Had a new experience. Took my bike to the dealer yesterday to have my new Metzeler 888 put on the back end of my FLTC. While on the phone making the appointment the service writer asked about my brake pads. They were working fine, no noise and seems to be gripping like they should. I put the backs on 4 years ago, about 14,000 miles.

When I got there I was called back to the service department and told mine were close to being metal on metal. I joking said "you just keep a set of worn out pads and get people to put new ones on, right". Bad joke. The service manager brought them out and I wouldn't have trusted them for another mile. They were so close to metal on metal it probably would have damaged my rotor just driving home. And he responded jokingly these are from your '86 they don't make them like this anymore. I honestly trusted they were mine.

It was also suggested for me to re-grease the bearings and put on new seals which I figured was a real good idea. I did the fronts last year with repacking bearing and seals, and 2 new sets of pads and mounted up the Metzeler 880.

So for every 10K to 14K it's going to be rubber, brakes, and the bearing work. So it'll be back every other year and fronts about every 3rd year. IS this about right?

Do you ever feel we invest a lot each year in just maintenance to own and keep our rides in good working order? For me it's a higher cost than I expected, and that's with an old used ride.

BTW the rear brake pedal is back to where it should be and the grip of the brakes is better than I can remember. Now I need to head out to some curvy areas to really see how that new 888 is going to work out. The 880 was a huge improvement to the HD Dunlops. Hope it's true that the Triple 8 is a higher mileage tires. Time will tell.

 

I inspect my brake pads and grease the wheel bearings every time I put a new tire on.

 

I got about 50K out of my first set of rear brake pads. Your pedal is adjusted correctly, isn't it? Not dragging? You do use the front brake for stopping mostly, right?

Always repack the wheel bearings and use new seals with a tire change. Use only HD wheel bearing grease.

 

Why??

 

Yes, why?

And wouldn't some red synthetic grease, for instance, last longer?

 

Because it works 10x better than anything else. Use other greases and replace your bearings every 10-20K (if you're lucky). Use the HD grease and go 50+, which I was getting before an indy did my tire and used their "super special trailer wheel bearing grease" instead of the HD grease I gave them to use, resulting in a failed bearing.

 

I actually brake very evenly most of the time. Or I thought I did.

And yes I find myself using the front brake for the final stopping, or holding the bike on a slope at a stop.

I might have closer to 18K on the back pads. I hadn't noted any issues with drag that might wear them out prematurely. So most people get more mileage than this out a their back pads?

 

Well, I get more than 18K out of back pads. I'll have to look at my service log database to tell you exactly how long mine go, but I'm pretty sure I went 50 or so on the first set and I'm at 80 now. I rebuilt the caliper and MC a couple years ago. I might have done the pads then just for the hell of it. I'll have to check. Maybe you're just using the back brake more. Dr.Linda uses her back brake mostly, even though I explain that the front brake does most of the stopping. I think it is because she learned to ride in the dirt on motocross bikes, and using the front brake on those is a big no-no.

 

I change the rear pads every other tire or about 16-18K and they are generally about half shot. I use my rear brake a lot, use it to begin slowing down and then join the with the front to stop. Some of my early bikes did not have a front brake so I'm used to it. Also, if you ride on gravel it's good not to be in the habit of using the front brake first or as your go-to brake. Panic stops are different.

Bearings, I repack them every time and every other time I completely clean out the wheels and wash the bearings, new seals.

I would not buy another Metzler if you gave me the money, my last front one got sidewall cracks after being on the bike 5K and less than a year including winter-(date code was less than 2 years). Their warranty and customer service sucked, if I paid their dealer what he wanted to change the tire and prorated the new one it was more than what it cost me originally...and they could not understand that when I tried to explain it...

Ds

 

I call BS on the H-D brake grease....trailer bearing grease is not the same as proper automotive wheel bearing grease anyway. I have had H-D rear bearings do astronomical miles on stock standard car wheel bearing grease.