Aftermarket brake pads?

[ramblinrod]

Any suggestions or just go with BMW parts?

Thanks,
Rod

[popgazer]

BMW pads are about 50% more expensive than EBC, but they are about twice as thick. So, assuming they all have the same wear rate, one would expect twice the life span with BMW. I think with BMW pads you end up saving a couple $, but you'd be 15 minutes short on fun time working on your bike

[RideandDrive]

I just bought replacement fronts for my 2004 and I believe they were 60-70 a set. I replaced them at 35,000 miles.

[towerworker]

I have about 25k on my 03 r. Installed new front and rear brakes at 18k. Front had some life left but thought I would go ahead and replace both at the same time. Ordered aftermarket pads from a cycle supplier--thought I was ordering EBC pads but they shipped Galfer. btw--wanted organic not metallic pads as I thought they would be easier on the rotors. Stopping power is as good as before but have had alot of squeal from the front and have tried many things to quiet them down. Nothing seems to work for very long. Original pads squealed some but not to the extent that these do. Not sure if BMW pads would be better but could certainly not be any worse! Also the new front pads make a very unusual sound when applied---something like a staccato whirring sound. Very unusual.

Not sure what I will try when these wear out.

Wayne

[beemerphile]

--thought I was ordering EBC pads but they shipped Galfer.

Wayne,

What color Galfers? My experience with the greens is that they are very quiet.

[Paul Mihalka]

I have EBC HH pads on the front and SBS organic on the rear. I found the EBC fronts give more modulation feel, not so just full on or off like the stocks. On the rear I have the simple organics that are less hard braking than the HH, this way with the integral brakes it is biased more to the front. I can feel the difference.

[stig]

Replaced the rear pads with original as the were the same price as after market, $80 approx??? bizzar really . Front pads still going strong at 35000km.

[riceburner]

I prefer OE. They last longer.

[towerworker]

Lee--

My pads are green, or at least the back plate portion is. Rear is quiet but not the front.

Wayne

[beemerphile]

Lee--

My pads are green, or at least the back plate portion is. Rear is quiet but not the front.

Wayne

Real strange for Galfer greens. You might remove the pads and sand the friction surfaces. Use a sheet of sandpaper on a piece of glass or other known flat surface (I use a granite surface plate). I use some NAPA anti-squeal paste behind the pads.

[towerworker]

I have sanded the pads numerous times, I have used several types of caliper grease on the backs of the pads (also lubed the pins as well) and all to no avail. (at least each effort has had short lived results)

Some evening soon I will take it all apart again and go thru the process again and see what happens. (again)

Thanks for the tips though!

Wayne

[beemerphile]

I have sanded the pads numerous times,...

You've done about eveything I know to try except placing a thin piece of spring steel (snipped to about the dimensions of the brake pad backing plate) between the pad and the caliper puck. Good luck with it.

[DJ Downunder]

Also the new front pads make a very unusual sound when applied---something like a staccato whirring sound. Very unusual.

Mine too...I had my dealer replace mine not long ago...I am getting this whirring sound from the front also..it's almost a buzzing sound.

I've asked and even had the mechanic test ride it..he came back..took it all apart..checked everything..couldn't find anything wrong.

He said it should go away after a while...I've done heaps of huge ride up and down big mountains..and no change.

When I asked again they said it's because if the holes in the disc's..and maybe harder pads than before... ...I fixed the problem by turning up my iPod...

DJ

[popgazer]

BMW pads are about 50% more expensive than EBC, but they are about twice as thick. So, assuming they all have the same wear rate, one would expect twice the life span with BMW. I think with BMW pads you end up saving a couple $, but you'd be 15 minutes short on fun time working on your bike

I have to retract what I said above; it was a recollection from some time ago when I had to get pads. However, last week I went to the dealer for rear brake pads. They quoted me $83 My local bike shop got me EBC PA363 next day for $27 total. The tickness is the same as the OEM, and they fit exactly as the EOM. No noise, no trouble after 100 mi. And I expect they will last at least as long as the OEM.
Do OEM pads have 3.07 times the benefit compared with EBC's ?? I don't think so !

So, yes, it's worth avoiding BMW dealer !

[jon pierce]

Folks, stick with the standard pads - yes they are more expensive - but how often do you change them?

