some kind of record on brake pads.

[Jeffd]

Just replaced all three sets on my bike (04 flhtc).  Rears were stock pads and fronts were LRB's and put on at 16,000 miles and bike just turned over 65,000.  I am not kidding the rears could have gone 10,000 more and the fronts probably the same.  I went with LRB's again.

[FLTRI]

Rears were stock pads....and bike just turned over 65,000.  I am not kidding the rears could have gone 10,000 more and the fronts probably the same.  I went with LRB's again.

Either you don't use the rear brake for slowing/stopping or your rear brake doesn't not work.
65,000+++ miles from rear brakes on any Harley is unheard of and so far from the norm it's very intriguing to say the least.
No argument LRB makes great brakes but that doesn't mean to indicate they last forever. Brakes wear out when they are used. Generally speaking the softer the material the higher the friction for better stopping....on the street. The harder the material the lower the initial friction meaning the more they are used the better they work which is ideal with racing applications.
Street pads help the stopping distance where the amount of braking is merely a fraction of the braking events as compared to racing.
Definitely a record!
Bob

[burgies08ultra]

i have almost 15k on the bike, 08 ultra, and seems like the rear pads are getting pretty thin, i would say about 1/8in
is that near time for replacement??/  i just changed the rear tire.. tks...burgie

[maineultraclassic]

I put new rear pads on mine at 34000 miles, and they had at least 1/2 thickness left on them. I could have left them in but since I had them out and had the new pads I just put them in and saved my old ones.

Downshifting.............that's the way to slow down.

Steve

[Jeffd]

I do admit I am a 90% front brake kind of rider.  I never drag my rear brake and other than trail braking I do not use it much other than at parking lot speed which is pretty easy on the brakes.  I am actually more impressed with the 49,000 on the fronts.  I thought of sending the pads to Lyndall to see what they say.  

[dunbarton]

I do admit I am a 90% front brake kind of rider.  I never drag my rear brake and other than trail braking I do not use it much other than at parking lot speed which is pretty easy on the brakes.  I am actually more impressed with the 49,000 on the fronts.  I thought of sending the pads to Lyndall to see what they say.  

Mileage isn't always the best barometer because a lot of factors affect brake pad life. ie. aggressive driving behavior, mix of city/highway miles, speed, weight of bike and rider, number of brakes, condition of rotors and so forth. I've found that riders who routinely get great gas mileage also get long brake pad life and good tire life because some of the same factors are at play.
No question, you've got great life from your bikes brakes.
I've tried the Lyndall pads a few times myself and got poor life from them. I am satisfied with the HD oems for my needs.

[PoorUB]

I put new rear pads on mine at 34000 miles, and they had at least 1/2 thickness left on them. I could have left them in but since I had them out and had the new pads I just put them in and saved my old ones.

Downshifting.............that's the way to slow down.

Steve

Same here, I put new pads on all the way around a years ago with 33,000 miles. When I took the new pads out of the package I was suprised how thin the new ones are. I put them on any way, but the old pads were prabaly 2/3 left on then. I would not be surprised it they would have gone 50-60,000 miles.
Many on us get out on the open road and ride. You don't need brakes much where putting on miles on the highway. For instance, tommorrow I am making a 400 mile run, most of it is interstate or divided highwy. Not a pleasure run, getting paid to ride, (work!). I probably will be able to count how many times I use my brakes without using my toes!

[Jeffd]

I do get pretty good mpg for a bagger (40 plus) and I get ~6000 miles out of a rear mu85 Dunlop 402.  If I had not changed all my own tires I would have thought someone slipped a new pair of brakes in on me but I know that is not the case because I have changed every single tire on the bike since day one.

[FLTRI]

Kind of like tires, if you mostly interstate 10-15k on a rear tire is normal. Now live in the mountains and like the twisties 5-6k on a rear is great.
Apply that to brake pads and you can see why they last so long for some and not so long for others.
Then apply that to fuel mileage and it all kinda fits together.

[Ed Y]

Routinely got 40,00 to 50,000 miles on rear brake pads. BUT this was on the single piston caliper in use until 2000. Nobody in the posts above even mentioned what year bikes. Makes a big difference when you're talking the older single piston caliper or the newer 2 piston caliper. I just bought a used 2002 RG that has Brembo (4 piston) front brakes (QTR version) on it. Will be interesting to see what kinda mileage they get.

