I have a set of Galfer FD207 G1054 brake pads for the rear caliper on my 2000 VFR. I cannot assemble the rear brake because the hole in the pad backing plate is about 0.5 mm smaller than the caliper slide pin. WTF? Anybody ever see such a thing before? I double checked the part number, and it is the correct part. The pads fit the caliper perfectly, except for the pin.
I bought the pads about six months ago, and I am just now getting around to the brake job. no receipt. Tomorrow I'll take them back to Cycle Gear and see if they'll take them back. Jeff J.
Yeah, what High Side said. I had the same issue on my RF900 (in my case early years had a smaller pin than later years). They worked fine after drilling out.
I took the suspect brake pads back to Cycle Gear today, but brand new ones off the shelf had the same pin hole size, and the caliper slide pin would not fit those, either. So I opened up the slide pin hole with a 7/32 round file. It didn't take much, only about 5 or 6 strokes with the file to achieve clearance similar to the OE pads...the backing plate is stamped from super mild steel. I have used Galfer brake pads in the past on the front brakes, and the improvement in brake performance was very noticeable. Today, the rear pad performance is more in line with the OE pads. Considering past experience, I thought I might be able to lock the rear wheel using the Galfer pads. No, not by a long shot. Still, the brakes perform like they did before, I did not lose stopping power. Maybe performance will improve as the pads bed-in.
I really dislike having to modify parts to make them fit, especially brake parts. You would think something like that would be plug-and-play.
Good point. I hadn't considered that the brake pads I bought could be forgeries. Bought them from Cycle Gear, a national chain store for motorcycle parts and accessories. You never know, though. Next time, maybe I'll go elsewhere to source my part.
I took the suspect brake pads back to Cycle Gear today, but brand new ones off the shelf had the same pin hole size, and the caliper slide pin would not fit those, either. So I opened up the slide pin hole with a 7/32 round file. It didn't take much, only about 5 or 6 strokes with the file to achieve clearance similar to the OE pads...the backing plate is stamped from super mild steel. I have used Galfer brake pads in the past on the front brakes, and the improvement in brake performance was very noticeable. Today, the rear pad performance is more in line with the OE pads. Considering past experience, I thought I might be able to lock the rear wheel using the Galfer pads. No, not by a long shot. Still, the brakes perform like they did before, I did not lose stopping power. Maybe performance will improve as the pads bed-in.
I really dislike having to modify parts to make them fit, especially brake parts. You would think something like that would be plug-and-play.
Jeff J.
Am I reading correctly that you are saying that with the new pads you cannot lock up the rear tire?
If that is true, you have a problem. I can lock the rear tire on any of the bikes in our stable, with minimal force on the brake pedal. The VFR700 is the hardest to lock up, but even that bike can be braked hard enough to slide the rear tire without having to stand on the pedal.
I'd say you need to check the rear master, brake lines, and rear caliper. Locking the rear brake should be very easy to do.
End of thread · 12 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 12 Sep 2017