BRAKES / DISC ROTORS / BRAKING / BRAKE PADS?

As you may or may not know, here at Picture Me Rollin motorcycle accessory store “PMR”, we own a race team in Australian Superbikes (ASBK) and have done since 2018.  The team has consisted of riders from the junior Oceania cup (150cc) right through to the premier Superbike class (1000cc).  As you know, the idea in racing to is to go as fast as possible around any given race track lap after lap until the end, with the hope that you are the first to cross the finish line.  With that in mind, the riders need to be able to do that in the most controlled/safest way possible.  The two biggest factors we look at with each motorcycle, would be in relation to handling (suspension) and braking.  So here we are going to talk about braking, as we have had a long-time partner of the team with Kenma Australia which have supplied all of our riders with SBS brake pads and NG Disc rotors over the years.  What you will read below, may not be what you need due to your riding style, genre, etc…  But both SBS brake pads and NG Brakes (disc rotors) will certainly have something that is right for you in their range, so simply reach out to us and we can help advise to what is best suited for your needs.


Anyone who owns a bike or scooter knows that their vehicle needs care and attention: brake pads are one of the components that are placed under the most strain and are stressed the most when you use your two-wheeler, so in addition to replacing them at the right time, you need to know how to choose the brake pads that are the most appropriate for your bike.


The information is to provide as thorough a guide as possible to help you choose your future brake pads/disc rotors.  This is not as trivial a decision as you might think, because navigating through the numerous alternatives available on the market is anything but simple.  In fact, as is also the case with discs and calipers, there is no universal solution.  In other words, no single solution is better than the rest for every bike and in all conditions.  They might all look the same, but it is what you don’t see that makes the biggest difference and if it means that the brakes pull you up a meter shorter, that might make the difference of having an accident or not.


The performance of the compounds, which are very different from one another, can be described using two main parameters: efficiency and wear.


Efficiency (in other words, how much the pad brakes): this is expressed through the average friction coefficient and the stability of the friction measured at the main elements that characterize braking (speed, deceleration and temperature). This is detected through specific tests on the bench and on the vehicle.


Wear: this is expressed as the quantity of worn friction material (in mm of thickness or in volume) with respect to the number of braking operations executed (bench) or miles driven (vehicle). Efficiency and wear are generally correlated: the more efficient a compound is, the quicker it will wear.


The other aspect to take into consideration has to do with variations of the friction coefficient depending on the operating temperature.  In fact, not all the compounds have the same efficiency at all temperatures.  For example, the track compounds have a very high hot friction coefficient, but only after they reach temperatures like 660°F – 840°F can they be considered to have reached normal operating temperature.


Street compounds, on the other hand, are designed to work best at medium/low temperatures, more specifically around 570°F.  So the latter, if used on the track and therefore excessively stressed, will suffer from the “fading” effect, in other words, deterioration of the friction coefficient: beyond a certain temperature, they will tend to lose efficiency.


Conversely, if you use Racing compounds on the street (and therefore with cold discs), the grip will not be very good and your braking distance may be a bit longer.  The intermediate compounds are naturally a compromise between the situations described above.  They will provide good performance in all conditions, although they will not excel at the two far ends of the operating temperature range.​


Therefore, before choosing the right pad, you need to think about how you use your bike and ask yourself what you want to get out of your new brake pads.


Within the industry there are five macro categories based on the use and type of the vehicle they will be used on: from Racing (for track use) to Road (for everyday street riding), from Off-Road to Scooter (no explanations necessary) all the way to Genuine (pads with the same material chosen by the bike manufacturer and developed for that specific application).


Within each category there are two to four alternatives, depending on the machining processes the various models are subjected to and the friction material that is used: the main division is between sintered and organic pads.​​ 

SCOOTERS

Pads for scooters (2 and 3-wheelers) often guarantee long life and operating stability in all conditions of use.  They have been designed specifically for this type of vehicle, use in the city and the typical braking that comes with that, which is different than a bike. 