[harleyjt]

On my 05 Ultra, I replaced the front pads at about 33000.  When I traded it in on my 08 at 40000 miles, I still had the original rear pads and there was still plenty of pad left.  I use 80 to 90% front brakes. Also, if you look at the specs from Harley, they say the pads are servicable down to 0.040" (1.02mm).  Thats about a spark plug gap - very thin.  Much thinner than the backing plate.  I don't run mine that far personally, but thats the spec.  The Brembos go even thinner....  0.016" (.4 mm).  Thats unbelivably thin.  Less than half a millimeter.
jt

[Deye76]

On my Roadglide I ride  2 up a lot, got 18,000 mi on my last set of rear pads=LRB. Have 15,000 on the current set, best pads I've used in 38 yrs of riding.

[rawshog]

99 EG 132,000 miles.  I am on my second set of HD pads.  Bought new ones a few years back well before I knew I would need them.  I wanted to by them and have em on the shelf for when I did need them but get em before the price went up.  At 80,000 while doing my first set of cam chain tensioners I threw them in just for shuits and giggles.  I still have the original set in the boxes cause that a lot of life left in em.

[FLTRI]

These are some brake pad wear great success stories:

99 EG 132,000 miles.  I am on my second set of HD pads.  Bought new ones a few years back well before I knew I would need them.  I wanted to by them and have em on the shelf for when I did need them but get em before the price went up.  At 80,000 while doing my first set of cam chain tensioners I threw them in just for shuits and giggles.  I still have the original set in the boxes cause that a lot of life left in em.

On my 05 Ultra, I replaced the front pads at about 33000.  When I traded it in on my 08 at 40000 miles, I still had the original rear pads and there was still plenty of pad left.  I use 80 to 90% front brakes. Also, if you look at the specs from Harley, they say the pads are servicable down to 0.040" (1.02mm).  Thats about a spark plug gap - very thin.  Much thinner than the backing plate.  I don't run mine that far personally, but thats the spec.  The Brembos go even thinner....  0.016" (.4 mm).  Thats unbelivably thin.  Less than half a millimeter.
jt

Routinely got 40,00 to 50,000 miles on rear brake pads. BUT this was on the single piston caliper in use until 2000. Nobody in the posts above even mentioned what year bikes. Makes a big difference when you're talking the older single piston caliper or the newer 2 piston caliper. I just bought a used 2002 RG that has Brembo (4 piston) front brakes (QTR version) on it. Will be interesting to see what kinda mileage they get.

I put new rear pads on mine at 34000 miles, and they had at least 1/2 thickness left on them. I could have left them in but since I had them out and had the new pads I just put them in and saved my old ones.

Downshifting.............that's the way to slow down.

Steve

Same here, I put new pads on all the way around a years ago with 33,000 miles. When I took the new pads out of the package I was suprised how thin the new ones are. I put them on any way, but the old pads were prabaly 2/3 left on then. I would not be surprised it they would have gone 50-60,000 miles.Many on us get out on the open road and ride. You don't need brakes much where putting on miles on the highway. For instance, tommorrow I am making a 400 mile run, most of it is interstate or divided highwy. Not a pleasure run, getting paid to ride, (work!). I probably will be able to count how many times I use my brakes without using my toes!

The above just goes to show ya how many miles can be gotten from a set of brake pads when ridden on the interstates as a rule. Just don't xpect those miles from spending most of the time in the twisties.

[harleyjt]

These are some brake pad wear great success stories:

99 EG 132,000 miles.  I am on my second set of HD pads.  Bought new ones a few years back well before I knew I would need them.  I wanted to by them and have em on the shelf for when I did need them but get em before the price went up.  At 80,000 while doing my first set of cam chain tensioners I threw them in just for shuits and giggles.  I still have the original set in the boxes cause that a lot of life left in em.

On my 05 Ultra, I replaced the front pads at about 33000.  When I traded it in on my 08 at 40000 miles, I still had the original rear pads and there was still plenty of pad left.  I use 80 to 90% front brakes. Also, if you look at the specs from Harley, they say the pads are servicable down to 0.040" (1.02mm).  Thats about a spark plug gap - very thin.  Much thinner than the backing plate.  I don't run mine that far personally, but thats the spec.  The Brembos go even thinner....  0.016" (.4 mm).  Thats unbelivably thin.  Less than half a millimeter.
jt

Routinely got 40,00 to 50,000 miles on rear brake pads. BUT this was on the single piston caliper in use until 2000. Nobody in the posts above even mentioned what year bikes. Makes a big difference when you're talking the older single piston caliper or the newer 2 piston caliper. I just bought a used 2002 RG that has Brembo (4 piston) front brakes (QTR version) on it. Will be interesting to see what kinda mileage they get.

