Voge brake pads: wear limits, inspection and replacement

The maintenance plan in the Voge manuals inspects the brake pads at every service and replaces them at the fourth and the seventh. That is the scheduled interval. Actual wear depends on use, and the indications below establish whether a given motorcycle agrees with the schedule.

Three indications of wear

The reservoir level falls. As the friction material thins, the caliper pistons stand further out and retain more fluid, so the level in the master cylinder drops. This is the reason the manuals call for a pad inspection when the fluid reaches its minimum mark: the reservoir functions as a wear gauge that is already part of the routine check.

Lever travel increases. Greater piston travel produces greater lever travel before the pads make contact.

Noise. A light scraping that appears under gentle braking and disappears under firm braking is generally a wear indicator contacting the disc. A continuous metallic grinding is the backing plate against the disc, at which point the disc itself is likely to require replacement.

Assessing the pads

Most calipers allow the pad edge to be seen without dismantling. The measurement of interest is the friction material rather than the total thickness: the steel backing plate accounts for roughly 4 to 5 mm on its own and does not wear.

Replacement is due when the friction material has worn down to approximately the thickness of the backing plate, and in every case before it reaches the wear groove or the metal indicator. The final millimetre is what separates the pad from the disc and is not a usable margin.

Pads are replaced in pairs on each disc. A caliper carrying one new and one worn pad applies a lateral load to the disc at every application.

Replacement procedure

1. Record the position of the pads, shims and springs before removal. A photograph is sufficient.
2. Retract the pistons slowly. The displaced fluid returns to the reservoir, which is why the reservoir must not be full to the brim. Open the reservoir cover and observe the level during retraction.
3. Clean the caliper and the pad seats, keeping cleaner away from the new friction surfaces.
4. Fit the pads, springs and pins in the order recorded at removal.
5. Tighten the caliper and pin bolts to the figures for the model concerned. The 650DSX values are in the 650DSX torque table, where the caliper guide pins take 25 to 30 Nm and the bleed screw 3.9 to 6.9 Nm.
6. Operate the lever until it is firm before the motorcycle is moved. The pistons have been retracted and the first application will travel to the bar.

Bedding in

New pads and a used disc do not conform to one another until they have worn together. For the first 100 to 200 km braking should be earlier and lighter, and a single prolonged stop from high speed avoided. Heavy braking on unbedded pads glazes the friction surface, and glazed pads squeal and brake poorly for the remainder of their service life.

Inspecting the disc

With the pads removed the disc should be examined. A lip at the outer edge that can be felt with a fingernail indicates that the disc is approaching its own wear limit, and fitting new pads to a worn disc shortens their life.

Related pages

Disc diameters and caliper types for each model are listed in brake disc diameters and caliper types, and fluid replacement in brake fluid service. The service at which the plan calls for replacement is set out in what Voge asks for at each service.