we're currently in northern india, and have worn right through our rear brake pads on our 650 v strom, much faster than expected. we're now metal on metal, just shy of 1000km from mumbai - which we need to get to fairly quickly to meet a boat. i'd really appreciate a bit of advice on the below...

firstly - can we ride to mumbai safely? top speed in india has been 110km/hr - i assume that this must be reduced? or do we need to stop riding and get new pads before we head any further?

is it likely that we'll be able to grab a new set of pads en route? in mumbai?

from mumbai we're going to be shipping to dubai - i assume that it will be easier to either buy pads there, or to have them sent over to dubai, rather than getting them though customs here? is anyone able to recommend a shop in either city that might be able to get some in?

i do have a spare front set still- i've assumed that there is no bodger fix with these?

if we do ride to mumbai before getting a new set (1000km) should we then also look at grabbing a new rear disc?

many thanks from the road for any help provided

edit: am logged in as my partner - this is sanpedro/pete

A quick google gives me the following :

Akshay Automobiles Private Limited - Suzuki Bikes Service Center in Mumbai
Gala No. 1 & 2, 33 William Compound, Marve Road, Mith Chowky, Malad (West), Mumbai
Phone: 22 - 28612345, 28612350
Mobile: 9820393344

Akshay Automobiles Pvt. Ltd. - Suzuki Bikes Service Center in Mumbai
Shop No.3, Center Point, Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Road, Parel, Mumbai.
Phone: 22 - 24167505, 66338885
Mobile: 9321152521

Dolphin Two Wheelers Pvt. Ltd. - Suzuki Bikes Service Center in Mumbai
Gala no. 10, 11 & 12, Raza Estate, Opp. BMC School, Andheri Ghatkopar Link Road, Asalfa Village, Sakinaka, Mumbai
Phone: 22 - 25160100, 25160101
Mobile: 9323430756, 9920301097

Riya Motors Pvt Ltd - Suzuki Bikes Service Center in Mumbai
Shop no. 3, 4, 5 & 6, Ground Floor, Runwal Commercial Complex, L.B.S. Marg, Mulund (West), Mumbai
Phone: 22 - 25621095, 25621097

Good luck.

__________________
Regards Tim

Learning my craft for the big stuff, it won't be long now and it's not that far anyway

Are your brakes linked?
If they are then you will cause damage if you have no pads left.
In that case, you could have made (or do yourself) a new set of pads from oversized ones cut down (angle grinder etc) using your current worn plate as a stencil to get out of a fix.
Easy , brake pads are not rocket science.

If your brakes are NOT linked either don't use the back one until you can find a new set of pads or contact a dealership as above and, for a fee, ask for someone to bring you a set and you pick up the travel costs etc.
There is always someone looking for work.
Have fun

Since most of your braking is done by the front brakes you could ride without the rear brakes and probably get away with it. However every time you forget and accidentally use them you will do more damage to the disc. Metal on metal is not good.

India is (unless it's changed hugely in the last couple of years) still largely a"make do and mend"country and it's mechanics excellent at finding a solution when parts aren't available. One of the roadside bike shops should be able to come up with a solution by either modifying another set of pads to fit or riveting new lining material onto the existing plates (years ago this was the standard way of fixing lining material on).

Good luck

Sent from my GT-P3110 using Tapatalk

__________________
Martin

finally back on the road again


http://awayonmybike.blogspot.com/

No ... Vstrom brakes are not linked.

Vstrom rear brake pads are well known to wear early ... especially riding in mud/water/sand. Also, many riders tend to lightly "drag" the rear brake and aren't aware of it. (especially when standing up) So don't do that! Keep your foot OFF THE BRAKE until new pads are installed. Do NOT use ..unless emergency.

India moto travel experts claim that many shops that deal with brakes (Auto or bike) can GLUE ON pad material to your existing pads. It may not be pretty but it will likely get you going. Worth a try, won't hurt anything.

The Vstrom rear brake pad is a VERY common pad ... but maybe not in India. But any good bike shop that deals with "larger" bikes (over 250) may stock those common as dirt pads. (I never carry front pads ... but ALways rear pads)

The brake rotor may still be OK if not too much metal to metal rubbing has taken place. It may not be strictly by the book ... but if lightly damaged ... you could have that rotor turned at a machine shop. They need to be reminded to take the absolute minimum material off the rotor when turning it on the lathe. It's very thin ... and is not supposed to be turned ... but in this case you can do it until you can buy another. Once turned it will over heat and warp more easily. But will get you a long way down the road before that.

Good luck.

thanks all

i've found a set that has the same sized pads, but the couple mechanics i've been too have told me that it is not possible to swap these over

will continue to try to find someone able to do so this afternoon, but if i have no luck then we'll be making a slow trip to mumbai, and getting new parts sent to dubai

fingers crossed

Sanpedro- why so much worry? Mollydog just told you the brakes are not linked- (I do not know)

If this is the case, just use your front brakes and engine braking!

I rode a R1200GS with only residual braking aka- about 10% roughly or normal and still managed Igoumenitsa to Athens and that was before the motorway was built and I had to go through the mountains!
Obviously not recommended but needs must when the devil drives!

Your front brakes are what stops the motorcycle so just add in downshifting-
It simply is a case of greater riding and traffic awareness and riding accordingly.
easy!
enjoy your trip!

