Recently got back from 2700mile trip around Europe. When I left the bike had 3500 miles on it and all brake pads were hardly worn. Now with just over 6000 miles the front are still hardly worn but the back need replacing!! I have never had to replace pads before 15/20,000 miles on previous bikes. Has anyone else had excessive wear just on the rear?
I did notice after a few days of the trip, after a wet days ride, when I was washing the bike off with a hotels hose pipe that the rear disc was smeared with what I thought was grey mud and it had got into the vent holes of the disc, I am thinking now it may have been the remains of my pads!
RTWC rear brake pad wear
-
Spencert231
- Posts: 563
- Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2014 8:01 am
Re: RTWC rear brake pad wear
What sort of terrain did your travel take you on? Did you feel you was applying excessive braking? It is a heavy bike at the end of the day.
-
guest2360
Re: RTWC rear brake pad wear
If you use just the rear they soon get through a set of pads. I never feel to use it and rely on the electronics to know how much back brake it needs. Never yet had to replace either the front or rear pads on any RT with less than 20K on them.
Re: RTWC rear brake pad wear
Yes. With 61,000 miles on my '05 RT and after replacing my rear brake pads 5 times, Several things come into play here:
1) Excessive use of your rear brake pedal (which really isn't necessary, if not trail braking, due to the linked system) will wear the rear pads excessively.
2) The single rotor configuration of the rear brakes puts a great more heat and pressure on each individual pad.
3) The reason the fronts are not wearing as much is because of the dual rotor setup. After 60K, I still have approx. half of my front brake pads .
Things to check:
1) Remove your seat and verify that there is no kink in your rear fluid hose
2) Check the condition of your rear rotor to determine if there is a groove worn in it or if it has a warp
3) Put your bike on the center stand, transmission in "N" and see if the rear wheel rolls free without dragging from the brakes.
The above should help determine if there is a problem with your pads. One time, I used non-sintered pads on the rear of my RT and they lasted 4K miles. Since then, I have only used sintered pads.
Good Luck
1) Excessive use of your rear brake pedal (which really isn't necessary, if not trail braking, due to the linked system) will wear the rear pads excessively.
2) The single rotor configuration of the rear brakes puts a great more heat and pressure on each individual pad.
3) The reason the fronts are not wearing as much is because of the dual rotor setup. After 60K, I still have approx. half of my front brake pads .
Things to check:
1) Remove your seat and verify that there is no kink in your rear fluid hose
2) Check the condition of your rear rotor to determine if there is a groove worn in it or if it has a warp
3) Put your bike on the center stand, transmission in "N" and see if the rear wheel rolls free without dragging from the brakes.
The above should help determine if there is a problem with your pads. One time, I used non-sintered pads on the rear of my RT and they lasted 4K miles. Since then, I have only used sintered pads.
Good Luck
Re: RTWC rear brake pad wear
My 2015 R1200 RT WC is going through rear pads like their is no tomorrow. Bike has done 3000 miles and the rear pads have very little meat left on them. Lots of brake dust and the disc is always too hot to pinch even after no independent use of the rear pedal alone .Think it may be a proportion ratio problem .
R1250RT LE
Re: RTWC rear brake pad wear
The only day I was using the rear to any degree was crossing the alps from Austria to Slovenia, it was a wet day and I was using it along with the front to brake into downhill hairpins. I was a IAM senior observer for 10 years so I use the brakes as they should be used and hardly at all under normal conditions.
They are not dragging and I can see no reason for such excessive wear, the bike is in for it's 6k service next week and I intend to bring the issue to the dealers attention.
They are not dragging and I can see no reason for such excessive wear, the bike is in for it's 6k service next week and I intend to bring the issue to the dealers attention.
-
guest2360
Re: RTWC rear brake pad wear
You say you were using the rear in the Alps along with the front brake. I'm sure you are aware you cannot apply the front without the rear as they are linked. There is no point in pressing the foot pedal if you have squeezed the lever.
Re: RTWC rear brake pad wear
Only proportionately going steeply downhill at speed into a wet hairpin I would prefer to use more back brake. I quote from the bikes handbook page 93 Descending mountain passes "use both front and rear brakes"
Last edited by Bertie on Sat Jul 11, 2015 6:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
guest2360
Re: RTWC rear brake pad wear
Bertie wrote: Only proportionately going steeply downhill at speed into a wet hairpin I would prefer to use more back brake. I quote from the bikes handbook page 93 Descending mountain passes "use both front and rear brakes"
I wonder if they mean don't just use the back.
