2007 Road Star Front Brake Pads

[07Roadstar]

I've seen some conflicting recommendations on the internet for the Front Brake Pads for my 07 Roadie and I just want to verify with the experts that these are the right ones. EBC FA252HH. Or, have you had better experience with something different than EBC sintered HH?

Cheers!!!

[TimB]

I don't use the sintered pads, I use the EBC organic pads

[07Roadstar]

Any particular reason why the organic? Also, do you have a part # for the organic? Thanks!!

[Doc_V]

IIRC - The HH Sintered pad compound [sometimes referred to as "copper pads"] was originally created for sport bike owners who ride aggressively. They're definitely harder and when used on the R*; the immediate noticeable difference is in the brake lever/pedal *feel*. It's much harder and more of an, "on / off" response. Some people like to ride with a finger or two on the brake lever at all times and like how little effort is required when just using 2 fingers. Or those who may have issues with forearm strength, arthritis, old injuries etc. like HH sintered, because they require less effort. They also last longer and tend to make less dust. Though unfortunately, they can and do chew up the rotors much more quickly. And new rotors aren't cheap.

That said, if you're someone who is typically hard on the brakes, the HH Sintered pads can and will lock up more easily, especially the rear and more so in the wet. And locking up the brakes on a bike is NOT good... Especially one as heavy as the R*... And you *will* chew up your rotors pretty quickly. Most rotors should last 70k+ miles, but they won't with HH and a heavy hand/foot. [I noticed *considerable* wear and grooving from HH Sintered pads after a few thousand miles so I got rid of them.]

Organic, on the other hand, is what the factory OE pads are made from. They have a more linear feel; i.e. the harder you pull, the more they bite. They are MUCH more easy on rotor wear too. And they are less expensive. The down side is they do make more dust and don't last as long, and require more lever/pedal effort than HH Sintered.

A third option are EBC Semi-Sintered or "V-Pad"... Kind of the best of both worlds without the drawbacks of either. Linear feel, longer lasting, and less dust without the lockups or rotor wear. Unfortunately, they are not available on the fronts of the later bikes; only the rears. Fortunately it's OK to mix different compounds front and rear.

My personal preference is for the EBC Semi Sintered pad, and if I can't get them I go with organic [OE] type and replace them more often. [I run EBC Semi-Sintered in the rear sand EBC Organics on the front of my 2006.] I get about a season out of a set of organic [OE] pads and I ride pretty damn hard. I also do a lot of trail-braking in the corners and have a gorilla grip, so I like the linear feel of the brakes and know long before they will lock up. Which almost never happens on the front.

IMPORTANT: Probably the single MOST neglected maintenance item on any motorcycle is the brake fluid. Many people choose the HH Sintered because they feel the stock brakes requires too much effort for their liking, but they never bother to flush and replace their brake fluid *FIRST*. This is a must! I do it about once every 12-18 months. [More often if you live in a humid environment.] Search the old site about it, there are some pretty detailed posts explaining it all. I'd also recommend high performance fluid that boils at higher temps as it will prevent brake fade, especially on long down hill runs with a passenger. I've cooked the stock fluid on my R* and it's no fun when you have to start pumping your brakes while entering a corner.

And lastly, a little patience and Google will find you the right part numbers.

As always, YMMV.

Best of luck.

Doc_V

[Duke]

Good write-up Doc. Well said!
I just use the organic pads myself.

[07Roadstar]

Thanks for the info Doc!!! I recently did the rear with the EBC FA123V Semi-Sintered and also flushed the old fluid with Prestone DOT 4 Brake Fluid. All is working well so I'm now focusing on the front. Based on your info I think the Organic Pads should serve my needs just fine since I'm not an aggressive rider by any means.

Update: 2 sets of EBC FA252 Organic pads are on their way..

Cheers!!!

[brianmac]

down here in humidity land FL brake fluid change annually , remember brake fluid is hydroscopic, meaning it loves water. cheaper to bleed it than replace parts too.

[brianmac]

SO , choices are organic( no copper), semi sintered(some copper ) or HH sintered (full copper content). where can we get quality semi sintered at a fair price, or does TimB use organic due to availability reasons?
OEM pads up front will set you back over 100 clams, nuts......

