Motorcycle brake pads

Motorcycle brake pads are the part of the system that wears fastest and gets replaced most often. Choosing them comes down to two things: the shape, which is set by your bike's caliper, and the compound, which depends on how, how loaded and where you ride. This section offers sintered and semi-metallic Braking pads for road bikes, scooters, customs and off-road machines.

Organic, semi-metallic or sintered

• Organic (resin) pads: soft and quiet, with good feel when cold, but they fade with heat and water. They are common on small scooters and as original rear pads; you will not find this type in this section.
• Semi-metallic: resin with a share of metal fibres. A middle ground between bite, pad life and disc wear, designed for everyday riding.
• Sintered: metal particles fused under pressure and high temperature. They keep braking consistent in heat and rain and last longer, but need a disc that is rated for them.

Which compound suits your bike

• Scooter or city 125: semi-metallic, unless the manufacturer fits sintered pads as standard.
• Naked, adventure and touring: sintered if you ride loaded, two-up or in the mountains; semi-metallic if you prefer a softer feel and want to spare the disc.
• Sports bikes and track days: sintered, which copes best with repeated hard stops.
• Heavy customs: sintered at the front, for the mass there is to stop.
• Off-road: sintered, which handles mud and water better.

Before switching compound, check the handbook: some discs, especially older or cast iron ones, are not suitable for sintered pads.

How to tell they are worn

Many pads have a groove in the centre of the friction material: once it disappears, it is time to change them. With a torch, looking at the caliper from below or behind, you can see how much is left; if there is barely a couple of millimetres, do not wait any longer. The fluid reservoir gives another clue: as the pads wear, the pistons move out and the level drops little by little. So avoid topping it up to the brim with the old pads fitted, because the fluid rises again when the new ones go in.

Before you order

Each set usually covers one caliper, so with twin front discs you will need two. Check the shape against the bike list on the product page or against the pads you have fitted, and for road use choose pads approved to ECE R90. If this is your first pad change, leave it to a workshop. Braking's compound codes (SM1, CM55 and so on) are explained under Braking brake pads; if the disc is also past its best, see the brake discs, and the whole system in motorcycle brakes.