Re: RTWC rear brake pad wear
Bertie wrote: Recently got back from 2700mile trip around Europe. When I left the bike had 3500 miles on it and all brake pads were hardly worn. Now with just over 6000 miles the front are still hardly worn but the back need replacing!! I have never had to replace pads before 15/20,000 miles on previous bikes. Has anyone else had excessive wear just on the rear?
I did notice after a few days of the trip, after a wet days ride, when I was washing the bike off with a hotels hose pipe that the rear disc was smeared with what I thought was grey mud and it had got into the vent holes of the disc, I am thinking now it may have been the remains of my pads!
This is a well known fault with the new LCRT. I believe it's something to do with dodgy rear pads ex-factory, which are replaced FOC the first time the bike goes back to the dealer. Mine were changed when it went in to have a faulty switched replaced - no charge.
-
guest2360
Re: RTWC rear brake pad wear
Sounds a little unlikely. When faulty parts are identified BMW usually issue a recall by VIN No if they can identify the batch of parts that were faulty. If all the parts supplied are deemed faulty the Part No changes. If they don't consider such faults are a safety issue the items are changes next time they see the bike. To my knowledge none of these have happened. I would think a brake issue would be a safety issue. I will have a dig on Monday.
Re: RTWC rear brake pad wear
The article below is taken from Cycle World long term test which has a link on today's forum. Thanks to fmantek.
[size=12px]"The second demerit was caused by the rear brake pads, which had to be replaced at just 6,085 miles, though I accept the blame for some of that rapid wear. When aggressively diving into corners on back roads, I trail the rear brake just a skosh to help keep the chassis settled. According to numerous RT owners on BMW forums, however, comparatively short rear pad life is common. Some claim improved pad mileage with EBC HH sintered pads but at the cost of increased rotor wear. I instead chose to slip new OE pads into the rear caliper and use a little more discretion on the pedal".[/size]
[size=12px]"The second demerit was caused by the rear brake pads, which had to be replaced at just 6,085 miles, though I accept the blame for some of that rapid wear. When aggressively diving into corners on back roads, I trail the rear brake just a skosh to help keep the chassis settled. According to numerous RT owners on BMW forums, however, comparatively short rear pad life is common. Some claim improved pad mileage with EBC HH sintered pads but at the cost of increased rotor wear. I instead chose to slip new OE pads into the rear caliper and use a little more discretion on the pedal".[/size]
Last edited by Bertie on Sun Jul 12, 2015 9:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: RTWC rear brake pad wear
Advisory comment from North Oxford BMW after completing 6000 service today was that rear brake pad down to 2 mm and will need replacement soon.
This at 6400 miles, including 2300 in France and Alps. Never had as heavy a bike as RT on the mountain roads but would guess that some spirited riding these (well, down hill anyway) fully loaded was major factor that I need to be aware of. Will just check with my mate what his Trophy's pads are like following same trip. The "nice problem to have" is that the RT is so manouverable that you tend to forget the considerable weight and impact on pads and tyres.
This at 6400 miles, including 2300 in France and Alps. Never had as heavy a bike as RT on the mountain roads but would guess that some spirited riding these (well, down hill anyway) fully loaded was major factor that I need to be aware of. Will just check with my mate what his Trophy's pads are like following same trip. The "nice problem to have" is that the RT is so manouverable that you tend to forget the considerable weight and impact on pads and tyres.
Re: RTWC rear brake pad wear
RTman10 wrote: Sounds a little unlikely. When faulty parts are identified BMW usually issue a recall by VIN No if they can identify the batch of parts that were faulty. If all the parts supplied are deemed faulty the Part No changes. If they don't consider such faults are a safety issue the items are changes next time they see the bike. To my knowledge none of these have happened. I would think a brake issue would be a safety issue. I will have a dig on Monday.
As I said, mine were replaced FOC - and by a dealer who hadn't even supplied the bike originally! I didn't ask, they just did it. That has to mean the bill went back to BMW...
Re: RTWC rear brake pad wear
Looks like my disc is on the wear limit also!! I will be pursuing this further.