3. "What's the best way to bed in my new brake pads?"
Description
This article is from the Ducatis Motorcycles FAQ, by Duke Robillard duke@io.com with numerous contributions by others.
3. "What's the best way to bed in my new brake pads?"
(Reprinted from an article by Paul Thompson, Apple Computer.)
Here's what I do, with good results:
1) After mounting the new pads, ride around a bit and apply the brakes
often but not too hard, to make sure they're in place correctly.
2) Now find a long, fairly straight section of road where you can safely
travel about 35 MPH. Select a gear which is about halfway to redline. Drag
your brake (do the front and rear separately) as you apply throttle. Keep
doing this until you feel the brakes start to fade. You'll probably smell
them about this time too.
3) Get off the brake, speed up to about 70, and then brake hard again using
only that brake. Repeat one more time.
4) Continue riding without using that brake to allow it to cool completely.
What's this all about? I'm told that the process of getting the pads very
hot (called "green-fading") bakes away the adhesives near the surface of
the pad which interfere with full braking. As the pads wear, the adhesives
will recede naturally after the initial baking. I've used this procedure
every time I replace my pads, and have noticed vastly improved brakes each
time.
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