RIDEFAST AUG 21

DON’T ‘BRAKE’ A SWEAT
Brake fluid:
When was the last time you flushed your brake fluid? Yup you
need to do it occasionally.
Brake fluid is a hydraulic fluid and it is designed to withstand
high temperatures with very low compressibility (Viscosity).
Brake fluid is a glycol-ether-based (DOT3 and 4) or a siliconebased
(DOT 5) fluid. Remember that these are not compatible, so
don’t get them mixed up.
Use whatever is imprinted on your front brake master cylinder.
DOT3 or DOT4 fluid is hygroscopic, which means it absorbs
atmospheric water and that degrades its performance over time.
Swap your brake fluid occasionally and make sure that you bleed
the system correctly.
More on that in future issues.
Brake pads …
Now this is where things start getting really complicated and
quite interesting. Each manufacturer uses their own codes,
own descriptions and have several variants of each compound
focused on different types of motorcycles, riding style, racing
disciplines and all that.
Wading through each brands different brake pad compounds
could easily fill several magazines for a year. So we have decided
to brake it down into the basic pads and level of motorcycle
application and riding. If you would like to delve in deeper to
compounds and all that, Google is your friend.
The three fundamental compound types are: sintered, organic
and semi-metal. Sintered pads are sometimes called “metal”
or “metallic”. Organic pads are sometimes called “resin”.
Each of these three compounds has their own benefits and
disadvantages.
Organic Brake Pad
Sintered Brake Pad
Organic Pads: Essentially an entry level brake pad designed
more for the commercial, scooter, classic and cruiser market.
The pads are made for bikes that do not travel at exceptionally
high speeds and do not generate excessive heat on the discs
and pads while braking. They are the softest form of brake
pad, non-metallic pads are made up of different combinations
of glasses, rubbers and resins like cellulose along with a small
smattering of metal fibres that are all manufactured and cured
to withstand a substantial amount of heat. The composite that
results is relatively soft and therefore wears away quickly, but is
easy on brake discs. This makes them poor for anything other
than daily road driving, and even then a more metal-based pad is
preferable to avoid frequent replacement.
The accelerated wear of organic pads results in large amounts of
brake dust covering nearby components which can also become
a bit of a pain. Originally constructed from Asbestos (due to
its talent for dissipating heat) non-metallic pads were swiftly
switched to other compounds due to the health and safety
issues revolving around the toxic material once airborne.
Sintered Brake pads:
Typically made using sintered steel, graphite or iron, semimetallic
brake pads have a high thermal conductivity and –
when combined with proper brake ducting for cooling – can be
everything a high performance bike needs to cope with, even on
the most intense of track days.
Sintered brake pads are constructed from materials able to
withstand more aggressive usage with higher friction and heat
dissipation. Basically used on all modern dirt bikes, adventure
bikes, cruisers, tourers and sport bikes.
They offer good, consistent braking from cold all the way through
to coping much better with higher heat generated from higher
speeds, more extreme braking from riding style, faster speeds
and heavier bikes.
In short, they offer better thermal stability, fade free braking with
good pad life and low disc wear.
And there are lots of different types of sintered pads…
Manufacturers offer a different sinter compound for rear and
front brakes, maxi-scooter brake pads for those bigger,