brake rotors and pads

[Screamineagle]

Thursday 9-18-08 I took my R1200RT in for the 48,000 miles service. It needed brake pads on all three rotors. Without asking the price, I just said, do it. At the time I was told that the rotors were ok for now but would need replaced in fifteen to twenty thousand miles. That would be June 09 when the bike needs Pa State inspection.

That news didn't really make me shudder until I got my bill for the brake pads. $300.00 for the pads and $65.00 labor. I know I got alot of milege on the brake pads but that is excessive. So it prompted me to ask what the rotors were going to cost. $260.00 a copy, times 3 plus labor. Well over $800.00 and from what I know (not much) when you put new rotors on you also should put new pads on. That would put the cost around $1200.00.

All of which causes me to ask if there is an after market store that sells these parts at a more reasonable cost. I did ask the service manager that question, he said after markets would be $225.00 and for the small difference it would be better to go with BMW parts.

I am quite capable of doing my own brakes but if it will cost that much even with after market parts, I have decided that someone else can own this bike.

I would greatly appreciate if someone could direct me in this matter.

If I could find rotors at a resonable cost now, I would replace then now while the pads are new.

Oh yeah, I questioned as to why my rotors needed changed since the pads had not damaged them. I was told that BMW has them designed to be changed every other set of pads. Normal wear.

My last two Harleys had more than 60,000 miles on them and although I did have to replace the pads several times, I never replaced the rotors. And the pads were less than half the cost of BMW pads.

Thanks for the help.

[PGlaves]

I don't own an R1200 so can't say for sure about the rotors on that specific model. But if what your dealer told you is true then BMW has gone way backwards in rotor design and rotor and pad materials.

Rather than a different bike I think maybe you need a different dealer or at least a different advisor in that dealer.

My R1150 has just over 90,000 miles and the disks are still in spec.
Voni's R1100S is over 75,000 miles and the disks are still in spec.
My K75T had 370,000 miles with the disks still in spec.
Voni's R1100RS has 345,000 miles and the disks are about due to be replaced.

I have almost always used BMW pads. They cost more than some aftermarket pads. They are gentler than some aftermarket pads. Pads don't cost as much as disks. Really aggressive sintered metal pads are harder on disks than organic pads but balls out full on stops work better with some sintered pads.

[Motorradfahrer]

I have a '05 1200 GS and have yet to replace my front rotors after 30k miles and the same with my front brake pads, however did replace my rear pads at 28,000 and disc (my fault for having let the pads wear to the metal). I always tend to buy BMW parts mainly to like what Paul Glaves says..."they're gentler than some aftermarket pads".

I buy my BMW parts on line from Hamersley BMW in Lynchburg, VA.

Rear pads= organic/ $44 x1 =$44
Front pads= sintered/$76 x 2= $152

Front or rear rotor discs= $229 each.

Going whole Hog would cost me....pads- F $152
R 44
rotor R 229
F 458
______________
$ 883

[soffiler]

My '05 GS got new rear pads at 10K miles. It was at the dealer for a warranty repair of leaking trans input shaft seal, and the tech noticed the pads during disassembly. I told him to go for it, sight-unseen, as I trust this tech just fine.

I just recently completed the "18K" service on my own, although the mileage is actually 20K. Hey, I was on the road when it hit 18K. During this service I noted the second set of rear pads have advancing wear although I'm not concerned about metal-to-metal quite yet. I think the bike is probably going to get its third set of rear pads at about 24K. I am also seeing rapid wear on the rear rotor. Standard is 4.5mm and replacement limit is 4.0mm, and mine are a shade below 4.1mm right now. (In case anyone is wondering, the answer is NO, I am not a heavy rear brake user at all. However they ARE linked front to rear.)

Front brakes, on the other hand, are just fine and dandy. Lots of meat on the pads before they hit the wear indicators, perhaps as much as another 20K-30K miles. Rotors are not heavily worn either. Standard is 5.0mm and replacement limit is 4.5mm, and mine are still at 4.9mm.

[Motorradfahrer]

2005 1200 GS here:

This was posted also under.."2006 R1200RT Eating read brakes "

I have also have integrated brakes like you do. With integrated brakes one only has to apply the front brake lever which will apply braking power to both wheels. Rear foot braking is only used when needed: gravel/ dirt riding..slow curving..light stopping...slow slowing down, etc. From the old school of thought(MSF)..one is to always apply both brakes for the purpose of stopping is no longer the norm with BMW integrated brake system.

BMW front brake pads are sintered pads and since you have two surface areas for stopping, braking is shared 50/50 on two discs and so are the pads thus one would assume that the front last longer while the rear has only one surface area and the pads are made of organic material, thus quicker wear. This is normal. However one can get sintered rear brake pads for more powerful stopping but at the expense of wearing the disc prematurely. There's a reason BMW decided on organic material rear brake pads. It's cheaper to replace the pads than the disc rotor. Just monitor them weekly.
One flaw that I see in the rear brake pad monitoring window is that the pad is bonded flush to the metal. When you see the shiny metal part through the hole, you actually have already ground into the disc. It would be better that the organic/sintered pad had a deeper hole(2mm) into the material. This way if you see shiny metal(disc) you still had about 1mm of pad left.

Many Alaska haul-road BMW riders carry extra rear brake pads for the simple reason that they pedal the rear brake more often on gravel and the addition of calcium chloride on the road, ads to the wear of the rear pads.
__________________

[cjack]

My last two Harleys had more than 60,000 miles on them and although I did have to replace the pads several times, I never replaced the rotors. And the pads were less than half the cost of BMW pads.

Thanks for the help.

The BMW pads were somewhat less last year...I don't know exactly, but more like 2/3 of the present MSRP of 96.24. The rear pads are also sintered on the 12RT and cost the same as the fronts.
Seems like a lot, but then the dollar is worth a lot less than it was a couple of years ago.

[108625]

I would think the rotors should only be replaced on an "as needed" basis. If they're within tolerance for minimum thickness (at the narrowest point!) and runout, there shouldn't be a requirement to replace them simply based on the frequency of pad replacements.
I'm curious if anyone out there has tried aftermarket pads, such as EBC, and what feedback they have to offer about them.

Bob

[soffiler]

...One flaw that I see in the rear brake pad monitoring window is that the pad is bonded flush to the metal. When you see the shiny metal part through the hole, you actually have already ground into the disc...

Not true. The friction material has a counterbore aligned with the window in the backing plate. When worn to the service limit (meaning you can see the rotor in the window) there is still a small amount of friction material left.