I've been riding like this lately. It's becoming more of a habit. A by product is that it also prevents you from gripping the throttle too hard which cuts down on the vibration and numbing.

 

Hi all. Just wanted to thank everyone who has responded so far and restructure my question a bit.

I appreciate the advice to learn better stopping technique. Prior to this post I've been looking into taking a course or two. Been riding 5 years with no formal teaching so I'm sure I can improve. So let's assume this advice is not lost on me and that I am already in the process of educating myself further.

But let's say I master braking on my STOCK brakes. Upgrading to better components will certainly allow me to cut my braking distance down. So before I "master" braking on my stockers and then have to relearn thresholds on the new components....I'm interested in an upgrade of a few items without doing a full blown brembo, dual disc, abs blah blah blah.

I'm going to be due for new pads eventually so my original question was pertaining to if anyone has experience with the EBC EPFA pads which claim to have more stopping power than their HH? I understand the Lyndall Z and Gold are great options as well and there's lots of reviews on those pads.

More of a concern is the threshold for locking up the rear is very light. I'm wondering what components you guys have used to get better stopping power back there? Specifically with pad choice. Lots of people seem to be upgrading to sintered because it's more bite, but more bite in the rear seems to be counter productive. Seems the rear is a whole other strategy,..but I don't know. The EBC rep mentioned softer pads in rear with the harder up front. The folks at Lyndall are all at Born Free so I won't have their take until they're back and sobered up.

Another question I had pertained to semi-floating vs solid rotors with regard to real world stopping distance. I've seen lots of info regarding heat reduction and less chance of warping a rotor but few talk about actual stopping distance. I don't know enough about floaters to make an assumption that the small difference in heat management in every day operation is enough to equate to shorter stopping distance. I'm certain they helps MotoGP bikes stop better, but I digress.

Thanks again all!

 

Not at the lever. In my analogy above, your finger pushing the door is like the caliper gripping the rotor. Moving the caliper away from the axle makes it easier on the caliper.

More safety and better braking I hope. I decided to try that after an effing south asian cager nearly killed me when he suddenly swerved into my lane as he was weaving his way in 5pm Los Angeles traffic. I braked as quickly and as firmly as I could. I didn't panic but I felt as though the caliper was really struggling. So I bought the big rotor and caliper relocation, together with a pair of new pants and new under wear.

 

is that what they call San Fran values??

 

Nice on the upgraded tires, front forks and rear shocks That will make a real difference in your control under braking. Better braking components combined with braking practice and you will shorten your braking distances.

As far as sintered brake pads vs organics; I prefer organic pads, I run Lyndall Z+ and Gold+, both are excellent pads. Sintered pads have a higher initial bite where the organics will have a lower initial bite and ramp up progressively as you apply the brakes. Riders who change to organics are surprised at the beginning how the 'brakes don't work'; oh, they do, they're just different now

The organics have a better 'feel' at the lever and pedal; you have a better sense of where that threshold point is. Sintered pads do last longer but are harder on the rotors, organics need to be swapped out sooner but are easier on the rotors. It's the feel at the lever/pedal that gives the organics the edge for me.

A decent read on brake pads: http://powersports-blog.denniskirk.c...ed-vs-organic/

lewk is exactly right about the Big Brake rotor; I've got one on my Wide Glide; money that was very well spent It provided an even greater control over the braking.

Practice braking in parking lots and as you become comfortable find country roads with no traffic; pick a spot, a tar snake or a mailbox and practice at higher speeds. As you gain confidence you will see those distances shorten up.

cvaria mentioned Keith Code; get to know his writings and DVD's, along with Lee Parks, Ken Condon, Nick Ienatsch, and Jerry 'Motorman' Palladino. That information is very valuable; we ride on technique, not instinct. Learn the proper techniques, then practice them. Those techniques apply to all motorcycles, not just sport bikes

 

Found this article in my search. It's a good read. Unfortunately I'm finding that the organic vs sintered questions is becoming like the which oil is better question!

I may lean towards the Lyndall based on gut feeling from posts like these.

 

If you do go to Lyndall pads take a bit of time to adjust to the difference at the lever/pedal. They don't have that immediate bite of the sintered pads, they are more subtle but they do ramp up quickly, it's a very progressive feel right up to tire threshold.

Oh yea, brake pad choices are much like an oil thread; brake pads are often ignored until that point when you're not stopping any longer Once you get used to organic pads and the added finesse they give you they're all you'll use from then on...