Front brake discs very slightly binding

[Big Phil]

Hi,
     Please forgive me once again but I’m seeking a some more help for my GXSR 750 SRAD 1999 model X. I have fitted brand new EBC discs, EBC HH sintered pads and the calipers have been fully serviced and work perfectly. The brakes lines have been replaced with braided race types and the brakes bled. All was good and still is to a point. I went out for a ride on the 1400 today and had a blast as always. Anyway for some reason I put it in neutral and coasted the last 100 yards easily back in to my drive and needed to brake to bring it to a halt. I then decided to give the SRAD a very quick outing and when I got back I put it in neutral and coasted as I did on the 1400. However, it didn’t coast as freely as the 1400 and was running out of steam as I reached the drive.

This worried me a bit so I got it up on paddock stands and sure enough the front wheel does not run completely freely as the discs ever so slightly bind on the break pads. I’ve had the calipers off again and checked them and the pistons go as far back as they can with the brake released. The wheel and discs are dead straight. I’m wondering if the pads are slightly too thick as they are of course not OEM and will just wear in over a few more miles, it’s only done around 40 miles since the discs and pads were fitted. Anyone else come across this and am I correct in my assumption.

As always all help is very much appreciated.

[Big Phil]

Oh yeah, forgot to add that I checked and found both left and right discs seem to be slightly binding by the same amount as far as I can tell.

[Will14]

Possibly combination of new pads & discs, although they shouldn't bind really, were the front discs warm/hot on the SRAD after the quick outing? If you still have them it may be worth putting the old pads back in just to check that they don't do the same, if so t,hen possibly worth bleeding the brakes again to make sure there is no air left in the system preventing the pistons in the calipers from returning

[Big Phil]

I stupidly didn’t check if the discs were hot but will run the bike out again tomorrow and see what they are like. Looking at other sites and tips perhaps I should of added copper grease to the back of the pads. Not something I have ever done before as it always worried me it would transfer onto the braking surface. It really is only a very slight amount of binding. I can easily spin the wheel by hand but you can feel a slight resistance and hear a faint but audible noise of the pads touching the discs.

[KiwiCol]

I'd say you need to wear them in a bit more, reckon they'll come right after a couple of hundy k's, (that's 150 miles in old money)

[Kiwifruit]

Need to be a little careful as they will generate a lot of heat. I'd be inclined to put a sheet of 120grit sandpaper on a sheet of glass and give them a sand (circular motion) to get clearance. They sand down quick.

[mlivkovich]

I would give them 100 more kms to run in and try few hard brakings. I had same problem and only riding helped 

[KiwiCol]

Need to be a little careful as they will generate a lot of heat. I'd be inclined to put a sheet of 120grit sandpaper on a sheet of glass and give them a sand (circular motion) to get clearance. They sand down quick.

Very good idea Col, take a few thou off the face & they'll be right as rain.

[Big Phil]

Thanks Guy’s that consensus pretty much fits with my initial thoughts to run them in a little longer. I will probably take the pads out and rub them down on a flat surface with fine grit sandpaper if they don’t start easing up over the next 50 miles or so.

I love this forum, you always feel whatever you come across, from simple problems to major issues, help is always at hand. 🤗🤗🤗🤗

[Grumpy old man]

Just a thought but is there a particular ritual that needs to be followed when replacing the front wheel into the forks and bouncing the forks to settle things before doing up the pinch bolts on the fork legs

My Triumph Tiger sport was very fussy about following this or the brakes would drag ever so slightly

on the 14 i wind the Axle into the threaded fork leg and do the pinch bolts up on the threaded fork and then bounce the forks up and down a few times and then do the other pinch bolts up and everything seems to be good and centered then

[Big Phil]

Cheers Mate I’ll give that a go as it’s a simple thing to do👍

[grog]

Grumpy, spot on. Was about to post same. Worth doing Phill.

[Eric GSX1400K3]

+1 what grumpy and grog said.

 I normally set the wheel in using the axle just nipped up and same for lower pinch bolts, plus tri clamp bolts done up just enough to hold the fork staunchions in, then spin  the wheel and grab front brake. This normally sets everything up true.  Then do up tri clamp bolts, pinch bolts on lhs, then axle bolt followed by rhs pinch bolts.

Best of luck.

[Big Phil]

Did what you suggested Grumpy and now have only a barely noticeable drag on the right side outer pad. The left side is perfect as is the inner right. Not at all worried now but will check again once I’ve given her a decent run and some hard braking.

Thanks guys 👍