Front Brake Chatter

[Hydrophilic]

Recently purchased the buell and am finally getting to take it out on the road. Everything seems to run/work well but my cousin first noticed and then I did as well, a 'chatter/shudder' in the from brake/wheel when it was grabbed hard. I had been taking it easy on it but my cousin gave it a good ride and mentioned it to me and I did a hard slow down and felt it too. Any idea what it would be/how to fix it? I was thinking of 1. bleeding the breaks, 2. replacing the pad and/or 3. scrubbing the rotor with brake cleaner and a schotch brite. I got some info from finding this thead: http://www.buellxb.com/Buell-XB-Forum/Buell-1125CR/Front-Brake-Shudder

It just clicked over 8000 miles, so I'm thinking the rotor isn't warped but don't know for sure. Just looking from some input or if anyone else had had this problem. Thanks.

 

[konarider94]

your probably have uneven pad deposits on the rotor. a more aggressive pad will probably smooth it out with a bed in cycle, and provide much better braking. something like an ebc hh or hawk hh rated pad

 

[Theycallmecrash]

You dont think you could simply have a warped rotor? I bought mine at 8,000 miles had a severely warped rotor. Replaced with EBR race rotor no issues 12k later

 

[toolmaker98]

Sound like a warped rotor to me. Had mine replaced under 10,000 miles and it did it again. Where might i get a ebr racing rotor .

 

[Theycallmecrash]

EBR Rotor
Hardware youll need

This is where youd normally get one, unfortunately it says out of stock. Might wanna contact them about when and if theyll be making more

 

[Theycallmecrash]

Other brake options
Ive no experience with the brake rotors listed, but its at least an option

 

[konarider94]

A new rotor would work to but id bet money on uneven pass deposits. You can feel pulses if the thickness varies by less than .001"

 

[Hydrophilic]

Alright, thanks for the quick responses. I'm back at school but I'll order a new brake pad and see if that fixes it first (always try the cheaper route first haha). If not then rotor will be the next replaced. How can you tell if the rotor is warped or do you just have to assume if the pad doesn't fix the problem?

 

[Hydrophilic]

Konarider, what is the difference between the HH brakes? I found the ebc for $57 http://www.perfectbrakes.com/products.asp?cat=1223 and there are just ones from motorcycle superstore http://www.motorcycle-superstore.co...ake-Pads-2007-Buell-XB12R-Firebolt-Parts.aspx
I'm not really familiar with brake pads?

 

[konarider94]

The hh or double h is a friction rating. They are a sintered metallic pad that has.good initial bite and resists fade better than organic with less dust usually. The organic have less bite, more dust, and fade quicker. The race pads dont work when cold (ie normal street riding). I tried lyndall gold pads and they just.suck in every way compared to a hh rated pad. Read about motorcycle brake bed in procedure.

 

[greasyxb9s]

You might just want to go over all the nuts and bolts in the front end..... I had same feeling in mine.... scuffed the pads nothing scuffed the rotor and still nothing. So I ordered stem bearings and before I installed them I tightened up the hole front end and the shimmy went away..... my bike is a 03 with 7600 miles..... still looking at changing the bearings and possible fork rebuild.

 

[d_adams]

http://www.erikbuellracing.com/stor...rakes/vesrah-xx-compound-front-brake-pad.html

Mmmmmm. Braking goodness when matched to the rotor and hardware. I'm assuming these are the 2015 compound replacement pads that I currently run. Stoppies are a one finger deal if you aren't careful.

 

[xbtiger]

hi.......I dont think that buying new pads is a fix for your problem.............8000 miles is a typical time for a common problem that you quite well describe as 'chatter/shudder' under hard breaking........its a floater problem. Check the play of the floaters and you will find that there is access play when you move the disk back and forwards. When they are very worn out they even start turning......you may buy a new set of the orginal floaters thats just the square bit arround the screws that fixes the disk to the rim of the wheel, everything else you can reuse.....us locktide when you put it pack together as recommened in the service manual.......but this is no fix that would last very long..............the best thing you can do is to follow the advice of the other guys......by an EBR disk, and the EBR disk mounting kit...........they have change the floaters/screws and use a flat spring......buy the pads as well.........new break fluid (brembo).........its money but you will feel a big difference.

Chris