Brake pads

[Big_g78]

I'm pretty sure this subject has cropped up elsewhere but hey-ho! My Gilera Coguar 125 is running standard front and rear brakes (front disc, rear drum) albeit with Goodrich braided brake line on the front. The rear drum is fine but the fronts never filled me with as much confidence as I'd like. I've read online about EBC organic pads being good for town commuting, but others have said about sintered pads, but I've no idea! Any help will be gratefully received
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I love the smell of 2-Stroke in the morning

[Dave70]

I'm far from being an expert on such matters (reading most workshop threads for me is like reading something in a foreign language).

However, I've used both EBC organic and sintered front brake pads on my 125 and tbh there isn't a huge amount of difference that is noticeable between them, not on 125's anyway.

The sintered ones tend to have a little more bite to them and will last a bit longer too, which is why I use them. I tend to use EBC organic for the rear though, as it's hardly ever used and it's not the place you want more bite on really, it's easy enough to lock the back wheel up as it is.

Remember to go easy on the brakes after you've changed them too, as they'll need to bed in. This goes for both types of pads or you'll end up
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There ain't no devil, there's just god when he's drunk.

2012: R125 killed by white van. 2016 R125 killed by 30,000 miles of redline. Current: 2016 Kawasaki ER6f.

[mentalboy]

^^^ Agreed
Sounds to me as though you may do better stripping and cleaning the front caliper rather than worrying too much about the pad type (I'll not use organics again as I found that they wore out much quicker than the sintereds - at least, they did on the rear of a big beast)
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Make mine a Corona.

[Big_g78]

The front brake has been the same since I've had it, so for the sakes of £16 or whatever it is I thought I'd just try decent pads, the rear drum brake is fine as it is
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I love the smell of 2-Stroke in the morning

[mentalboy]

[Big_g78]

My bad, I should've mentioned I've owned the bike from new
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I love the smell of 2-Stroke in the morning

[mentalboy]

[Polarbear]

Agree with above, total overhaul of the caliper, new brake pads (sintered) & new brake fluid.

I expect, once done, you will be pleasantly surprised.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Vincent]

Maybe your old pads have been contaminated with something. The effect would be to reduce breaking power by as much as three quarters of what it should be. Mild contamination can be cleared up by roughing the surface of the pads with coarse glass paper but if left, whatever has contaminated them, usually oil of some type, can soak too deep into the material and they'll need junking.
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Space Is Deep

[Big_g78]

Yeah, I bought the bike new, used for 6 months then put it in storage for winter then literally forgot about it as I moved house so wasn't receiving the road tax notices! The friend who was storing it for me found it a week or so ago and asked if I still wanted it, which as I'm changing jobs therefore losing the company van, seemed a good idea to put back on road to use for commuting. The front brake has been fully serviced (stripped/rebuilt/new fluid) I'm not changing the hose as its a stainless braided one. So I was just wondering what pads would be best, as from new I wasn't overly confident with it
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I love the smell of 2-Stroke in the morning

[Dave M]

[Big_g78]

If it matters, I forgot about the bike due to splitting up with ex, losing the house and car and also my mother in law and sister in law passing away.
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I love the smell of 2-Stroke in the morning

[Dave M]

[talkToTheHat]

If it's that old, replace brake lines. With braided steel ones. Venhill will sort you out if it's not an off the shelf item.
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Bandit. does. everything.

[Big_g78]

Thanks Dave.
Will the braided hose have deteriorated then? I thought they had quite a long life span?
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I love the smell of 2-Stroke in the morning

[mentalboy]

[Big_g78]

The hose looks spot on, I've rebuilt the caliber and completely flushed the system with new fluid, for the sakes of £15 I might just bung a set of new sintered EBC pads in for good measure
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I love the smell of 2-Stroke in the morning

[iooi]