organic for the rear. Have ordered FA363 Organic from EBC to see how these last in comparison.