RT brake questions.......

[DC1]

Here while back I posted bout my Spyder RT SM6 getting squirrelly when braking.. I checked the switch under the passenger seat as instructed and it was plugged in properly.....
Well, I just figured it was overloaded and needed a Baja Ron sway bar....Never thought about brakes till today when I figured out it is pulling left hard and causing the nearly loss of control braking....really couldn't tell it pulled hard left till I rode it 1-up.....(it's our 2-up ride)

1. Is 19,500 miles normal to wear out front brakes? (Pulls a trailer regularly, weighing about 500 lbs..)
2. Hints on good aftermarket pads to replace OEM pads??

Thanks for your input in advance...

[Highwayman2013]

This guy has them:http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...rs-amp-Helmets

[DC1]

This guy has them:http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...rs-amp-Helmets

Had an eye on those very brake pads already......The first check mark on those! Thanks!

[jtoro1]

This guy has them:http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...rs-amp-Helmets

I agree Bajaron has the best product for our bikes. Why don't you take off the front tires and check your pads and the rear tires you could see them from the back

[Saluda]

Is that trailer a little heavy ?

[DC1]

Is that trailer a little heavy ?

Wife and I usually camp when we vacation.....about 6 or so days at a time....The little HF trailer is relatively light till we load it with everything we need to be self sufficient for a week...We cook our own meals and everything so you can imagine what we haul....

and to the post prior, just from preliminary inspection with a tac light, I can see a very small groove cut in the back of the disc on the right side about 1/4-3/8 from the outside edge and the caliper on the inside is nearly touching the disc where the inside pad appears worn completely out and the outside pad appears to have a little left (out of center).....Left side is centered better and appears to have worn a little more evenly...I will check/clean/grease whatever makes it slide back and forth to center it during braking....and make sure nothing is mounted odd to try to coax it to favor more pressure toward the inside...

side note, since new the right rim has always been a little dirtier with brake dust than the left BUT both get filthy quick and need scrubbing each time I wash it! And I never felt any pulling or squirreling till recently......

[OverHillAndDale]

I ride mostly solo, only use my trailer occasionally and I don't use the throttle hard (at least in my own mind). My 2014 needed all three brake pads at 15,000.

[DC1]

I ride mostly solo, only use my trailer occasionally and I don't use the throttle hard (at least in my own mind). My 2014 needed all three brake pads at 15,000.

Thanks, that tells me my brakes lasted as long or maybe longer than they should have....My wife and I camp and ride the twisties in the Ozarks a lot....I am probably harder than usual on brakes.....I did just change the rear tire and there was a bit of brake pad life left back there but I think I will spring for new EBC pads and change those too....Just to keep em all on schedule.....Thanks again for the reassuring response!

[Markg]

My Rt-S has 17,000 on it. I got the parts from BajaRon. It is fast shipping and the least expensive way to go. I was having issues with the right rotor & replaced both front brakes & rotors. The job is pretty simple and took about an hour.

[DC1]

My Rt-S has 17,000 on it. I got the parts from BajaRon. It is fast shipping and the least expensive way to go. I was having issues with the right rotor & replaced both front brakes & rotors. The job is pretty simple and took about an hour.

Thanks! I definitely am going to give Ron my business in about a month on the sway bar......I could use keeping the wheels planted for about 5 more mph in the twisties to keep up with the 2 wheelers.......My next run to the Ozarks is in June and that swaybar will be on it....

[007james]

Thanks! I definitely am going to give Ron my business in about a month on the sway bar......I could use keeping the wheels planted for about 5 more mph in the twisties to keep up with the 2 wheelers.......My next run to the Ozarks is in June and that swaybar will be on it....

I ride Solo on a 2012 RT. I have 49,000 miles on it, and change the rear pads every rear tire change, which is about 15,000 miles. I can tell when they need changing. The parking brake takes longer to engage. I changed the front brake pads only once, at about 30,000 miles. I had them checked at 47,000 miles by the Dealer and was told they still were OK.

[DC1]

I ride Solo on a 2012 RT. I have 49,000 miles on it, and change the rear pads every rear tire change, which is about 15,000 miles. I can tell when they need changing. The parking brake takes longer to engage. I changed the front brake pads only once, at about 30,000 miles. I had them checked at 47,000 miles by the Dealer and was told they still were OK.

Well.....I tore it down to find a surprise....The brake pads were NOT worn out....(not sure what I THOUGHT I was seeing with the tac light, maybe it was more me a-s-s-u-m-I-n-g, we all know what that means ass-u-me), were wearing relatively evenly, and IMO had about 10,000 miles left in them......BUT......little chunks were broken off around the edges on the right side pads toward the bottom of the pad......So......I went to my 2 wheel mechanic with this and it is his professional opinion that I have an air bubble in the line on the right side and that needs to be bled out....Factory brake pads just sorry quality but still wouldn't have caused my issue.....

It's torn down now so I am replacing the pads anyway, discs are still good....And just replaced the tires with Arachnids which Factory Kendas were originally installed nearly 180 degrees between the dot that was supposed to be by the valve stem and the valve stem (From the dealer) I told my mechanic it always was a little bouncy in the front and he chuckled and pointed out likely why.....LOL! Checked my wheel bearings (appears OK) and scrubbed my rims with the properly installed arachnids on em..... When my EBC pads get here I am going to Put the new pads on, bleed both sides thoroughly, slap it together, and see where it is on the stability issue (allowing em to scuff in a little first) ...If it still acts a fool it's going to the dealer..........It's still under warranty........