The dangers of the wrong choice​


What would happen if we were to use a RACE pad on a small scooter?  Having been designed for much heavier and faster vehicles, it would provide an overly abrupt response and would lose all of its modular characteristics.  Wear would also increase disproportionately, forcing the owner to replace the pad after only a short time.​

THE ROAD​

 

For those who ride bikes, but only on the road, there are different pad variations to choose from: there are HS which are your OEM replacement, RST is for your sporty road bike/track day enthusiast and HF is for your lower capacity/smaller motorcycles.  This latter variation is used by owners of more "docile" bikes, generally with engine displacement smaller than 400 cc: since they don't have to rein in a ton of horsepower and torque, they don't need great braking power.  The friction coefficient is the lowest of the range.  On the other hand, the CC is perfect for those who want softer and modular braking.​

 

​The dangers of the wrong choice​​


What would happen if we were to mount an RST pad on a small engine displacement bike, used only on the road?  Having been designed to ensure top performance, two problems would arise: it could struggle to reach optimum operating temperature, generating spongy braking, or it could provide an overly abrupt response.  In both cases, pad wear would be abnormal.​

Conversely, using a HF pad on a supersport bike would result in difficulty braking, especially from high speed: the pad in question is not suited to sustain all the braking power that these road rockets need.  You would therefore find yourself with a bike that only performs halfway, despite having paid a high price for it: excellent in acceleration, deficient in braking.​


OFF-ROAD​


Those who use their bikes on dirt and sand do not need great braking power, since they are unable to unload it all to the ground due to the lack of a stable surface.  There are compounds designed to provide a good response without excessive braking action, and they can be used both on the front and on the rear.​


Are you enjoying freedom in the desert?  Conquering rocks and mountains?  Racing down the dirt track for podium positions?  SBS offers you the ideal brake compound for the aggressive environment of sand, dust, mud, and water.  No matter if, you ride a KTM 300 EXC, Honda CRF250R or a Yamaha YZ125 we got what you need.  SBS produces Brake pads, brake discs, and brakes shoes for almost all kinds of models.


Choose between:

UPGRADE & RACING – RSI / PSI

CLUB, TRAIL & LEISURE – SI / CS / ATS

 

The SBS compounds dedicated to off-road riding are made of material designed to guarantee maximum efficiency in the various conditions of use for off-road bikes, so cold, hot and in particular conditions (water, sand, mud) that require braking even at low disc temperatures.  This is why the material’s resistance to external agents is particularly important.​
For those who practice sports like motocross or motard, the ideal solution is the RSI, a sintered pad designed for racing: high aggressiveness and resistance to high temperatures are two of its strong points.  On the other hand, for those who practice enduro or simply want a sintered pad that provides good performance and excellent modular characteristics, they'll need to opt for the SI.​

 

​The dangers of the wrong choice​​


​​What would happen if we were to use an RSI pad on an enduro bike at max cargo capacity (in other words, with all the bags loaded up and a passenger on the back)?  Having been designed for more light and agile vehicles, it would struggle to slow down such a beast.  Furthermore, while in competitions this pad provides its best performance once it reaches operating temperature, in touring, the long gaps between braking generates a drop in temperature which has an impact on braking efficiency.​

RACING​

 

The main characteristics of this type of material are high friction and consistent performance, especially with high disc temperatures.  These characteristics guarantee excellent and uniform braking for the entire duration of the race, making it less likely that the fading phenomenon will occur.  This is why efficiency at low temperatures takes on less importance and, consequently, they are not recommended for street use.

Through their Partners in Racing concept, they deliver the stopping power to the world’s best championship riders.  Whether it comes to international top level road racing such as Superbike, Supersport or Endurance, national competitions, track days or classic road racing, SBS offers you the brake pads you need for winning important 100th of seconds when braking.  Their race compounds are specially developed for competition and race track use – tested and approved by some of the best World Championship riders and what we use in our race team.

 

DS-1 – DUAL SINTER

Front – FOR RACE USE ONLY

 

·         The choice of numerous World Champions in Superbike, Supersport, Moto2 and Endurance

·         High-tech sintered compound available for racing & standard brake systems used in racing

·         Strong initial bite

·         Linear in-stop performance & brake feel

·         A combination (left and right) of DS-1 & DS-2 compounds make fine tuning of braking performance possible

·         NUCAP NRS technology secures mechanical bonding

 

DS-2 – DUAL SINTER

Front – FOR RACE USE ONLY

 

·         The choice of numerous World Champions in Superbike, Supersport, Moto2 and Endurance

·         High-tech sintered compound available for racing & standard brake systems used in racing

