R65 Front Brake Pads

[Adrian]

Hi there Brains Trust. Need some advice please.
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I'm fed up with the lack of stopping power off the front brake. Pulling up this morning from 80 kph at some lights was frankly a worrying moment.
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I am considering changing to sintered pads similar to those fitted to the road rockets sold today.
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I have a new stainless disc fitted.
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Thanks for any advice 👍😊

[Tony Smith]

True sintered pads will not give you much (if in fact any) braking power than you already have, their main claim to fame is care resistance.

As an aside sintered pads will rapidly wear soft stainless steel discs, you really need cast iron for best results.

I would see what Vesrah or Brennan or EBC reccomends.

[Adrian]

True sintered pads will not give you much (if in fact any) braking power than you already have, their main claim to fame is care resistance.

As an aside sintered pads will rapidly wear soft stainless steel discs, you really need cast iron for best results.

I would see what Vesrah or Brennan or EBC reccomends.

Hi Tony - both Brembo & EBC recommend the road bike sintered for better braking. Both claim improved stopping power.

[georgesgiralt]

Hello !
If I read you clear, you seems to have a single disc fitted to the bike.
IMHO the best way to improve stopping power is to fit a second brake on the front.
Cost is not the same though....

[Adrian]

Hello !
If I read you clear, you seems to have a single disc fitted to the bike.
IMHO the best way to improve stopping power is to fit a second brake on the front.
Cost is not the same though....

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Hi George - yep I have that planned for the winter about May time - the sintered pads are a stop gap for now - thanks

[wilcom]

Your not going to get it to stop until you add the 2nd disc.

Factory spec(?) and on line wisdom say that you need a 15mm master cylinder when fitting the  extra disc, DON"T DO IT!  You're probably fitted with a 13-14 now, try that with the 2nd disc added and see how they feel. Could be they will be too "bitey" for you or it might be great  1/2 finger braking. Only then,  opt to spend money on a larger MC. 

[skippyc]

I never had a problem stopping with my 86 model single disc brake, so they must have made some changes to make them work better.

[Tony Smith]

I must stop trying to type on my phone!

Fade resistance is sintered pads main gift.

Agree with George, a second disc is the key
Also agree with Wilton. I am using the larger K100 calipers with a 12mm master cylinder. Whilst one-finger stoppies are fun it really is too much. A 13-14mm m/C would be better.

[Adrian]

Your not going to get it to stop until you add the 2nd disc.

Factory spec(?) and on line wisdom say that you need a 15mm master cylinder when fitting the  extra disc, DON"T DO IT!  You're probably fitted with a 13-14 now, try that with the 2nd disc added and see how they feel. Could be they will be too "bitey" for you or it might be great  1/2 finger braking. Only then,  opt to spend money on a larger MC.

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The bike already has a 15mm master fitted. It was the original MC when I bought the bike. So does anyone know where I can buy the bits I need - Motorworks doesn't have any at the moment & Munich in Western Australia does deal in 2nd hand parts.
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Thanks for any help ......

[georgesgiralt]

Adrian,
Buying brake parts second hand may not be the best idea... Except maybe for the rotor.
The 15 mm master cylinder is what my bike had with two rotors and Ate caliper from Munchen. It stopped the bike but not had the brake feeling the current bikes have.
So if I where you, I'll buy the second rotor,caliper, and assorted brake lines and keep the 15 mm master cylinder and see how it goes.
Those parts are not eternal. So when time come, you'll can upgrade for a 13/14 mm master.
Hope this helps
Of course I'm not the buyer... So .....

[wilcom]

If you have a 15mm MC with a single disc we have located the problem, you have the wrong MC  Snag a 13 mm MC and you may not need the 2nd disc. The 13mm will feel like "power brakes" to you after what you have been used to.

[Barry]

Yes someone has been replacing your master cylinder without knowing what they were doing, either that or they removed the 2nd disc.  I can't imagine how bad a single disc will feel with a 15mm master cylinder.

While the early model 78-80 R65 did have a 13mm master cylinder for a single disc, that was reduced to 12mm in 81 so you really want a 12mm to take it back to standard.

[Tony Smith]

Moto bins has 13mm master cylinders - approximately 300 dollars Australian.

Or, buy a 13mm rebuild kit and resleeve your master cylinder.

[Adrian]

Thanks guys - lots to think about - waiting on Motorworks to reply to an email.
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Real OEM  shows a 15mm for a second disc. So if anyone out there has a second disc or conversion would you let me know what MC size you have and the effectiveness of the twin disc braking.
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Thanks.

[Tony Smith]

15mm is way oversized for sale single spot Brembos.

With  15mm you could run dual 4-spots from  k100 or oilhead
BMW are very conservative with regards to hydraulic ratios. What they fitted OEM is irrelevant