Do brakes perform better when they are warm? I've never had any trouble with the brakes on my bike, but this morning it was 36 degrees and I had a close call almost rear ending an SUV. There was no ice on the ground. I think my reaction time was a bit slow but I also thought the bike seemed to not want to stop.

 

Brakes work better when they are warm. Not over heating, but warm

 

I notice that my reaction times are ususally quicker when it's not freezing outside...

 

I would have thumped the back of the Mercedes SUV had I not swerved (5 mph or so) toward the certer divider wall. Unnerved me.

 

Yes, brakes work much better when heated. This is especially true for ceramic pads, be very careful if you have ceramics on any vehicle.

 

There is usually an optimal temperature that depends on the pad material. Most OEM brakes work well when relatively cold up to a relatively warm temp, then start loosing braking abilities when they get hot. For example, my Esprit with OEM Toyota pads on the front stopped well when cold but gave me like 3 stops from 100 MPH, then you step on the brake at 100 and think, gosh, I'd kinda like to be slowing down about now before I get to that turn. I replaced the pads with EBC Yellowstuff and now the first brake in the morning (cold) takes more pedal to slow the car, but after that no more fade.

 

I really like my 2008 08 Ultra Classic but I am not impressed at all with the brakes.
I think they can be much better. My previous non Harley bike stopped 100 better and pretty solid. I had a couple of bad experiences braking with my current bike so now I drive slower and pay more attention. Regardless I am much happier with the ultra.