·         Strong initial bite

·         Linear in-stop performance & brake feel

·         A combination (left and right) of DS-1 & DS-2 compounds make fine tuning of braking performance possible

·         NUCAP NRS technology secures mechanical bonding

 

DC – DUAL CARBON

Front – FOR RACE USE ONLY

 

·         The upgrade choice for Superbike, Supersport and Superstock racers in National Championship as well as for Track Day riders

·         High-tech carbon compound developed for racing and standard brake systems used for race and sport bikes

·         Low heat transfer rate protects brake system and brake fluid against extreme temperatures

·         Smooth initial bite, progressive in-stop performance with excellent brake lever feel and modulation

·         DEST technology used for pre-bedding of the compound to eliminate fade and secure consistent performance

·         NUCAP NRS technology secures a mechanical and indestructible bonding of the compound

 

DCC – DUAL CARBON CLASSIC

Front – FOR RACE USE ONLY

 

·         The choice for classic road racing derived from more than 25 years of experience in World Championship racing and inspired by our championship winning DC Dual Carbon material

·         Smooth initial bite, ideal for classic front fork construction and tires. Progressive brake performance offering superior power and front-end feel

·         Thermal stability, suitable for 1 & 2 disc set-up.  Compatible with stainless steel and cast iron brake discs

·         Low thermal conductivity reduces thermal load to seals, brake fluid and caliper parts

·         DEST technology used for pre-bedding of the compound to eliminate fade and secure consistent performance

·         NUCAP NRS technology secures a mechanical and indestructible bonding of the compound 

 

ROAD, SPORT & TRACK 

RST – SINTER

Front

 

·         The ideal choice for combined road, sport and track day use

·         Sintered compound for standard brake systems at high-end sports and naked bikes, heavy sports, adventure and touring bikes and lighter bikes with single disc

·         High durability and stable high performance under all conditions 

·         Strong initial bite, excellent brake feel and modulation

·         NUCAP NRS technology secures a mechanical and indestructible bonding of the compound

·         ECE R90 approved 


REAR HIGH PERFORMANCE 

RQ – CARBON TECH

Rear

 

·         Rear brake carbon compound with high brake performance

·         Excellent feel and control to use rear brake steering into turns and handle the bike out of turns 


REAR PERFORMANCE 

LS – SINTER

Rear

 

·         Rear brake sintered compound with medium brake performance and long pad life

·         Recommended for riders using the rear brake occasionally or only slightly entering the turns

 

​The dangers of the wrong choice​


What would happen if we were to mount a HS pad on a supersport bike and use it on the track?  From the very first braking section, all the other bikes on the track would fly past you because they would have a higher friction coefficient than yours by more than 40 percent.  And, as if that weren't enough, with each passing lap, the system would overheat excessively, resulting in longer and longer braking distances until the system would fail entirely.​

In the opposite case, if you were to use an DS-1 pad on the road mounted on a bike with limited weight and power, the result would be just as disappointing: braking response would be decidedly too abrupt, with the risk of flipping over at any time, and the on-off effect generated would take all the fun out of the ride.  In addition to the disappearance of the modular characteristic, there would also be exaggerated wear which would force you to change the pad after a very short time. ​

 

Now that you have a clear idea of all the differences between the different SBS compounds that are out there, all that's left is to see which SBS brake pads are available for your bike or scooter and where you can purchase them.​

 

Just go to the configurator (www.sbs.dk) and enter some simple information about your motorcycle such as brand, engine displacement, model and year.  The configurator will search through the entire SBS line and quickly indicate which SBS products are available for the selected bike, even including the pad compounds.

 

Before you throw a leg over your bike with newly mounted SBS pads, don't forget to break them in.​

The breaking-in period is extremely important for all compounds, and for the DS-1/DS-2 compound it is absolutely fundamental.  This operation is performed through a series of light braking operations, leaving some time between them.  ​This will complete a correct system heating and cooling thermal cycle.  The break-in period depends on the type of compound: the break-in period for organic pads is longer than it is for sintered pads.  It is best to thoroughly clean your discs before using new pads with them.  We even suggest using a very light sandpaper/emery paper on your old discs to remove any old braking material left behind from your previous brake pads.  This will ensure maximum braking performance with your new pads.