Carbone Lorrain Sbk Brake Pads

[dobias]

Other than one buyer being underwhelmed with his new brake installation, I don't remember seeing any comments, pro or con, about the Carbone Lorrain SBK brake pads sold in the recent group brake buy.

I've yet to replace my stock pads. Since a few feet less distance would have saved me from hitting a deer recently, I now wonder if I can expect any performance gains.

dobias

 

[rickysnickers]

Well, I got the whole kit 'n kabbudle when I went in on the group buy. I changed everything out a few weeks back. The brakes have been bedded in and it seems as though they work quite a bit better than the stockers. This is by feel only though. I don't have any hard numbers to back it up.

Rick

 

[SilveradoSlick]

I put on the pads with the ABM rotors but never got around to the stainless lines (uhh, I think I got that backwards). The brakes felt better but at that price they damn well better feel better. Not sure if it was the pads, the rotors, or just wishful thinking. I think it was the pads and/or rotors.

 

[Woodstock]

I had the SS lines and SBK pads put on my ABS the day before WFO-4. The brakes felt somewhat better, but still not as firm as they should have (if anyone checked out Hirshjager's front brake, you'll know what I mean).

Anyway, I got back home, hooked up a tube, opened up the bleeder a bit and some bubbles came out, closed up bleeder. I did the zip-tie on the lever overnight trick (after poping the resoviour cover a bit), and DAMN, that made all the difference. I'll try and bleed them properly soon here (when I get the speed-bleeders put on), so I assume it was just a bit of air in the lines, because the front are a _ton_ better. Really, really, firm, and the stop very smoothly and quickly. I feel like I can stop on a dime without the pads sticking.

 

[FJRPierre]

I put the SS lines and SDK pads on the front of my 03 and then went out and did several hundred normal and emergency stops to convince myself that the install was correct. (Last time I put SS lines on a bike I didn't torque down one of the bolts properly and got a fine spray of brake fluid on hard braking. No such problem this time.)

At first it did not seem like there was any improvement but as time went on you could feel the bite kick in and they now "quite nice". My OEM front pads were nearly ready for replacement at 46,000km. My ABS like shudder under hard braking which surprised me on a recent ERC has also disappeared.

 

[throttlejockeyTJ]

I put the Corbon Lorraine pads and SS lines on my SV. Big improvement in respose & feel. TJ

 

[FLRoadking]

I went with the lines and CL pads and speed bleeders. Overall better feel but my opinion is that it is more to do with the lines not expanding like rubber ones do than the pads.

 

[FJRandy]

I went with the lines and CL pads and speed bleeders. Overall better feel but my opinion is that it is more to do with the lines not expanding like rubber ones do than the pads.

Same here.

 

[C&C]

Actually I changed my pads before I decided to tackle the lines and I noticed immediate improvement with the C/L pad switch. After changing the lines I noticed a somewhat better linear feel and slightly tighter lever feel as well. No matter, it is worth the cost of admission to change the lines and pads.

 

[dobias]

C&C,

How did you bed them in?

dobias

 

[radman]

How did you bed them in?

You can do them through normal use over time, and risk some glazing, or install, take the bike out, get them very hot, then park the bike overnight. Once cold, a blast of brake clean through the top of the caliper will clean out the excessive dust accumulated, and you're good to go.

 

[C&C]

Pretty close to what Radman said. I did a couple of heat cycles (fairly moderate aggressive brake stops) to get alot of initial heat into the pads, let them cool (this meaning relatively cool by not braking) and repeat three or four times. Obviously you have to find a fairly barron stretch of road. I did mine early one morning on a nearby highway. After your heat cycles you then want to have the pads fully cool. (doesn't have to be overnight, but let them cool to ambient temperature) Then you're good to go.

Note: you don't need to brake from 60 or 70 mph. 45 - 50 mph will do fine, just want to get some good heat into the pads.

 

[black mamba]

I replaced all the pads, went with all the ss lines and the bleeders. Did not go with any of the rotors. Overall, I've not noticed much improvement over the stock set-up. I find the addition of the rear ss line to be the most notable of the changes....much more of a "solid" feeling compared to the stock line. The front ss lines may, in fact, be giving me just as much of an improvement but the front end "dive" under braking is probably masking the effect somewhat. Down the road, I'm sure I'll be glad I don't have to replace these clutch and brake lines any more. In general though, I am somewhat dissapointed with this Spiegler modification. It is probably a case of me having built up too high of an expectation as to the results I would see and feel. And too, perhaps as these pads wear in more I'll see more of the improvement I anticipated. I hope so.

 

[C&C]

black mamba, pay attention to the linearity of the brake pressure. In my case the handle pull has more connection, for the lack of a better word; the absolute braking is pretty much the same as the original but lacking is some of the softness of the original lines. At least that's what I noticed the most. I just feel more connected to the braking. Initial braking "bite" is also improved in my case. Good luck with your brakes, and you're right, no more brake line changes needed anymore.

 

[black mamba]

C & C....

I concur that the ss lines give one a greater sense of " connection ", as you say. This is undoubtably the most significant beneficial change of the whole swap-out, in my opinion. If I get any greater " bite " at initial braking, it is marginal in improvement, at best. Perhaps, had I gone with new rotors as well, I might get a more pronounced grip with the new pads. I think this serves to point out that the FJR comes stock with one of the better brake systems around. If one makes changes to that system, he should expect the improvements to be incremental, as opposed to dramatic.

 

[Warchild]

I think this serves to point out that the FJR comes stock with one of the better brake systems around.

I generally agree with this premise, with two small exceptions:

1. The FJR's stock rubber hoses seem to really expand more than most bikes I've ridden (which, admittedly, have been mostly Hondas). Installing SS brake lines on the FJR should be considered a mandatory farkle, IMO.

2. The stock rotors are okay, but are simply stamped steel, nothing special. The ABM rotors are made from high-carbon X30Cr13 stainless steel, and they are beyond awesome.

I just this week installed Spiegler lines and ABM rotors on my R1, and it made a huge, huge improvement on that bike as well. You'd think that with a state-of-the-art radial braking system like the new R1s have, one wouldn't notice such a vast improvement by changing out lines/rotors, but it is clearly a significant improvement.

 

[dobias]

black mamba,

After reading your posts, I have to wonder if you may have glazed pads and discs. Getting the pads broken properly in can make a world of difference in the performance.

I'm going by past experience on previous bikes, but see no reason to think that has changed

dobias

 

[black mamba]

I think there is general consensus among us that swapping out to the SS lines is really a " must do ". There is no question that doing so will give you a hightened sense of control.

dobias....you raise a good point about glazing and its detrimental affect upon braking. My pads show no signs of glazing...they seem to have been broken-in properly. I don't mean to emply in any of my comments that I am unhappy with the braking of my FJR, either before or after swapping the pads. I'm simply saying that I have not experienced any huge performance gain due to the pad swap. I think I may have had unwarranted expectations in this regard. To fully realize the potential that may be there, I'm going to get the rotors as well.

 

[dobias]

....Installed the new pads and have to say there is a BIG improvement in the front brakes. I wish there was ANY improvement in the rear brake. Now that I have had a second chance to buy the Spiegler brake lines (from wpbfjr), I should see the bigger change everyone talks about. Next spring, that is. That's another winter job for me.

dobias <_<