Ceramic brake discs on R1200S

[bradzdotcom]

starting to sound like you'll be okay. they addressed the cold braking issue, so they're obviously aware of rider concerns. Be interested to hear how they work.

not sure why it took 15 years to test them. that's a little spooky, but most likely PR fluff, like the "unrivaled in all respects" boast.
not even sure what that statement means, but you could also slap it on a cereal box, ball bearings, a slab of beef or a stripper.

[GUS]

Hi Lentz
You seem to have done your homework on the brakes.
Enjoy!
Gus

[Lentz]

OK, I took the calipers off and the brake pads out. I set the Brembo pads on top of the sicom pads and basically profiled the Sicom pad locating tabs to match the Brembo's using a hand file. Then I took the spring doomaflachie out of the caliper put the pads in and made sure they moved freely. I may have taken .010 off the tabs and I rounded one corner. It wasn't much.

I took the bike out and it doesn't seem as if the pads are dragging now. The rotors were a normal temp when I got back. I'll know more when I take the bike for a normal spin. It's cold and wet today. However, I'm pretty sure the problem is fixed.

Stopping power seems fine although I obviously didn't get on the brakes hard.

I'd show pics of the pads but for some reason my computer won't recognize my camera all of a sudden.

[Lentz]

Like, I say, I'm having camera trouble so this one is a bit old.

[Mitch1100]

How awesome is that!!

[Lentz]

Thanks Mitch!

[JRMSR]

Lentz, it looks great!

[SergioK]

Those wheels look stunning in yellow... almost a shame to paint that CF.

[Lentz]

Nice of you to comment.

The carbon fiber bodywork will be painted black and yellow too but that will be the last thing I do.

JRM, I will let you know more about how the brakes work after I get them well bedded in. I won't have a good read for a while. Tentatively they seem to stop well when cold. The feel seems a bit wooden. However all that is tentative.

[bradzdotcom]

okay, i give.

"wooden" as in hard/stiff?
how many fingers are you using on the front brake lever?

[kpolito99]

Sweet looking mount you have built there! Are you using LSL bars? The controls look muck higher than normal.

[Lentz]

Yes, those are LSI bars and they are great. Very comfortable. I had to make a new clutch line and of course the brakes required new lines. The hardest part was putting a torch on the A arm bolt to break the red loctite loose. A big ass wrench wouldn't do it. There is a lot of stuff under there and I was a bit nervous about it. Brake lines are easy once you learn a trick or two although the clutch line was smaller than a normal brake line.

The brakes initially didn't have much feel to them (wooden) but I spent some more time breaking them in yesterday and they are getting much better. I'm supposed to do a fairly hard stop from 50 and then 100 to finish the process. I may get that done today if the weather holds out. I'm feeling pretty good about them. Fair disclosure though; I'm not Keith Code.

[bradzdotcom]

Originally Posted by Lentz

Fair disclosure though; I'm not Keith Code.

Keith Code:
"This is a pair of shoes I customized with rhinestones back in the early '70s.
That was during my shoe making and design era.
Dylan found these on display in a barkeeper's shop on Sunset. "

[Lentz]

HAHAHAHAHAHA Too funny.

Originally Posted by bradzdotcom

Keith Code:
"This is a pair of shoes I customized with rhinestones back in the early '70s.
That was during my shoe making and design era.
Dylan found these on display in a barkeeper's shop on Sunset. "

[Lentz]

OK, I finished the brake in procedure today which consists of a hard stop from 50 followed by a hard stop from 100. It's about 65 outside and sunny. The brakes stopped fine. On the way back they felt pretty much like normal brakes. They make a bit of noise but they don't squeal.

They might stop a bit quicker than the R12S steel brakes with the HP2 calipers. Not sure. The Sicom pad area is bigger than on the Brembo's.

A couple of days ago the weather was more like 45 or 50 and the brakes stopped fine then too although I wasn't doing hard stops. Still it wasn't like they felt like they needed to be hotter to stop well.

Sicom makes both race and street pads. In deference to the other poster who has had experience with these and said they worked just OK on the street he may have been working with the race pads (or earlier version pads) and they may have needed to be hot to work well. For race work, Sicom also recommends Ti pistons in the caliper. I kept my stock aluminum ones. I'm not sure for the reason for the recommendation of Ti. It could be because the Ti doesn't expand as much or because it doesn't transmit as much heat to the brake fluid.

[Lentz]

I fixed the rear brake on the R12S too but using a 10MM master cylinder off of a dirt bike. There is a thread on here somewhere with part numbers and a link.

It's a big improvement for not a lot of money.

[hellfishtat]

Originally Posted by bradzdotcom

Keith Code:
"This is a pair of shoes I customized with rhinestones back in the early '70s.
That was during my shoe making and design era.
Dylan found these on display in a barkeeper's shop on Sunset. "

Nice Reflux Still in the background. Making shine or rum?