As you were walking around leisurely, you heard a noise that must have obsessed you, the motorcycle brake pads rubbing. A noise that is worrying to say the least, we agree.
Indeed, it is never a nice thing to start having doubts about your brakes. It seems that it is a rather important organ of your motorbike and if they do not work, it can have big consequences.
By then you have surely returned home and set out to find what could be causing this problem. Luckily, here we are going to help you out by taking a together look at the most likely issues causing those scuffing motorcycle brake pads.
However, you might also be here because you tell yourself you have a brake pad problem from a motorcycle braking on its own. If so, we will redirect you to our guide on the subject which will be able to enlighten you more specifically on this subject and the causes which are at the origin of it.
Determine if rubbing motorcycle brake pads are a problem
Well the first thing to see when you have a problem with the brake pads which are rubbing is whether this is a problem or the normal functioning of your motorcycle as far as braking is concerned.
Indeed, most of your motorcycles have this braking system which consists of pads which will tighten around a disc in order to slow down the rotation of your wheel and thus slow down your motorcycle.
So these pads are bass pretty close to this record and cause resistance. It will therefore be necessary to determine if you have motorcycle brake pads that rub or if this is normal. If you have any doubts, you can ask your mechanic for advice, who will be able to guide you as well as possible.
Did you check that the brake pads have a good level of fluid?
Okay, if you've made it here, you are sure you have a problem with the motorcycle brake pads rubbing and you are wondering where it could be coming from. So we will see all the possibilities.
To make things easier for you, we'll start with the options that require the least manipulation. This is also why we are going to focus here on a problem with the brake fluid.
It is this fluid that will allow your brakes to work and like all fluids in a machine, it has a minimum to operate as well as a maximum that you should not exceed.
However, if you have not been careful or if you have filled up with brake fluid in a place that is a little steep, you may have exceeded this maximum. This is a cause that could explain why you have rubbing motorcycle brake pads.
To check it, all you need to do is look at what level of brake fluid you are at. If you have indeed exceeded the maximum, you will only need to drain it a little to solve the problem.
Are the motorcycle brake pads properly maintained?
The second problem can be with the brake pads themselves. Indeed, these are maintained by small claws which ensure that they do not come out of their support. However, in rare cases, these can break.
The pads, then less well maintained on their support, can come out a bit and come closer than usual to stick to the brake disc, which therefore causes a problem with motorcycle brake pads that rub.
So check if everything is well maintained and if not, you will now know why you have motorcycle brake pads that rub. If everything is in place, you can move on to the next tip.
rubbing motorcycle brake pads, often a caliper piston problem
As has been said, the brakes work by sticking the pads to the disc and that doesn't happen by magic as you might expect. It is the caliper pistons that will take care of this on your motorcycle
However, if your caliper piston seizes up, several phenomena can occur as a result. The first is obviously motorcycle brake pads that rub, because they have difficulty returning to their original position.
However, those same pads can also have a hard time engaging when braking because of this, which immediately becomes more of a hassle as you might expect. It is therefore an important part to change.
Is the brake disc warped?
Finally, we are going to discuss a problem which is quite rare, but which can sometimes happen, especially if your brake disc is quite old. Following heavy braking, it may then veil slightly.
Therefore, you should not hear the motorcycle brake pads rubbing in a non-continuous manner. You will then need to change the disc. To help you, we leave you with this video tutorial showing how to do it.