[TimB]

I can get any EBC pads you want, but I suggest the FA organic series. I like my pads softer than my rotors. I use on a single rotor on my 1100 & the FA series brake pads, I can still LOCK the front wheel if I like.

[Doc_V]

No need to pay extra for Yama OE.

For the 1700, EBC organics front pads should run you about $25-30 a set. [2 sets required for front.]

R* 1700 Front EBC Organic [kevlar] Brake Pads Part # FA252:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sop...rt=nc&_fosrp=1

Rear EBC VPad [Semi sintered] Part # 123FV $30:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/EBC-Semi-Si...lkSq:rk:1f:0

About to order a complete set myself; front and rear.

[TimB]

I say they are wrong

[TimB]

https://ebcbrakes.com/product/organic-motorcycle-brakes/

[Doc_V]

Thanks Tim, post corrected.

[D-Fresh]

Thanks for the write up and great info Doc! One thing i may add that can be an option for the newer bikes and a serious consideration for the older bikes is replacing the brake lines also. My thoughts are if you are going to replace lines you may as well use steel braided ones while you are at it. I've not been a long term forum member or RS owner so i don't have personal experience with this on the RS but have done it on other bikes i've owned. What's your experience on this subject?

[Doc_V]

Thanks D-Fresh... Excellent point! ALWAYS a good idea to replace factory brake lines with steel bradded brake lines. When you apply the brakes, factory lines actually *expand* like a garden hose under pressure, which detracts from the stopping pressure on the pads. Steel bradded lines minimize expansion, directing more of the hydraulic pressure to the calipers and pads providing better stopping power and lever feel.

[TimB]

Yamaha wants you to change brake lines every 4 yrs. That should tell you all you need to know about their rubber lines.

[YZ18]

Every 4 years? I should have changed my 05 at least 3 times by now. Who has the ss lines in stock sizes and are they a lot more expensive?

[Jeaston]

and the rear brake line has a DOM printed on it.

[Doc_V]

You don't need to change as often with steel bradded; but if you've ever flushed your brake fluid, and it was black, the back is actually caused by the disintegration of the brake lines. Brake fluid is very corrosive.

https://www.ebay.com/b/Brake-Lines-Hoses-for-Yamaha-Road-Star-S/177924/bn_21075867

[brianmac]

FROM WIKIPEDIA
the takeaways here for us are
1. DOT 3 and 4 soak up moisture from air, and the moisture causes corrosion of metal parts(hydro or hygro scopic)((of a substance) tending to absorb moisture from the air.), and they damage paint and plastics.
2. DOT 5 is hydrophobic, (opposite of hygroscopic) (i honestly did not know that). and it doesnt damage paint.
3. DOT 5 is a silicone-based fluid and is separate from the series of DOT 2, 3, 4, 5.1. It is immiscible with water, and with other brake fluids, and must not be mixed with them. Systems can only change fluid after a complete system changeover, such as a total restoration.
DOT 5 IS NOT BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE

Most brake fluids used today are glycol-ether based, but mineral oil (Citroën/Rolls-Royce liquide hydraulique minéral (LHM)) and silicone-based (DOT 5) fluids are also available.^[1]FROM WIKIPEDIA
DOT 4[edit]

While a vehicle that uses DOT 3 may also use DOT 4 or 5.1 if the elastomers in the system accept the borate compounds that raise the boiling point,^{[citation needed]} (a temperature upgrade) a vehicle that requires DOT 4 might boil the brake fluid if a DOT 3 (a temperature downgrade) is used. Additionally, these polyglycol-ether-based fluids cannot be mixed with DOT 5.0, which is silicone based.

As of 2006, most cars produced in the U.S. use DOT 4 brake fluid. DOT 5[edit]

DOT 5 is a silicone-based fluid and is separate from the series of DOT 2, 3, 4, 5.1. It is immiscible with water, and with other brake fluids, and must not be mixed with them. Systems can only change fluid after a complete system changeover, such as a total restoration.