I put new rear pads on mine at 34000 miles, and they had at least 1/2 thickness left on them. I could have left them in but since I had them out and had the new pads I just put them in and saved my old ones.

Downshifting.............that's the way to slow down.

Steve

Same here, I put new pads on all the way around a years ago with 33,000 miles. When I took the new pads out of the package I was suprised how thin the new ones are. I put them on any way, but the old pads were prabaly 2/3 left on then. I would not be surprised it they would have gone 50-60,000 miles.Many on us get out on the open road and ride. You don't need brakes much where putting on miles on the highway. For instance, tommorrow I am making a 400 mile run, most of it is interstate or divided highwy. Not a pleasure run, getting paid to ride, (work!). I probably will be able to count how many times I use my brakes without using my toes!

The above just goes to show ya how many miles can be gotten from a set of brake pads when ridden on the interstates as a rule. Just don't xpect those miles from spending most of the time in the twisties.

I didn't say mine was primarily interstate riding - its not.  Lot of in town riding as well as two-lane rural runs.  Probably only 25 to 30% of mine (or less) is interstate.
jt

[surf]

Got 27,000 out of my rear LRB's and 43,000 and still going on the fronts. Just sayin.

[PoorUB]

Nobody in the posts above even mentioned what year bikes.

Mine is an '05 Ultra.

[FLTRI]

Guess I misinterpreted your posts?:

I didn't say mine was primarily interstate riding  - its not.  Lot of in town riding as well as two-lane rural runs.  Probably only 25 to 30% of mine (or less) is interstate.

Many on us get out on the open road and ride. You don't need brakes much where putting on miles on the highway. For instance, tommorrow I am making a 400 mile run, most of it is interstate or divided highwy.

[surf]

Mine's an '05 e-glide. I also put 19,000 miles on my last rear tire, an elite 3. Plenty of tread left but a bit of cupping. Front tire, same brand has 20,000 and counting. Good tread and no cupping yet.

[Jeffd]

got a couple hundred miles on the new pads and even tho the old ones still had life in them I gotta say the new pads sure feel good.

[03deuce]

Jeff,
Are you using the LRB Z pads?

[iclick]

Just replaced all three sets on my bike (04 flhtc).  Rears were stock pads and fronts were LRB's and put on at 16,000 miles and bike just turned over 65,000.  I am not kidding the rears could have gone 10,000 more and the fronts probably the same.  I went with LRB's again.

Well, I had some EBC front floating rotors and Kevlar pads installed on my '95 Dyna, then 10k later I removed the rotors and pads for replacement on my then-new '96 RK.  At that time I also replaced the rear with EBC Kevlar pads using the stock rotor.  I traded the bike at 106k miles and those same rotors and pads were still on the bike.  I had never changed them, and they still had plenty of pad surface remaining.  The next owner has not changed them and the bike now has 120k on it. 

Now, that said, I can say that with great expectations I put EBC Kevlar pads on my '07 SG and I'm not getting anywhere near this kind of wear with these!  At 30k I've already replaced all three pad sets once.  It also has floating rotors installed on the front.  One reason for the difference in wear is that the newer pads are about half as thick as the Evo pads when new, but if the pad material is the same shouldn't I get at least 50k out of a set?

[Ed Y]

iclick,

Completely different calipers on your earlier bikes (1 piston) compared to the calipers on your 07 SG (4 piston). It's like comparing apples to oranges.

[Jeffd]

Jeff,
Are you using the LRB Z pads?

Yes

[terryj]

The year of bike has a great lot to do with how long your brake pads last. I had an 89 ultra and when I traded it off at about 115000 miles it still had the orig front pads and the rears had been worn out once. My 02 EG has 60000 miles on it and the fronts were just changed and I have installed 2 sets of rears. I don't think my riding habits have changed that much. Over half of the miles put on each of these bikes have been pulling the same pop up camper and carrying the same  wife.