Over the weekend I finally got around to replacing my rear worn out rotor and pads on my K4 GSXR. Brand new OEM Suzuki rotor with EBC pads.
I cleaned the calliper pistons, removed some of the brake fluid with a syringe from the reservoir before compressing the pistons and installing the new pads. I re-mounted the wheel with the new rotor installed and hooked everything up... pumped the rear brake until the pads made contact with the rotor. I put the brake fluid that was left in the syringe back in the reservoir, but the level was quite a bit lower than the full mark it was at before due to some spillage from the reservoir. The fluid now sits above the low mark, somewhere between the low and mid mark.
I took the bike out for a test ride. The braking power was significantly reduced. I don't mind it as it will be harder to lock up the rear, but was surprised by it considering the new rotor and pads. After 10 min of riding I pulled to the side of the road and felt the rear rotor and it was hot as hell. Is this normal? Concerned it was slightly dragging I rode another 5 min without using the rear and pulled to the side of the road and it had cooled down a lot. Interestingly, the original front rotors were barely even warm and they were doing all the braking.
When I got home I had a look at the rear rotor and the inside edge (about a quarter inch thick) has a lighter colour to it . The rest of the rotor from that point to the outer edge was darker in colour where the pad met the rotor. I was concerned the pad wasn't making full contact with the rotor but when I took a pic with the flash on my phone (which I can upload later), it did look like there were some grooves from the pad meeting the rotor on the lighter coloured portion of the rotor as well.
Any ideas? A bit concerned the excessive heat will cause the rotor to warp. Regarding the hot rotor and odd discolouration, I'm thinking the pad may not be evenly distributing its contact with the rotors maybe? Could the lower brake fluid level have anything to do with the weak braking?
Thanks.
I cleaned the calliper pistons, removed some of the brake fluid with a syringe from the reservoir before compressing the pistons and installing the new pads. I re-mounted the wheel with the new rotor installed and hooked everything up... pumped the rear brake until the pads made contact with the rotor. I put the brake fluid that was left in the syringe back in the reservoir, but the level was quite a bit lower than the full mark it was at before due to some spillage from the reservoir. The fluid now sits above the low mark, somewhere between the low and mid mark.
I took the bike out for a test ride. The braking power was significantly reduced. I don't mind it as it will be harder to lock up the rear, but was surprised by it considering the new rotor and pads. After 10 min of riding I pulled to the side of the road and felt the rear rotor and it was hot as hell. Is this normal? Concerned it was slightly dragging I rode another 5 min without using the rear and pulled to the side of the road and it had cooled down a lot. Interestingly, the original front rotors were barely even warm and they were doing all the braking.
When I got home I had a look at the rear rotor and the inside edge (about a quarter inch thick) has a lighter colour to it . The rest of the rotor from that point to the outer edge was darker in colour where the pad met the rotor. I was concerned the pad wasn't making full contact with the rotor but when I took a pic with the flash on my phone (which I can upload later), it did look like there were some grooves from the pad meeting the rotor on the lighter coloured portion of the rotor as well.
Any ideas? A bit concerned the excessive heat will cause the rotor to warp. Regarding the hot rotor and odd discolouration, I'm thinking the pad may not be evenly distributing its contact with the rotors maybe? Could the lower brake fluid level have anything to do with the weak braking?
Thanks.