Breke Pads

I hope this doesn't turn into an oil thread or a tire thread...

I have a 2004 R1150R with about 36k miles on it.

I'm coming up on a service where I will be changing the brake fluid. Yes, I have shims, but my plan is to change the pads every 36k. What I'm looking for is some soft brake pads that won't damage the rotors. The word that comes to me is "organic". I don't need hard, metallic, maximum stopping pads. I want to consume brake pads, not rotor thickness. IIRC, new rotors are 5mm thick and they are "out of spec" at 4.5mm. I also tend to downshift before applying the brakes anyway. I'm pretty sure a soft brake pad will last me 36k miles based on the way I ride.

Any recommendations?

Thank you,

I hope this doesn't turn into an oil thread or a tire thread...

 

I have a 2004 R1150R with about 36k miles on it.

 

I'm coming up on a service where I will be changing the brake fluid. Yes, I have shims, but my plan is to change the pads every 36k. What I'm looking for is some soft brake pads that won't damage the rotors. The word that comes to me is "organic". I don't need hard, metallic, maximum stopping pads. I want to consume brake pads, not rotor thickness. IIRC, new rotors are 5mm thick and they are "out of spec" at 4.5mm. I also tend to downshift before applying the brakes anyway. I'm pretty sure a soft brake pad will last me 36k miles based on the way I ride.

 

Any recommendations?

 

Thank you,

Afternoon Bill

Your 1150R bike should have come from the factory with organic rear pads-- A lot of the ® bikes came with rear plastic caliper piston parts & those REALLY should use organic pads as metallic pads transfer too much heat to the piston area & can melt the plastic parts. My preference on the rear pads are the OEM pads (that's about all I use on the rear of the R bikes). Probably some aftermarket organics will also work, I just haven't used any of them myself.

For other readers-- the above refers to the ® bikes not the RT or or RS type 1150 bikes (Only R bikes).

Unless you ride like an old lady (& even then not ALL old ladies) you should probably stick to some sort of metallic or semi-metallic on the front as those are what the ABS system is calibrated to. There are probably some front semi-metallic that are very rotor friendly. If you over-brake from high speed with front organics & glaze the pads then you can turn your rotors purple trying to stop from speed with heavily glazed organics.

After reviewing the price of brake pads, there is not a huge difference between BMW and Beemerboneyard. OTOH, the total cost has motivated me to break out my shims and check the pads every service, logging the thicknesses in my service records.