Rear brake pads

[Michael R1150GS Adventure]

linked brakes wearing out the pads faster if you deliberatley use the rear brake?

weird. The linked brakes dont work back to front, only the other way and the effort you can in reality put through a rear brake before locking it is very low.
I use my rear all the time, only the front when necessary and I have no issues even with a fat ass 1150GSA.

Sounds liek a mare of a problem having to keep an eye on your brakes like that. 600 miles!!

 

[cammy5477]

Don't understand this brake pad wear problem, my mates GS (not Watecooled) gets through rear pads every 7 or 8k mine at 23k is still on its original pads, must be the rider....

Got to agree with this.

I've just changed mine front and back with bike on 18000 miles. I've had it since 10k and I convinced myself it was most likely needing done. There was still 50% on the front and 35% on the rear although the rear had a little uneven

wear on one of the pads but they all look like original BMW brembo day one pads. I don't brake particularly hard so after reading this they very well could have never been changed

Cleaned up calipers and silicon greased the pistons and a full set of brembo sintered later brakes feel A1 again

 

[MKP]

Update

Firstly, i did change the first set with OE pads. The set I've just put in are brembo from Bike torque.

Spoke to Cannons and apparently there has been a number of rear brake pad wear issues. Apparently BMW have instructed dealers to check fluid levels, free play in the pedal to master cylinder linkage. I checked my bike all this is OK and the wheel spins freely by hand. I like the idea that some of the pads may have been soft but that would mean that the second set I put in were old "soft" stock. First set lasted 4200k the second set lasted 3300k.

Just changed the fronts as well about 2mm left.

 

[getalife]

Just had 6000 mile service (5813 miles) and rear pads were 90% worn. June 2013 model.
Dealer said he can replace under warranty without authorisation if under 6000 miles. (not saying wouldn't do under warranty over 6000 miles).
As per rampmonkey he said bad batch of rear discs caused excessive wear. Discs were not replaced so assume the pads wear them flat.

Suggest you check yours if similar age rather than wait till 6000 mile service and you dealer isn't accomodating.

 

[Greg Masters]

Don't understand this brake pad wear problem, my mates GS (not Watecooled) gets through rear pads every 7 or 8k mine at 23k is still on its original pads, must be the rider....

Got to agree with this.

BMWs have had this quirk for a few years now. The OE pads on my 1150 lasted over 20k miles. Their replacements, genuine BMW items bought from a dealer, lasted about 6k miles.

I suspect that they change friction materials whenever the wind changes ....

 

[Titto]

I have been told today by the dealer that the rear pads on the GS are an organic compound whereas the rest of the range are not.
Is this a reason why they would wear faster? Mine are down to nothing at 3700 miles.

 

[dave hendy]

Has anyone changed to EBC pads, if so are you using organic or double H? I used to use EBC rear pads on my 2007 GS and had no issues with them!

 

[Clifton]

I very rarely use the back brake.... or so I thought.

On the Nav V under 'My Motorcycle', the 'Last Ride Analyser' tells me in 295 miles I used the front brakes 478 times and the rear 516 could this be due to the linked brakes?

I saw the same on the Analyzer, rear cycled more times than the front which I thought odd as I very seldom use the rear. Then again the rear gets applied every time the front does so I guess it counts those as well.

 

[DING-DONG]

check the front brake fluid pot, put a cloth over the plastics and remove the lid. Mine pissed fluid out as soon as i undone the screws it was to full so when the fluid expanded bringing the piston on and allowing the rear pads (linked) to rub slightly, i removed the fluid until i could see an air bubble in the round windows on the res pot.

 

[itspilsbury]

My mate gets through a set of rear pads every 6 or 7 thousand miles on his 2011 GS, my 2011 GSA is still on its original pads front and rear, front has lots left and the rear still has enough for my next bike trip, the bike has done just over 24000 miles. why such a difference between peoples GS bikes??

 

[xbpod]

My mate gets through a set of rear pads every 6 or 7 thousand miles on his 2011 GS, my 2011 GSA is still on its original pads front and rear, front has lots left and the rear still has enough for my next bike trip, the bike has done just over 24000 miles. why such a difference between peoples GS bikes??

Riding styles?

Unless really going for it I sometimes rarely brake for miles, just use the gearbox and ride smooth. My mate hammers his brakes however we are riding.

 

[Clifton]

Also many riders use the engine for the rear brake. Still it seems like there's quite a disparity here in how long they last so I need to remember to keep an eye on mine.

 

[theEnglishman]

Haven't rear brake pads been an issue since time began? I still think it's either dirty/stuck pistons or people resting their foot on the lever. My rear pistons are gummed up every month over winter when I take the caliper off and clean them/free them up.

 

[Toy24]

For whats its worth just had my 6000 service and they changed the rear pads under warrenty. Are they putting in soft ones so that you need to by more?