Ceramic material eats the brake disc more as compared to organic brake pads.
BHPian sasta_rider recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Damaged Fairing:
Before I go after the 7th (Paid) service update of my R15, let me share an unfortunate (mysterious) incident that I witnessed on 18 May 2024 (Saturday). For a week until the above date, I had not taken R15 out here in Bengaluru since my office commute was done with my 4W. Before a week, when I had taken her for a wash, I did not witness this damage. I do watch my parked R15 wheneverI go out of my apartment but never thought this would happen.
As you can see the highlighted part, which was broken one fine morning that day! The first thought that came to my mind was to check the CCTV of the parking lot, but sadly there was only 1 CCTV and it did not capture where my bike was parked. Fate!
What might have happened? Who might be the culprit?
- Royal Enfields: There are 2 RE Hunter 350s and 1 RE Bullet in my basement. By any chance, did they drop their bike on my R15 and their handle hit the fairing causing this damage? I do not know, but 90% chance that this might have happened.
- Rat: I know how rats do their propaganda. They love to cripple in an enclosed place and not on exposed parts of any vehicle. And the kind of damage does not look like rat damage. So, this was ruled out.
- Kids: I never saw any kids in my 4-floor apartment where I stay. Even if I assume a kid might have done this, then with what intention would they do? So, this was also ruled out.
- Someone who gets itch on their hands when a faired bike is parked? I do not believe anyone in my apartment would do this. AFAIK, all are working professionals and I hardly doubt this is the root cause.
Among all this, the dropping of RE (or any other bike) might have caused this is what I convinced my brain and decided to move on. After all, life is full of ups and downs, and so is a vehicle’s life!
After this incident, the next week I had a ride with Vinayak Yamaha to Budikote Dam, during which I enquired about the approximate price of this fairing. They said it would come around ₹2100/- for the part and I added the labor charge as well from my end. At Yamaha, most of the body parts are not stored in the service center. It needs to be ordered as per the need basis. So, I did not bat an eye and decided to live with it. As the quote goes: “दाग अच्छे है” (stains are good), I believe that a visible dent/minor damage on any vehicle is good and prevents from evil eyes!
7th Service:
On 15 June 2024 (Saturday), I booked an appointment at Vinayak Yamaha, as usual, for pampering my R15. Appointment is just namesake, it is all on a first come first serve basis. Since I stayed at Seegehalli, I needed 35 min to reach the ASC. I left my place around 07:45 am and reached the ASC by 08:20 am. My R15 got the 5th token and the SA came with the job card, took the ODO reading and we had a small conversation (since I had known him for 2 years). I had taken the R15 skid plate that had come off (Yamaha R15 v4 Review | Booking, Delivery & Ownership Report) during one of my long rides. I wanted it to be fixed as it was supposed to, but since I did not have the screw, SA denied as the screw comes with the accessory as a set and not separately. Never mind, I do not find any use of this accessory anymore.
As he was performing the visual observations after a quick ride, he mentioned that the brake pads (front and rear) need to be replaced. I expected this to happen. During the 6th service, I asked them to install the Vesrah Ceramic brake pads. I wanted to experiment with how it would affect the braking performance, reliability, and effect on the brake discs. I found the answer!
As I mentioned before as well, performance-wise ceramic brake pads are way better than stock organic brake pads. But, every boon comes with a bane. Below are the disadvantages of using ceramic brake pads over stock brake pads (as per my experience):
- Ceramic material eats the brake disc more as compared to organic brake pads. But, the salesperson from where I took these had said “Bro, this will not eat your brake disc”.
- In my case, this set of brake pads did not even last for 5000 km. In fact, after 3833 km, the front brake pads are completely gone while the rear brake pads could last for another ~500 km or so.But again, I cannot afford the time and money to get the rear sets replaced on separate occasions. Hence, gave the go-ahead to replace both the front and rear brake pads.
- Considering the second point, spending ₹2600/- on front and rear brake pads is not worth it for every 3000-5000 km.
However, what surprised me was that the SA did not say anything about the brake disc. I expected that he would notice it and ask if they could replace it. But they are the experts, I did not ask as well. The estimate he gave came out to be around ₹7400/- (more on this later below). I asked the SA to return the brake pads. Usually, I do not do this, but since it was ceramic brake pads, I was curious to see what it looked like after complete wear. Then I dropped my bike and took a Rapido and Metro to reach my home. I said that I would come to pick up the vehicle today (16-Jun-2024).And yes, they do work on Sundays between 9 am and 1 pm.
Front Brake Pad Set
Rear Brake Pad Set
The day I dropped the bike for service, I got a call from a close Senior Mechanic saying that the rear disc will have to be replaced as it has worn out completely. Aah, the culprit is the ceramic brake pad eating the metal disc! Without batting an eye, I told them to proceed. Why? As per my knowledge of physics, a thin metal is more susceptible to various stresses, leading to failure when compared to the same metal of higher thickness. After all, it is a wear and tear component that will require a replacement one day or the other, so why risk safety to save some rupees?
If you read my thread from the beginning, you will be aware that my R15 underwent a complete wiring kit replacement last year. All thanks to the mischievous rodent.
During the bike handover to service, the SA reached out to me offering their AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract). During the previous service, I had denied it because I was not sure if I would be in Bangalore due to my job switch. But now since I am sure I will be here, I opted for it with a cost of ₹1600/-. This AMC is valid for one year from the date of purchase (more details below):
Whoever opted for this AMC, vehicle (scooter, R15, or any Yamaha vehicle) will undergo the below checklists:
At least for me, I found this to be useful. And, the AMC became active from this service itself. Below is the breakup of parts and labor for this 7th service:
Summing up l the above (including the AMC), it cost me ₹8312/- in total. considering the perks of AMC, I am fine for another one year and R15 will clock more kilometers in the coming days. So, this should be a good deal for me.
Along with the returned brake pads, I also got the rear brake disc along with the 3 nuts holding the disc to the wheels:
And, after the new rear brake disc installation, this is how it looked fresh after I took the delivery today:
If you carefully look at the right edge of the disc (yellow arrow), it shows the wear limit (not sure if it can be figured out in the above image). Once the shiny part of the disc is worn out, it is an indication that it needs to be replaced.
Now that the R15 looks brand new after the polish and all the organs are serviced by good hands, my OCD will not allow me to take the bike out for another few days.
This is all I had for this post. Will keep you all posted on more such observations as days pass.
Ride safe!
Sud.
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