johnmark101 Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 I have been lurking here as I am seriously considering the GT as my next motorcycle. I have read a few comments about the front brakes having a bit of room for improvement. Wondering who has upgraded their front pads, what brand of pad did you use, and were you happy with the results?? Thanks in advance...…...John. There is nothing like spending a day riding with friends in the grip of a shared obsession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjrpittsburgh Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 I've read the same thing about the front brakes. Evidently you can replace the existing pads with better ones. I've not experienced the front brakes being all that bad. They're more than adequate for making high speed stops, but I'm sure they could be improved. I'll probably continue to use the bike as is for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member betoney Posted February 23, 2019 Supporting Member Share Posted February 23, 2019 @johnmark101 read through ---> This thread Larger rotor from R1. Oem pads are rated GG, any aftermarket pad rated HH will have a higher friction rating, greater initial bite. My bike had lousy front brakes with very odd wear patterns on the pads and I tried many different options to rectify the situation. The dealer finally replaced both front calipers under warranty which fixed the issue for me. Same dealer also experienced the same issue on his personal R3. ***2015 Candy Red FJ-09*** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsp Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 All Jap bikes new in the crate have cosmoline everywhere to prevent rust and corrosion. Most dealers DO NOT do much to clean this off, especially the brakes. On a new bike, I remove the calipers, clean the rotors with lacquer thinner or brake cleaner. Usually remove the pads, inspect, clean as necessary and reassemble, Usually bleed the brakes and you're ready to go. My FJ has great brakes. My previous bike was a 2014 Suzuki V Strom 1000. Driving home from the dealer, the brakes were terrible. I did as outlined above and brakes were very good. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member texscottyd Posted February 23, 2019 Supporting Member Share Posted February 23, 2019 Hi @johnmark101 - Welcome to the forum! I wasn’t particularly happy with the stock brakes on my 2015 FJ09, and ended up doing the full 320mm big brake conversion with EBC rotors and EBC HH pads. I’m really happy with the results, although it’s hard to say how much of the improvement in bite & feel is a result of the pads vs the rotors. I suspect (but can’t personally confirm) that just swapping for the EBC HH pads would make a big difference even with the stock rotors. I believe the new Tracer / Tracer GT models use the same brakes as the FJ, so the collective knowledge here in the forum should be relevant. Good luck with your research and purchase decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member roadrash83 Posted February 23, 2019 Supporting Member Share Posted February 23, 2019 One of the first things I did to my GT was to throw on EBD sintered HH pads, next will be the 320mm rotors once I can find the spacers. The brakes on the Tracer leave a lot to be desired coming off a BMWS1000rr. He who dies with the most toys wins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnmark101 Posted February 24, 2019 Author Share Posted February 24, 2019 14 hours ago, roadrash83 said: One of the first things I did to my GT was to throw on EBD sintered HH pads, next will be the 320mm rotors once I can find the spacers. The brakes on the Tracer leave a lot to be desired coming off a BMWS1000rr. Did changing just the pads to the EBC HH make a noticeable difference and if so can you describe? Better initial bite? Better feel at the lever?? There is nothing like spending a day riding with friends in the grip of a shared obsession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member roadrash83 Posted February 24, 2019 Supporting Member Share Posted February 24, 2019 Yes, I feel the bite is better and less fade when hot. I will be changing the stock lines out for braided line to get a better feel at the lever and maybe a different front master cylinder. Yamaha really cheaped out with the front brake components on the GT. He who dies with the most toys wins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfriz Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 You can always improve the brakes but mine are more than adequate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnmark101 Posted February 25, 2019 Author Share Posted February 25, 2019 18 hours ago, roadrash83 said: Yes, I feel the bite is better and less fade when hot. I will be changing the stock lines out for braided line to get a better feel at the lever and maybe a different front master cylinder. Yamaha really cheaped out with the front brake components on the GT. Let us know how the changing of the brake lines works out for you. I currently have a bike with ABS and changing out the brake lines is something I considered but did not do because of the ABS. On my other non ABS bikes it was super simple. There is nothing like spending a day riding with friends in the grip of a shared obsession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racer Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 My 15 front brakes had a wooden feel to them, however, were adequate. Racer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnmark101 Posted March 15, 2019 Author Share Posted March 15, 2019 Has anyone found compatible Vesrah brake pads for this bike?? I have used them on my other bikes and they are a bit expensive but provide excellent performance. My usual vendor for them does not list a part for this bike. Also, are these front brakes the same as what is found on the FJ-09? There is nothing like spending a day riding with friends in the grip of a shared obsession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member betoney Posted March 15, 2019 Supporting Member Share Posted March 15, 2019 2 hours ago, johnmark101 said: Has anyone found compatible Vesrah brake pads for this bike?? I have used them on my other bikes and they are a bit expensive but provide excellent performance. My usual vendor for them does not list a part for this bike. Also, are these front brakes the same as what is found on the FJ-09? Brake pads for the FZ/FJ/XSR/MT/Tracer/FZ1/FZ8 and some year R6 and R1 are the same pad. Kurveygirl.com is a huge supplier of Vesrah pads, contact them for specific applications. They have great tech support. And if you dont already have right angle valve stems they have a huge selection of those as well. ***2015 Candy Red FJ-09*** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chitown Posted March 15, 2019 Share Posted March 15, 2019 My '15's brakes weren't spectacular out of the showroom. A bleed helped, as it has on every new and new to me bike I've owned. When it came time to replace the stock brake lines went stainless, as always, mostly because it's a lifetime replacement. At the same time I added Vesrah ZD-248CT pads from Julie aka kurveygirl. The brakes perform quite well now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member texscottyd Posted March 15, 2019 Supporting Member Share Posted March 15, 2019 @chitown - Did you replace the brake lines yourself? I have a set of Galfer steel lines sitting on the shelf, waiting for me to get brave enough to install them. I’ve heard some horror stories about the process on the FJ, so would be interested in your experience and perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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