I was a brake tester for 13 years and part time crash investigator. When truck brakes fail it is not nice. What is posted above is correct.

The front brakes provide anything up to 100% (stoppie) of the deceleration forces on a bike simply because the front loads up and the rear unloads quite significantly. Ride like you have only half the braking available and you will not be short of mechanical advantage. Look at all the cruiser riders too terrified to even touch the front brake that survive for years using about a tenth of what they have.

Backing material will chew up the disc, so just don't use the worn brake unless those last few fractions of decel are going to make a trashed disc the least of your worries.

We stopped riveting friction material to shoes (I've never seen it done to a pad) for commercial, employee safety and vehicle safety reasons. I have seen rivets fail and the friction surface fall off, jam the brake on and set the hub on fire. That would be lethal on a bike. I dread to think what sort of adhesives would be used, but anyone daft enough try gets what they deserve (the pad factories control the surface finish, temperature, humidity and all sorts when they bond friction material in it's part finished state to the backing) . They are probably the same idiots who will give themselves lung disease by drilling and cutting pads to shape. The latter might work, so long as the pad is free to float if it works once it'll work again. It is still an untested bodge.

Any "mechanic" who is handed pads and can't change them is best avoided. On the Wee you remove the calliper (one bolt and a sliding pin), push the pads back, remove a slot headed cover, remove an allen headed pin, collect the old pads and spring from where they shot out and fit the new ones in reverse order. Takes ten minutes using the tool kit Suzuki supplied. If you buy pads you also want to buy copper grease to go on the back of the new pads, multi-purpose grease for all the pins and sliders and something like brake spray or petrol to clean off all the dust and gunk. This is similar

Howto: Replace Motorcycle Rear Brake Pads in 10 mins ('09 Ninja 250) - YouTube

I'd ride the 1000 Km and just keep 4 seconds from the vehicle in front.

Good Luck and Enjoy your trip.

Andy

thanks all for the replies. the main thing i was hoping for from this thread to not hear people telling me that it would not be safe to ride as is - i've not heard this, so we're now a quarter of the way to mumbai

it's interesting to read that the strom is known for wearing through rear pads quickly - we've already replaced them once in india, and they have been wearing much faster than expected for the whole trip (and at a faster rate to the front than poor braking technique alone would account for). india particularly seems tobe wearing through the brakes quickly...

our plan had been to have new sets sent to us in delhi - however, we got to within a few hundred Km's of delhi when we read about the recent attack on the cyclist in pakistan, and decided to turn south and ship to dubai and iran, rather thn riding through - hence why we've been caught without

Brake maintenance tip:
A couple things could be wearing your rear pads quickly. I mentioned one of them above. Rider's rest their foot on the brake pedal unknowing, over heating and wearing pads quickly.

The other thing that could help:
When you replace the pads ...
1. carefully clean caliper pistons once old pads are out. Gently pump brake so pistons are exposed. Try not to let them pop completely out. Use one of those green kitchen scrubby things (or similar). clean all the crud and corrosion of both pistons, shine them up nice. (NOT emery cloth, steel wool or sand paper) Use brake fluid to clean up, wipe clean.

2. Push pistons back IN. Use two small wood blocks and a tire iron to force them back in near flush.

3. Before installing new pads, sand down edges of pads slightly.
4. Make sure you re-install the anti-squeak stainless backing plate on new pads.
5. Make sure pad is installed correctly and that spring clip is in place.
(be careful when you remove pad, leave spring clip alone and notice how pad is placed in caliper before removing them.)
6. Put wood block between new pads. Pump NEW, FRESH brake fluid through your system. Do not let fluid reservoir run dry, keep topping it up every few pumps on the brake pedal. Once fluid runs clear, you are done.

Fresh fluid and clean caliper pistons can keep brakes from dragging .. thus your pads will not wear out prematurely ... if you keep you foot off the pedal.

Best of luck on your journey!


DL1000 in Baja, 2003. 90,000 miles trouble free. (good maintenance!)

Check that your pistons are not Teflon coated before you start to scrub them 'clean' !!!!

Hi
you can send the parts to me (i send you an email with my address) and any other help our team is willing to assist you.
Ride Safe
See you in Dubai
Regards
Dubai RIDERS
Saleh

QUOTE=Sirens of Titan;451909]we're currently in northern india, and have worn right through our rear brake pads on our 650 v strom, much faster than expected. we're now metal on metal, just shy of 1000km from mumbai - which we need to get to fairly quickly to meet a boat. i'd really appreciate a bit of advice on the below...

firstly - can we ride to mumbai safely? top speed in india has been 110km/hr - i assume that this must be reduced? or do we need to stop riding and get new pads before we head any further?

is it likely that we'll be able to grab a new set of pads en route? in mumbai?

from mumbai we're going to be shipping to dubai - i assume that it will be easier to either buy pads there, or to have them sent over to dubai, rather than getting them though customs here? is anyone able to recommend a shop in either city that might be able to get some in?

i do have a spare front set still- i've assumed that there is no bodger fix with these?

if we do ride to mumbai before getting a new set (1000km) should we then also look at grabbing a new rear disc?

many thanks from the road for any help provided

edit: am logged in as my partner - this is sanpedro/pete[/QUOTE]