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'99 VFR - Should Rear Brake Pads Wear Faster Than the Front Pads?


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A quick glance shows my rear pads are due for replacement after about 10K miles.  The fronts don't look as worn.  Is this typical?

 

Thanks

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Interesting point you raise, but guess it depends on a few factors namely your brake usage.

I've found that imeadiately after a ride the rear brake rotor can be untouchable hot whereas the fronts are way cooler even though I use the fronts for the majority of braking.

With each of my bikes from new,(three 6gens and one 8gen) the rear OEM pads have always required replacing before the fronts. My thinking is that even though the vast majority of braking is carried out by the fronts it's wear is spread over 4 pads and two discs which get good cooling airflow. The rear single disc, centred within the wheel, seems to miss out on cool airflow causing the very hot disc situation perhaps exacerbating rear pad wear. Just my thoughts.

Cheers:beer:

Post Edit - Went for a lengthy ride today and ONLY used front brakes, arrived home and checked the rear disc rotor - It was COOL. Rear wheel has always spun freely on the centre stand. Confirming I don't have a dragging rear caliper. (No linked Brakes on my 8gen).

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I noticed the same thing when I first got my VFR. I've never had to replace rear pads before the

fronts because I use the fronts much more often, and harder, than I've ever used the rears.

 

However, don't forget the linked brakes on the VFR: when you apply the fronts, even if you don't

actually use the rear brake pedal you're still applying the rear brakes. So every time you stop you

are applying the rear brake. And if you brake hard with the front, the rear brake will also be applied

harder due to the secondary master cylinder action.

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Knowing that the rear has at least 1 piston  activated when applying the front (at least while the front wheel is rotating) I hardly ever use the rear brake, unless I really need to stop hard and fast and I do not seem to have more wear at the rear than at the front. When I first brought home my 5 Gen (I bought it used), the rear brake was very wooden and didn't work well at all. Turned out the two outer pistons were scarred and had caused the seal to get chewed up and the rubber began to gum up the piston movement. This meant that the pistons would move out but not back in and thus created a drag on the rotor. I ended up rebuilding both front and rear calipers as well as MCs, even the SMC and replaced the hoses with SS lines and so far I have great braking performance but no abnormal rear pad wear.

 

With the bike on the center stand give the rear wheel a spin and see if there is a lot of drag on the rotor. If so, I would pull the caliper off and check/clean the pistons.

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5 minutes ago, Duc2V4 said:

 When I first brought home my 5 Gen (I bought it used), the rear brake was very wooden and didn't work well at all. Turned out the two outer pistons were scarred and had caused the seal to get chewed up and the rubber began to gum up the piston movement. This meant that the pistons would move out but not back in and thus created a drag on the rotor. 

 

With the bike on the center stand give the rear wheel a spin and see if there is a lot of drag on the rotor. If so, I would pull the caliper off and check/clean the pistons.

Great place to start. 

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