HarleyTechTalk

Anyone have an opinion regarding front brake pads currently available for a stock 1980 Sportster dual disc setup?Salty

All I use anymore are EBD V-Pads semi-sintered, for all my bikes.

-JW

   The EBC's do work very good.

Brakepads are like tires, everybody has its own favourite. Have you tried Brembo? Most of the people that tries them stick with the brand.

Thanks for the replies.I have not used any pads except the HD. Semi Sintered ads claim better feel and good stopping with less wear. That is attractive. Someone told me the 80 dual disc is not as good compared to the later single setup. Maybe by adding improved pads I can get more braking performance. I have a 03 Sportster with a Zipper's Hammer 99 kit installed. The single disc could be improved for sure so this information given will help me with that ride also. Going from a 70 drum to a 80 dual disc with improved pads should be noticeable.Salty

The single biggest change that you can do is to get rid of the stock brake master cylinder, and install either an aftermarket or '00 & later stock master cylinder, with 9/16" bore or even 5/8".

I have a single disk on my '78, but with the '00 -'06 style 4 puck caliper, and the stock 9/16" M/C as mentioned above. Too much tug on the brake lever and it will through you over the bars.

-JW

I tried EBC a while ago on the rear.. Didn't feel any different than the Lyndall pads i replaced. what was different was the amount of brake dust.. I don't use the rear brake much but the dust was nasty.

I think that's because you got the Double H sintered type. I don't find that the V-pads make much dust at all.

-JW

Quote from: JW113 on January 23, 2021, 10:00:36 AM
I think that's because you got the Double H sintered type. I don't find that the V-pads make much dust at all.

-JW

That could be JW.  I'd be willing to try the V pads.maybe next time.. Replaced them just a few thousand miles ago.. Won't tell ya what I replaced them with..lol.. Dual disc fronts and rear.. all 3 sets $20.00

I would like to avoid excess brake dust but stopping is the quest here. PS I would like to avoid going over the handlebars man what a mess I would make!

There is no "magic brake pad" that will grab the disk substantially more than any other brake pad. Sintered iron brake pads are more about shedding heat from heavy use, like on a road course race track or mountain road. Meaning, they are less prone to brake fade when they get hot. But they don't really "grab" any better than composite pads.

The reason HD brakes suck is the lousy master cylinder piston to caliper piston ratio. Think of it as a lever and fulcrum. If you need to lift a rock, and have 1 foot of bar on the rock side of the fulcrum, what is going to be easier? A 1 foot lever on your side of the fulcrum, or a 6 foot lever? HD engineers would say 1 foot. Japanese engineers would say 6 foot.

If you squeeze the lever hard enough on any HD, with any set of brake pads, you can lock the front wheel. However, if you have a higher ratio m/c to caliper piston ratio, it takes a whole lot less pressure on the brake lever. This makes the brakes "feel" like they are working better, or at least easier. One pinky to slow the bike instead of a clenched fist. Also, with a low P-P ratio like HD, you can't modulate the brakes as easy as you can with a high P-P ratio. I honestly don't know why HD does brake design the way they do, but for sure the newest models have a lot easier brakes than the Shovelhead and Ironhead era. Not yet at the Japanese level, though. Buell was, they had amazing brakes. Why HD can't learn from that is beyond me.

-JW

Point well taken.Salty