Brake pad delimma

[signart]

Doing brake pad job now. Purchased o.e.m. Honda front pads. They have thin white spacer and a stainless cap over that on outside of each pad that the old pads I'm replaceing does not have. I can't get them to go on the rotor. Anyone run across this? Can I remove the spacer and be o.k.?

[Chrisj CMA]

You are trying to put REAR pads on the front.  the rear pads are also thicker so there is way less clearance

[signart]

Thanks for the quick reply. I just figured that out, the shop sold me the Honda rears for front. Without the spacers, they look exactly the same as my old ones, and I think they'll fit. Any reason not to use them anyway? Also dealer (not authorized Hona dealer) gave me EBC pads for rear that does not have the spacer. I just double checked the part no. for these EBC's, it is correct for rears, but no spacers.

[Chrisj CMA]

Thanks for the quick reply. I just figured that out, the shop sold me the Honda rears for front. Without the spacers, they look exactly the same as my old ones, and I think they'll fit. Any reason not to use them anyway? Also dealer (not authorized Hona dealer) gave me EBC pads for rear that does not have the spacer. I just double checked the part no. for these EBC's, it is correct for rears, but no spacers.

The rear pads are thicker than the front pads.  My suggestion to you would be to get front pads.........thats just what I would do.

And EBC pads (if they are the hard ones) will tear up your rotor.  The dealer you went to doesnt seem to be trustworthy.......HDL will sell you what you need cheaper and reliably

Use a set of the rears (OEM) you bought......on the rear is also what I would do

[Philthy]

I second that.

OEM pads are all I use on everything.

EBC and other manufacturers like to market their "race" pads to everybody, touting the benefits that, in real world riding/driving, just don't matter to not-racing people.

What they fail to mention is that actual racers sink endless amounts of money in their vehicles.  Replacing rotors is no big deal to them.

Also, they use their brakes hard and often.  The extra heat transfer and durability of the pads comes in handy here, however the vast majority of street riders never ride hard enough to generate enough heat for it to matter.  What they also don't tell folks is, the heat transfers to the calipers, then the fluid.  If your using regular DOT 4 fluid, and don't change it frequently, it can boil, killing your brakes and making your ride much more interesting.  It's not much of a problem with street bikes using fancy race pads, because there simply isn't enough heat...see above.

At $200+ each, my rotors are quite valuable to me, as I'm sure they are to most normal folks, or somewhat abnormal, as is my case.  I don't like having them eaten by hard core metallic pads.

I also don't use my brakes often enough to worry about heat.  I use engine braking and, at least sometimes, I don't ride like a bat out of hell.  At least sometimes.

I find that OEM pads give better braking with less effort, cost less, and are kind to the rotors.

Highly recommend.

CS

[Keitho]

I third that!
I am in a situation right now with EBC brake pads (2nd set actually) & I think my problem is not the right compound of brake pads for my riding style to give me a stopping that is satisfactory to me.
I am going back to OEM pads & chalking down this as a lesson to me.
These guys on this forum are great!

[gregc]

  I have EBC brake pads front and rear, they are the organic compound. I have no problem with stopping power, front or rear.  I will not buy then again however, they are VERY NOISEY when applied. From 25 miles an hour till dead stop, it sounds like I have base ball cards in the spokes of the wheels, I am guessing that it is the slots in the rotors going past the pads.

[Tropic traveler]

I've tried EBC, SBS & OE Honda pads all the way around.
No contest, OEM Honda pads the best for the Valkyrie in normal riding conditions. 
Least noise, least dust, & good pad life. Around $36 a set from HDL.