[ST] Rear brake II

["Mike Benzon" <fast87@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I read all the post responding to the question about the weak performance of
someone's rear brake and I didn't see any response that addressed a possible
mechanical problem he might have with the brake. Let me tell you about a
problem I had with my rear brakes and maybe you might have made the same
mistake if you have changed your rear pads.

I purchased new pads for my rear brakes and like many on this site, was
given pads for the RS, not the ST. I removed the rear caliper and pads
before I realized they gave me the wrong pads. I re-installed the original
pads and took the bike out for a test ride and the rear brakes were almost
non-existence. I thought maybe the pistons were stuck in the fully retracted
position so I worked the brakes aggressively and they eventually began to
work better and I left them as is. This project took place on a trip away
from home while attending the Sonomafest event and so, I didn't get back to
the brake project for some time.

Just recently I decided to do the brake job before going to the Laguna Seca
WSBK event and when I took off the rear pads I discovered why the brakes
felt so bad from the previous attempt. When re-installing the rear pads, I
did not install them correctly, making sure the pads were properly hanging
from the locating pin that passes through the top of the pads. This caused
one of the pads to be at an angle (not flat) to the rotor and only allowing
a portion of the bottom of the pad to contact the rotor. Eventually the pad
wore in giving it about a 50% contact.

If your rear brakes worked fine before doing any replacement, then take a
closer look and make sure they are properly installed. If you haven't worked
on them and they just seem weak, then you are dealing with a design feature.
The rear brakes are intentionally designed to be weaker than the fronts
because the fronts are supposed to act as 80% of your braking and weak rear
brakes shouldn't  over influence the braking process. So, I believe they
design them as they are so you will primarily use the fronts.
Mike Benzon


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