Easy fixes for the front brake

[detours]

Front brake issues

The brakes on the RX3 get some complaints, but they aren't bad. They just take too long to bed in. On most new bikes, bed-in only takes 100-200 miles of normal riding. These brakes take much longer.

Also, some bikes were delivered with rotor issues. None were unsafe, but thickness variations and installation issues caused pulsation in the front brake.

For example, when I first got my RX3 in June 2015, the brakes were weak and pulsed really bad. I lived with it for about 1500 miles. Finally I tried a series of quick stops in a parking lot, and that really helped bed them in and almost eliminated the pulsation. They continued to improve with use and by 2500 or 3000 miles, they worked really well with zero pulsing.

But 1500 miles is too long to live with poor brakes. If anyone is experiencing this, don't just live with it. You could skip all these steps and buy a new rotor and EBC FA185HH front brake pads. But these steps are cheaper, and honestly once bedded in, the stock brakes do a good job.

Proper bed-in

First, if the brakes are weak or only have a little pulsation, they just need to 'bed in'. This roughens up the smooth outer later on the brake pad and rotor surface. It also stresses the rotor under heat to even out installation and small manufacturing issues. This process is EXTREMELY important with the stock brakes since they take so long to bed in with normal riding.

A good bed-in process doesn't take long. Go to an empty parking lot and do several sets of 5 hard stops from about 35 mph. Let the brakes cool for a minute or two between each set. If your brakes start fading during the set (feeling weaker), give them more time to cool before continuing. The heat and cooling cycles help align the rotor and help correct any stretching due to uneven or improper installation at the factory.

Rotor and installation issues

Next, if your brakes are still pulsating, have a friend tilt the front wheel off the ground onto the side stand and spin it. The rotor should spin straight without any warping. A tiny bit of movement is okay. If it wobbles a lot, it might be defective, or it might just be torqued unevenly.

Then, using a cheap measurement caliper from Amazon or Harbor Freight, measure the rotor thickness at various points. If it's not the same thickness all around, you have a defective rotor. Call CSC for a replacement.

If the rotor has the same thickness all around, it was probably torqued incorrectly at the factory. Here's how to re-torque it correctly.

Rotor installation or re-torquing

1. Remove the front wheel.
2. Loosen all the bolts on the brake rotor and remove it.
3. Clean the rotor and mounting surface with brake cleaner (don't use carb cleaner or any oil based cleaner) and reinstall the rotor.
4. Finger tighten all the bolts until snug.
5. Using a wrench, tighten each bolt one quarter turn in a star pattern ... After the first bolt, tighten the one across from it, then back on the opposite side, and so on until they are all tight by one quarter turn. The star pattern keeps the disc centered and the bolt forces evenly distributed.
6. Don't fully tighten one bolt before moving on to the next one. Do a quarter turn at a time, nice and even.
7. Don't go around the circle from one bolt to the next. This actually stretches the rotor disc on one side and compresses it when you get to the end, warping it.
8. Continue tightening by one quarter turn in a star pattern until all the bolts are nice and tight.
9. Reinstall the wheel.

Now do some more hard stops to reseat the brakes and rotor. If pulsation continues, call CSC for a new rotor. When it arrives, measure the rotor thickness to make sure it is the same all around.

Matching new brake pads with a new rotor

By the way, if you do need a new rotor, I would upgrade the front brake pads to EBC FA185HH at the same time. (They really are better brakes, and it's best to fit new pads with a new rotor.) Then follow the steps above to install it and bed it in. This should dramatically improve braking power and eliminate any pulsing effect.

[dpl096]

Excellent write up D

[BlackBike]

Detours, man your awesome! We all appreciate the lessons.

[AdventureDad]

Very good, easy to follow write up. Fwiw, just put the first hundred miles on mine, as I was laid up when I purchased it. I did bed mine in correctly, and the stopping power is even, and good. No complaints. The back brake does lock up easily...too easily however.

[madsocial]

Is the RX3 your day job? I swear...you are the man! How the heck do you find the time for this stuff?

[detours]

Thanks, everyone!

Superdude posted some important info on bedding in EBC brakes in another thread. So if you get the EBC brakes, be sure to follow this procedure instead of mine.

From the EBC website:

"In Street use situations... Best procedure is to drive gently avoiding harsh braking unless in an emergency for first 100 miles. In the second 100 miles (up to 200) you can use gently increasing brake pressures when using the brakes.
Only after 200 miles urban driving (not 200 miles on a freeway where brakes are almost unused) should you attempt to apply heavy load and heat to the brakes. To do this final bedding on a QUIET ROAD in safe traffic apply the brakes and slow from 60 to 10 MPH five times in a row. Then drive slowly for a few minutes if safe to do so to allow the brakes to cool. Try to avoid coming to a rest whilst the brakes are heated."

[jbfla]

Originally Posted by detours

Thanks, everyone!

Superdude posted some important info on bedding in EBC brakes in another thread. So if you get the EBC brakes, be sure to follow this procedure instead of mine.

From the EBC website:

"In Street use situations... Best procedure is to drive gently avoiding harsh braking unless in an emergency for first 100 miles. In the second 100 miles (up to 200) you can use gently increasing brake pressures when using the brakes.
Only after 200 miles urban driving (not 200 miles on a freeway where brakes are almost unused) should you attempt to apply heavy load and heat to the brakes. To do this final bedding on a QUIET ROAD in safe traffic apply the brakes and slow from 60 to 10 MPH five times in a row. Then drive slowly for a few minutes if safe to do so to allow the brakes to cool. Try to avoid coming to a rest whilst the brakes are heated."

Detours, I wouldn't be overly concerned.

I was aware of the proper brake pad "bedding" procedure. Every time I have the brake pads changed on my cars or trucks, I am told to take it easy the first 100 miles.

