[MileyCyrus]

Hey all, have been noticing an issue of late when slowing to a stop using the front brake (20km/h and under) I'm feeling a fair amount of pulsing up front. As if the pads disengaging for a section of the rotor and then grabbing again. I've had warped rotors and it feels similar to that but only happens when I'm going slow. Bike only has 2600kms on it, so was dubious if rotors would warp so early in the price. Any advice would be gravely appreciated.

 

[DJ Shrug]

It could be a lot of things, does it feel more on/off like ABS is kicking on or more smooth like a sine wave?

 

[ASavageFox]

I really have no idea but I'd suggest that providing your ABS level would sort of be step one towards getting some help! Good luck!

 

[MileyCyrus]

It's a smooth motion, like a section of the rotor isn't letting the brake pad bite.

 

[DJ Shrug]

It might be something as simple as glazed rotors. Try this out, might work:

 

[dougo1199]

Provided there is no damage to your rotors, it sounds like an ABS pulse or perhaps oil / grease on your pads / rotor. It would be pretty difficult to warp a rotor. You might try cleaning your pads/rotors with brake cleaner and then slightly scuff your rotors with a Scotch Bright pad. What is your ABS set to?

 

[MileyCyrus]

Provided there is no damage to your rotors, it sounds like an ABS pulse or perhaps oil / grease on your pads / rotor. It would be pretty difficult to warp a rotor. You might try cleaning your pads/rotors with brake cleaner and then slightly scuff your rotors with a Scotch Bright pad. What is your ABS set to?

Yea that what I though, just scuffed up the pads will see how it goes tomorrow. ABS is set on 2, never had the issue before so I have to assume it's glazed or warped (less likely I think)

 

[Kevin.H]

I'd follow Dougo's course of action. ABS 2 is not overly intrusive and so I doubt it's that especially if you're normal riding on normal roads. It takes a lot of heat soaking to warp a bike rotor. The one time I rode a bike with toasted rotors, both were too.

But anything's possible, Miley

 

[dougo1199]

Yea that what I though, just scuffed up the pads will see how it goes tomorrow. ABS is set on 2, never had the issue before so I have to assume it's glazed or warped (less likely I think)

You want to scuff your rotors not your pads. :wink2:

 

[MileyCyrus]

You want to scuff your rotors not your pads. :wink2:

Haha good pickup, I did scuff of the ROTORS, seems to have made the issue a little better so have to assume some sort of contaminants got between with discs and pads (it's been raining here a tonne too and I've ridden through all of it)

 

[dougo1199]

Haha good pickup, I did scuff of the ROTORS, seems to have made the issue a little better so have to assume some sort of contaminants got between with discs and pads (it's been raining here a tonne too and I've ridden through all of it)

It definitely sounds like there's something on your rotors / pads. Get some CRC brake cleaner and spray the crap out them!

 

[Flowbrook]

For me, it was actual 'warped' rotor/s, not the 'assumed' pad material or any other contaminant surface deposits causing the pulsing. No amount of cleaning would fix it. Brembo Oro rotors at a reasonable cost solved my problem.

 

[Dingo]

@Flowbrook - how'd you manage to warp your rotors?


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[Flowbrook]

This is going to sound stupid Dingo. And I may lose some credibility. But I've since learned from this experience. And that's what matters. Anyways... I was trying out some rather soft fork springs and light fork valving, and was experimenting to see if I engaged in super-hard braking, whether my forks would dive too much and bottom out, for fear that if I was ever in an accident-type situation, that I could brake hard and not have to worry about having to lose control over the forks bottoming. Essentially, I was seeing if I needed to alter the fork oil level / air gap. Anyways, I remember doing several runs down my street, grabbing the front brakes super hard, not allowing them time to cool down, and then grabbing again, and finally, probably the death blow, was then parking the bike after not riding it around letting the rotors and pads cool before letting the bike sit. I think after that experiment, I started to notice the shudder/pulsing.

 

[Dingo]

@Flowbrook - ...interesting! I wonder if the pads on new bikes have been bed in properly to begin with - I would think it's one of the things the tech who builds the bike from the crate would do...? I know I did mine when I first got it!!

 

[Flowbrook]

When I got my bike new, w/ like 2 miles on it, I was surprised that the brakes were amazing right off the bat! I was thinking that I'd have to bed them in myself... It's not like the shop tech rode the bike around and did it... Maybe at the Ducati factory there is a special machine that just spins the front wheel and somehow modulates the brakes and does it automatically. Or maybe I was just used to the not-as-good brakes on my 749... I can't remember if my new 959 brakes were actually getting bedded in and improving over the next hundred miles or so... I just remember them being legit from the start. Maybe some else knows?

 

[dougo1199]

There's really not much of a bed-in process necessary these days. On the track bike I just run the first few laps at a slower pace then it's game on. The street bike would be similar, but since everything is much less severe, I'll take it easy on the brakes for the first 30 mins or so. The idea being to gradually build up the heat in both cases.

 

[Flowbrook]

Interesting. When I put new Brembo SC pads on with new Brembo Oro rotors, with street riding, it did take about 300 miles for the front brakes to work at maximum effectiveness. Mind you, I was taking it pretty easy and gradually increasing modulation when it felt right. After 100 miles, I noticed it was a bit better, after 200 miles, a lot better, but it wasn't until around 300 miles that I noticed it was getting pretty darn good and was finally reaching a plateau. Different folks, different strokes. I'm sure someone else could've 'wailed' on them right from the start and got them bedded in immediately.

 

[dougo1199]

Interesting. When I put new Brembo SC pads on with new Brembo Oro rotors, with street riding, it did take about 300 miles for the front brakes to work at maximum effectiveness. Mind you, I was taking it pretty easy and gradually increasing modulation when it felt right. After 100 miles, I noticed it was a bit better, after 200 miles, a lot better, but it wasn't until around 300 miles that I noticed it was getting pretty darn good and was finally reaching a plateau. Different folks, different strokes. I'm sure someone else could've 'wailed' on them right from the start and got them bedded in immediately.

I was mainly referring to just adding new pads with the existing rotors so that may be the difference. I did upgrade my 848 to Brembo full-floaters, but they were slightly used.

 

[SquireSCA]

I had the same problem with my '14 Monster 1200S. This was at only 1,500 miles. Tried new pads. Bled the system. Turned off ABS. Sanded the rotors. Installed new EBC rotors. Never did fix it, so I just learned to live with it.