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Divvy 900 Brakes


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Posted

Hi All,

I've just replaced the front pads on my XJ900S Diversion, and it wasn't a good experience. This is my first time wielding spanners for a long time - at least, as far as waving them at a bike is concerned. My last experience with front brakes on a bike was the then leading edge technology of twin leading shoes on a Triumph T'bird - some time around 1965.


I bought the required pads from a firm on the 'Net, (maybe shouldn't mention their name here??) and set to with the Haynes manual in my hand. As usual, I don't think the guys who wrote the book actually tried this bit of the procedure - after about an hour and a half of trying every which way to get the damn pads out without removing the caliper I gave up and removed it. The pads came out easily.


Then came the joy of trying to get the new pads to 'slip' into place. Believe it or not, I spent over two hours trying to fit those sodding pads. Perhaps a couple of cuppas stretched it a little. After that length of time getting up and down from my position on the floor of my utility room, wooden floored thank God, I was really starting to feel my age. My temper wasn't really good either I suppose by then - no matter, my lass will speak to me again eventually.


I was convinced that it was my fault; I was obviously missing something obvious. Maybe this was the start of my 'Alzheimers Period'? Anyway, after yet another cup of tea, obviously interspersed with several pee's, I decided to fit one of the old pads, just to make sure that I was doing it properly. Straight in, no problem at all. So, I put one of the old pads against one of the new ones, and what do you think? Yep, slightly different in length, enough so that in a fairly critical 'fit' situation there was no chance of getting them around the pad retainers.


The steel backing material appears to be a 'stamping', but these looked like they were done with a blunt stamping tool. I've attached a close-up of the end of one of the pads. The picture shows the pad before I've finished filing it to size - the blue paint shows how much of the outer edges are left to remove before they are level with the centre.


I should have taken a picture before I started filing - there was quite a bit of metal to remove. Apologies for the supports used to hold the pad in position whilst I played the photog game; the bananas were 'Free Trade' at least.


Can anyone tell me; would you expect to have to modify a brake pad in this way? They certainly weren't cheap - the pads were from a maker called KYOTO, supplied through quite a well known UK bitz supplier.


The brakes have tested well, appearing to bed in fine after only a few miles of regular but brief applications. I assume I won't get full braking power until quite a few miles.


Ian

pad_partially_filed.jpg.63a3f1290c2494bb54b7428a64c1952e.jpg

Posted

The short answer is yes.

When i used to work on the spanners,I regularly had to do that to pads.

As I result, it is one of the first things I do now. Doesn't help you NOW, but will in the future :thumb:

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