I can't say that I have found it makes any noticeable difference.

On my RX3, I did several hard, panic stops the first day I rode the bike, out of necessity...lots of crazy drivers in FL.

The brakes performed fine, both in FL and in NC.

Note: I have developed the habit of using the front and rear brakes at the same time, just for those panic instances when maximum braking is needed.

jb

[madsocial]

Is anyone aware of an upgraded front rotor option?

After this maggie valley trip, my husband really warped the front rotor. He basically road the entire trip on the front brakes. Newbie!

I don't mind buying the one on CSC's site, but if there is an upgrade that you guys are aware of then please tell me!

I would rather spend more to have a rotor be less likely to warp in these extreme conditions. If not, at this rate, I'll be buying a new rotor after after road trip

[pyoungbl]

Hi Rania, I upgraded to metallic pads on the front. They helped a quite a bit. Yesterday I was buzzing around on the Zong and had to do a quick stop in traffic. The brakes gave out a horrible screech. Had I not known better I would have thought that I had worn the pads down to metal. I'll have to take the caliper off to see exactly what is going on. Maybe some disc brake goo will fix this or possibly I simply need to do more panic stops. If not, I'm going to spring for the CSC larger disc option. The front brake is too important to not have the best.

[2LZ]

This really is a challenge. I'm not even an aggressive rider these days and the front brake is hardly adequate...and it's not because it doesn't have some ok stopping power. It's because of its attitude. When I get it hot, it warps. When it cools, it goes straight. Under hard braking, like Pyoungbl says, it lets out a howl or chatter. Under average braking, it's fine.

I've got the sintered pads, flushed with DOT 4 and the new master cylinder and levers.....just for testing purposes and trying to improve it. Even the caliper is "standard issue China Bike" which works so well on other CB's I've had...but it does seem like the rotor is the weak link.

I just hate to spend that much on the big front brake kit. My brain tells me that the stock rotor should be more than large enough to expel enough heat to handle the job. Maybe not......

[3banger]

I've moved the brake lever in on the handle bar so my two braking fingers grab the lever further out. It gives better leverage of the front brake.

[jbfla]

My RX3 must be the oddball, again.

IMO, the brakes stop the bike perfectly fine, both in FL and in the mountains of NC and TN.

I use engine braking, and the front and rear brake together.

Even in panic stops, it stops as quickly as I need to.

jb

[madsocial]

The brakes did their job. However, when brakes are over worked, usually the rotor will warp. You can test this putting a tool and watching it spin and not hitting the tool while in full rotation. This is a warped rotor. Since my husband is building his confidence up as a new rider, this poor bike is going to take a betting with the brakes. Sure I could upgrade the pads, but if he's living on the brakes, it's the rotor that is taking the heat. So, what do you do? Replace it ever 2000 miles? I guess that might be the only thing I can do until I figure out a Galfer option perhaps. Something that can take extreme braking and last. I truly think the weakest link in all of this is the rotor.

Every bike I've had never had upgraded double H pads in it. OEM is standard pads....not very different from the stock ones on the RX3. So, really that aside, what's left? The caliper, no matter the price should work just fine. It is a simple mechanical part. The rotor must be the issue. Now that I think of it....perhaps the rotor was warped this whole time? Maybe it was never a "good" rotor. Do you know how many times I've bought rotors for my cars from PepBoys and I've had to have them reshaved due to them not being manufactured properly. IDK...I'm just thinking out loud here. It's making me

[Jay In Milpitas]

Originally Posted by jbfla

My RX3 must be the oddball, again.

IMO, the brakes stop the bike perfectly fine, both in FL and in the mountains of NC and TN.

I use engine braking, and the front and rear brake together.

Even in panic stops, it stops as quickly as I need to.

jb

Same here, JB. Stock pads and original fluid, seldom use more than two fingers on the lever.

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by madsocial

The brakes did their job. However, when brakes are over worked, usually the rotor will warp. You can test this putting a tool and watching it spin and not hitting the tool while in full rotation. This is a warped rotor. Since my husband is building his confidence up as a new rider, this poor bike is going to take a betting with the brakes. Sure I could upgrade the pads, but if he's living on the brakes, it's the rotor that is taking the heat. So, what do you do? Replace it ever 2000 miles? I guess that might be the only thing I can do until I figure out a Galfer option perhaps. Something that can take extreme braking and last. I truly think the weakest link in all of this is the rotor.

Every bike I've had never had upgraded double H pads in it. OEM is standard pads....not very different from the stock ones on the RX3. So, really that aside, what's left? The caliper, no matter the price should work just fine. It is a simple mechanical part. The rotor must be the issue. Now that I think of it....perhaps the rotor was warped this whole time? Maybe it was never a "good" rotor. Do you know how many times I've bought rotors for my cars from PepBoys and I've had to have them reshaved due to them not being manufactured properly. IDK...I'm just thinking out loud here. It's making me

Agreed....but I've also read here that some of the early bikes had bad rotors and once swapped out, seemed fine. I've read about retorquing, etc... Who knows?

Like jb, Jay and others have said, under normal braking, it seems ok. It's just when I get it good and hot, like on a very long downhill or getting real aggressive, does it act up. Then it goes away. Like I stated earlier, it's not the braking power, it's the changing attitude that makes it unsettling.

Your Pep Boys car rotors. I was a mechanic for quite a number of years. There's no such thing as a flat rotor. Even on the ones that showed no wiggle out of box, they're warped if you put a mic against them....just not enough to show thanks to a floating caliper.
We turned every rotor out-of-box prior to installation to completely eliminate come-backs. Also, we discovered that the warp is caused from shipping. The further down the pallet the rotor came from, the more weight was on it and the more warp.