It contains at least 70% by weight of a diorgano polysiloxane^[4]. Unlike polyethylene glycol based fluids, Dot 5 is hydrophobic.^[5] An advantage over other forms of brake fluid is that silicone has a more stable viscosity index over a wider temperature range. Another property is that it does not damage paint.^{[citation needed]}

DOT 5 brake fluid is not compatible with anti-lock braking systems. DOT 5 fluid can aerate when the anti-lock brake system is activated. DOT 5 brake fluid absorbs a small amount of air requiring care when bleeding the system of air.^[6]

Lack of acceptance of silicone-based fluids led to the development of DOT 5.1, a fluid giving the performance advantages of silicone, whilst retaining some familiarity and compatibility with the glycol ester fluids.
Corrosion[edit]

Brake fluids must not corrode the metals used inside components such as calipers, wheel cylinders, master cylinders and ABS control valves. They must also protect against corrosion as moisture enters the system. Additives (corrosion inhibitors) are added to the base fluid to accomplish this. Silicone is less corrosive to paintwork unlike glycol-ether based DOT fluids.^[10]

WATER ABSORPTION
Many manufacturers also require periodic fluid changes to ensure reliability and safety. Once installed, moisture diffuses into the fluid through brake hoses and rubber seals and, eventually, the fluid will have to be replaced when the water content becomes too high. Electronic testers and test strips are commercially available to measure moisture content, however moisture test strips were taken off the market because they absorb moisture in the air before they can be used.

[D-Fresh]

Tim B,

As far as the 4 year change out of brake lines is concerned, how much of that is for safety and how much is to pad Yamaha’s pockets? Is 4 years a good number? I’ve driven/ridden cars/bikes with rubber brake lines way older than than without issues. I’m not saying it was safe, just saying that is my experience. What is the consensus on the forum for timeframe of changing brake lines?

[TimB]

LOL Ask Yamaha. I'm relaying what THE BOOK says.

[Doc_V]

FYI- The R* Owners Manual calls for DOT 4 brake fluid. And just like steel bradded lines, given the R's significant weight, I *HIGHLY* recommend a racing spec DOT4 fluid!

I personally use ATE Super Blue Racing brake fluid that I discover back in my Porsche racing days. It has a higher boiling point than most DOT 4 fluids which, "must have a minimum dry boiling point of 446°F and a minimum wet boiling point of 311°F." That's compared to Super Blue's 593° and 420° respectively. [Which is also significantly higher than the 500° and 356° boilings points of of DOT 5 and 5.1 fluid.]

Why does this matter? The more you use the brakes, like say riding down a long mountain road with a passenger or hitting the twisties at a "spirited pace", heat from the rotors and calipers is transferred to the fluid. As the fluid boils, bubbles form causing gas pockets in brake lines. This is REAL BAD! As you may recall from science class, unlike fluids, gasses compress, so when you go to grab a hand full of brake NOTHING HAPPENS! [I've personally experienced this more than once before switching to Super Blue and never since.] FYI- in an emergency, if you experience brake fade, you can pump the brakes... But Id rather just avoid the problem altogether with better fluid.

Unfortunately, due to silly US regulations, brake fluid can only be amber or clear in color, so the Super Blue, which is from Germany and is so called because of it's blue coloring, is very hard to come by these days. Fortunately ATE now offers a Super Blue "Type" fluid that is amber. [Same specs different color] For the most part any racing spec DOT 4 brake fluid, with higher boiling points, is better than regular DOT 4.

[D-Fresh]

This has been a good thread on brake systems! I just got my 2012 and the PO just had the brake fluid changed out (according to the sales receipt) this year. My plan will be when the next fluid change comes around i will use the high temp fluid and replace lines with steel braided.

[brianmac]

fyi , you can get a brake bleeder tool for like 25 -30 bucks, autozone used to give free loaner.....
makes short order of bleeding , invaluable tool .

[chess]

can someone tell me what the front rotors torque on

[roadiemort]

In the book.http://www.werder.ee/Manual/XV1600.pdf

[Shores]

http://www.werder.ee/Manual/XV1600.pdf

[chess]

thanks for the manual

[Starman]

I found this fix for a sticking front brake lever and did it and it is sweet again! Thank you all!

[D-Fresh]

What fix are you referring to Starman ?

[roadiemort]

Filing out the divot that wears into the clamped portion.