Rear Brake pads & Disc - check em regular !

[patzx12]

It would seem from you post that your bike is serviced at extreme cost by the supplier.
Since it has been serviced according to BMW schedules, I would fight the bit out and demand they replace disk free of charge, since the motorcycle is not fit for running 6000 miles between services.
If a car manufacturer tried fitting such thin brake pads in a vehicle, they would soon find themselves without a market.
As far as I can judge, the only thing that needs doing regularly (Circa 6000 miles) on a modern BMW is the replacement of rear brake pads.
They could at no cost fit wider calipers and pads, but they choose to produce the current dung to generate an income for themselves and their dealers.
Myke

Agreed, my disc and pads were replaced by Duffy's at 10 days old + recovery form and to, no hesitation on their part. A plug for a great BMW dealer.

 

[Zx9man]

How soon until we see a new Haynes manual?

This will only be available when they get a bike that dose not fall apart by its self no tools required lol

 

[Nutty]

I'd imagine it's more likely to be the traction control, rather than the cruise control applying the rear brake regularly. Going by the number of times the TC light flashes on my bike, I'd better keep an eye on the pads.

 

[David Ryan]

I've done about 2500 miles and my pads look as if they have about 4mm left on them.
How thick are they when new?
Interestingly, someone either at the factory or my dealers has use some white paint or tipex to mark the caliper and retaining spring to make some kind of wear indicator.
Does anyone else have this on theirs?

 

[Zx9man]

15mm I think

 

[patzx12]

What does it work out at? €30 - €40 per 1000km

 

[Little-Brit]

Cruise control keeps applying brakes and the throttle (not at same time) to keep at the set speed, thats why you never get as good fuel economy using cruise compared to manual.

I don't think it does. The engine braking is quite sufficient for most situations.

The radar controlled cruise on my car does but that is a whole level more sophisticated. And I know that it operates the brakes cos the brake lights come on when it is doing it!

And the reason for poorer fuel consumption is far more likely to be due to the system not being able to predict changes in load like a human operator can. For example most of us will let speed build a little on a downhill if we can see an uphill gradient to follow - cruise control can't do that.

 

[peterh]

Interestingly, someone either at the factory or my dealers has use some white paint or tipex to mark the caliper and retaining spring to make some kind of wear indicator.

I'm not sure how this would work as a wear indicator.

My bike has the same paint and I suspect it is used as a quick visual indicator that the assembly is correct. Some dealers use paint on critical fasteners to show they have been correctly torqued.

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

Take a look at any new Triumph and you will find all the important bolts and fasteners have a dollop of green paint on them indicating they've been torqued up

 

[David Ryan]

15mm per pad of friction material ???!!! Can't be so, surely
Yes all new bikes I've ever had, have the dollops of paint but this looks differnt.
I'll put up a pic later

 

[Engineer]

Take a look at any new Triumph and you will find all the important bolts and fasteners have a dollop of green paint on them indicating they've been torqued up

The only thing that you can be sure of is that they have a blob of green paint on them.

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

Dollop not blob

 

[Eunuch]

Feeling a bit pissed as I'm just going thru the same experience as Flipper did.

16 mths old in for the 12K and I get the dreaded call asking me if I knew that the rear pads were down to metal and have eaten the rear disc. I hardly ever touch the rear, certainly a fraction of the time I use the front.

I'm really annoyed and going thru the same £300+ discussion for new disc and pads. I'm not putting the miles on Flipper is doing and mine is all social, m'Lord, but I fully expected the bike to last between services especially as the pads were changed at 5.6K miles under warranty when in for the 6K service. Bike is still with the dealer for a potential other warranty issue.

I'm not sure where this will go in terms who funds this time (bike still just in warranty) but it sounds like I'll need to keep pads handy between services if it can't last 6K without getting anywhere near the pad limit. Maybe I'll change brand, but just sounds wrong.

I really do love the bike and it's performed faultlessly in every other respect in every scenario and in every kind of weather. I Just wish I'd known/thought of checking them 3 mths ago ...

 

[x5ram]

My rear disc and pads needed replacing at 5K. Didn't even make it to the service interval!

 

[snappo]

I have done and I can't find any CC system (other than adaptive cruise control variants fitted to high end cars) that claim to be able to apply the brakes when in operation?

The GS/GSA system isn't an adaptive one so I was hoping that you could point me at a link or thread that confirms the CC system applies the brakes whilst in operation?

Not sure how relevant this is, but my C class Merc applies the brakes during cruise control, easy to spot due to the position of the high level brake lights..

 

[Titto]

Ordering EBC rear pads as we speak...

I'm sure I remember reading on here that the rear pads are the same as the K1600 model? Anyway, Im finding according to the stats on the Nav V that the rear brakes are applied on mine about twice as much as the front brakes.

I am a heavy user of the rear brake, but recently reset the Nav V and deliberately didn't use the rear for a journey to and from work - same results again; rears used twice as much as the front, despite me physically not applying it myself.

Switching the EBC after reading v good reviews on t'interweb - good mileage and cost.

 

[Stevie4scoops]

Rear brake pads on BMW cars are replaced far sooner than those on the front according to the service schedule. Concidering the majority of braking is done by the front wheels, this seems wrong. If the front don't need checking/replacing until 50k mikes why cant BMW make the rears last the same mileage?

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

Next time you are in your dealership ask the parts guy to show you a brand new front and rear brake pad

You will be surprised at the difference in braking area and pad thickness

My own GSA (yes I know it's not an LC) had the original rear pads replaced by me at 14k for EBC items. The EBC pads still have plenty of meat left on them as do the fronts which are still the original BMW parts. The bike has now done 54k

 

[Paul S]

Feeling a bit pissed as I'm just going thru the same experience as Flipper did.

16 mths old in for the 12K and I get the dreaded call asking me if I knew that the rear pads were down to metal and have eaten the rear disc. I hardly ever touch the rear, certainly a fraction of the time I use the front.

I'm really annoyed and going thru the same £300+ discussion for new disc and pads. I'm not putting the miles on Flipper is doing and mine is all social, m'Lord, but I fully expected the bike to last between services especially as the pads were changed at 5.6K miles under warranty when in for the 6K service. Bike is still with the dealer for a potential other warranty issue.

I'm not sure where this will go in terms who funds this time (bike still just in warranty) but it sounds like I'll need to keep pads handy between services if it can't last 6K without getting anywhere near the pad limit. Maybe I'll change brand, but just sounds wrong.

I really do love the bike and it's performed faultlessly in every other respect in every scenario and in every kind of weather. I Just wish I'd known/thought of checking them 3 mths ago ...

Daz - don't take this the wrong way but your first pads lasted less than 6,000 miles and then you are surprised that the second set did the same

What happened to folks checking their bikes on a regular basis


..............and yes they should last longer than they do

 

[tecman]

the only riding mode that doesn't use rear brake is Enduro. You can reset your nav V stats and go for a ride.
my rear pads were replaced at 7k service on warranty and were almost done at 12.5k. This time mr BMW didn't want to pay for it, so I just bought pads from them any replaced them for 10£ at local bike shop including replacing brake fluid.