[DC1]

IMG_1760.jpg[QUOTE=DC1;1226029] It lies in wait..LOL...

[DC1]

[QUOTE=DC1;1226032]IMG_1760.jpg

It lies in wait..LOL...

New brake pads, bled the brakes, all appears right in the world of stability again......Brakes stop straight at all speeds, still not sure why it acted so bad before though, never got any air when bleeding them and nothing appeared stuck or sticking....Either way it seems good now...

BUT.....Put a set of arachnids on the front and they are lousy!!!! Ordered a stock set of tires and snatching those arachnids off and making trailer tires out of them.....My motorcycle guy installed them (dot to stem) then I pulled them again and had them spin balanced....Still sucked, handlebar shook so bad at 45 mph it was wearing me out.....slightly out of round it appears, not much, but it also appears it don't take much to mess up a Spyders steering....Last time for trying cheap knockoffs! By end of weekend it should be good to go!👍🏼

[Roadster Renovations]

Our RT needed brake pads at about 25k, but I downshift 95% of the time while ryding.

[SpyderAnn01]

[QUOTE=DC1;1230732]

IMG_1760.jpg

New brake pads, bled the brakes, all appears right in the world of stability again......Brakes stop straight at all speeds, still not sure why it acted so bad before though, never got any air when bleeding them and nothing appeared stuck or sticking....Either way it seems good now...

BUT.....Put a set of arachnids on the front and they are lousy!!!! Ordered a stock set of tires and snatching those arachnids off and making trailer tires out of them.....My motorcycle guy installed them (dot to stem) then I pulled them again and had them spin balanced....Still sucked, handlebar shook so bad at 45 mph it was wearing me out.....slightly out of round it appears, not much, but it also appears it don't take much to mess up a Spyders steering....Last time for trying cheap knockoffs! By end of weekend it should be good to go!👍🏼

Sorry you bought the Arachnids, there have been several threads about how crappy they are but you need to read hundreds of pages to find that. You can put car tires on the front that are much better.

[DC1]

Our RT needed brake pads at about 25k, but I downshift 95% of the time while ryding.

Mine is a manual and I just clutch it and downshift as I stop...But it sees the Ozarks on occasion and I pull a heavy trailer on occasion....Still had more brake pad left than expected and still not sure why it pulled hard left before....but not looking a gift horse in the mouth.. LOL!

[DC1]

[QUOTE=SpyderAnn01;1230764]

Sorry you bought the Arachnids, there have been several threads about how crappy they are but you need to read hundreds of pages to find that. You can put car tires on the front that are much better.

I definitely did not research those front tires properly....But the biggest mistake was I purchased them about 4 months ahead of time on a sale.......

Note to self, Buy tires then install them right away.. That way reimbursement is a possibility.. LOL!

[rcturner]

[QUOTE=DC1;1230782]

I definitely did not research those front tires properly....But the biggest mistake was I purchased them about 4 months ahead of time on a sale.......

Note to self, Buy tires then install them right away.. That way reimbursement is a possibility.. LOL!

I don't think you will have any problem with the fronts. I have a rear that is working good in spite of an issue I am having directly with VeeRubber. I don't know of anyone having issues of any kind with the fronts.

[DC1]

[QUOTE=rcturner;1230828]

I don't think you will have any problem with the fronts. I have a rear that is working good in spite of an issue I am having directly with VeeRubber. I don't know of anyone having issues of any kind with the fronts.

If you are talking about the arachnids, I sure am! I bought them on sale and it appears both are slightly out of round....even after proper mounting and additional spin balancing at around 45 mph the steering shakes so bad it's unreal, you can feel the wobble from the takeoff...And I can visually track the top and bottom of the rim with my eyes and the rims are true...So It's not a fault in the mounting....I always had a tiny bit of steering shimmy with the originals..But with these it has increased several hundred percent..You can roll the tires and see a side to side sway in the tread pattern....No exaggeration, I rode about 60 miles and was worn out...

[JayBros]

1. Is 19,500 miles normal to wear out front brakes? (Pulls a trailer regularly, weighing about 500 lbs..)

I just replaced my front pads at 21,600; was told I probably could have gotten 500-1,000 more out of the originals but chose not to risk the discs. I do push the Spyder a lot in the mountain twisties.

[DC1]

All is right in Spyder world again....My mechanic had theories about bent spindles, messed up bearings, ect....Could not believe it would be brand new tires causing that horrible issue....But we popped those crappy arachnids off and put a new set of Kenda factory tires on it and it rides like new again...tiny periodic shake in the windshield but always had that, almost unnoticeable, no shake in the handlebar.....and they are not even balanced yet.....So it is painfully obvious it was those arachnid tires all along as I suspected....Gonna pull them one more time and get them spin balanced to remove the tiny windshield shake and be done with it....

lesson learned.....

Sure glad to have it riding good again, wife is getting the itch to do some miles and I am gonna scratch it!

[Bob Denman]

I'm glad to hear that the culprit has been found!

[DC1]

I'm glad to hear that the culprit has been found!

me too, got em spin balanced and the Spyder has never rolled so smooth or handled so good! Brakes are top knotch now too...Zero stability issues now.....Lovin it!.

[Bob Denman]

Back on three... PRICELESS!