I know others fit and work BUT - OE ones are developed to work with the BMW rotors.

There so often are unexpected 'issues' with non standard parts that you could never predict. If you use OE then you can take that component out of the equation when trying to trace a fault.

[beemerphile]

I know others fit and work BUT - OE ones are developed to work with the BMW rotors. .

You've been drinking the BMW kool-aid. They "work with" the BMW rotors by wearing them out faster than Galfer or EBC pads. There is not a lot of coordination required between a pad and a rotor that a pad has to be designed to "work with" a particular rotor. There are more differences in intended use (touring, sport, commuting, off-road, etc.) that would affect a pad selection than there are with compatibility of design between components. The nice thing about the non-OEM's is that they offer a range of friction materials so that you can tailor the response to your needs.

They will all "work with the BMW rotors".

[popgazer]

Folks, stick with the standard pads - yes they are more expensive - but how often do you change them?

The rear: every 7K miles or so.

I know others fit and work BUT - OE ones are developed to work with the BMW rotors.

I have been using BMW pads and my rear disk is wearing really fast! Almost 1/3 of thinkness is gone after 3 sets of pads !!!
I used to think that the whole of the machine is designed to work together optimally, provide maximum safely yada yada yada... untill I had a fuel plastic quick disconnect break and start spraying fuel all over the red hot pipes underneath! I realized how recless BMW engineers have been for putting whatever cheap solution they found in the market, and BMW for not repairing such a mistake. Metallic quick disconnects are obviously the better solution, which they didn't pick.

Anyway, our bike is a good machine, but by no means a perfect machine. So, other parts can and do work better than stock. And when the dealer is charging 3 times the price of an after market that works as well, then...

[jm1515]

Folks, stick with the standard pads - yes they are more expensive - but how often do you change them?

The rear: every 7K miles or so.

I know others fit and work BUT - OE ones are developed to work with the BMW rotors.

I have been using BMW pads and my rear disk is wearing really fast! Almost 1/3 of thinkness is gone after 3 sets of pads !!! ...

7000mi between rear pad changes???
1/3 of your disc gone after 3 sets???



I'm no expert...but I would check to see if your rear caliper is mounted correctly, or if the pads are installed correctly, or maybe your rear brake pedal needs adjustment.
Or maybe you're using the pedal as a foot rest, or just don't believe in the front brake???

When I changed my tires at 11300mi I inspected & cleaned all 3 calipers and pad sets. The rears had PLENTY of life left, so I'm thinking (always dangerous) that something is not right on your bike.

[beemerphile]

...7000mi between rear pad changes???
1/3 of your disc gone after 3 sets???



I'm no expert...but I would check to see if your rear caliper is mounted correctly, or if the pads are installed correctly, or maybe your rear brake pedal needs adjustment.
Or maybe you're using the pedal as a foot rest, or just don't believe in the front brake???

Folks, these bikes (and the GS models) have a known issue with rear pad and disk wear. The issue is binding in the single-acting caliper. It is important to make sure that the sliding surfaces (pins and edges of pads) do indeed slide. They should be cleaned and lightly lubricated occasionally.

Having said that, the BMW pad material is too hard and it eats disks unnecessarily - even on properly PM'ed rear calipers.

[CycleRob]

One reason the BMW pads are more expensive is the hole in the inboard pad's backing plate that tells you your rotors are about to be eaten up when you see the rotor surface in it. All OEM pads usually are semi-metallic and higher quality than the much cheaper and softer EBC greens. The BMW pad's stratospheric price drove me away too.

I replaced my rear pads with a premium brand, well known in racing, non-BMW pads. I forgot which brand (SBS?, Galfer?), and surprisingly have no written record. All I remember is that I was flustered because our dealer cost was more than $40. They were the only one's that weren't out of stock when I needed aftermarket rear pads. They work well and make no noises. The rotor is still fine. Front pads are still original, about half worn, at today's 52,100 miles (83,847km).

It's all in how you operate the bike that determines how long brakepads will last. In normal riding everyday traffic, especially with the wife on board, I'm a 59 year old anticipater that chops the 6th gear throttle early, then downshifts. Rushing to the stop and stuffing the brakes in normal riding is just shaking the coins out of the tires/fuel/brakepad piggybank, but it can be a lot'a fun.