08 R1200RT Aftermarket Brake Pads

[Kerberos34]

I'm looking at replacing both front and rear sets of pads, and $300+ dollars at the dealer or even A&S is a lot to swallow when I'm also looking at service and insurance renewal all at the same time.  Plus I'm leaving on a trip in two weeks so I'd like to do this now.

Will aftermarket brake pads affect my warranty?

If not, I see two popular options, EBC and Carbone Lorraine for less than the price of one set of OEMs. Would these be just as good as OEM? Any drawbacks? Which would be the better choice?

[BBB]

Both are good brands and using them shouldn't affect the warranty. The only way the warranty would be affected is if the aftermarket pads caused damage to your discs, but if there was a failure of a component unrelated to the brakes then they shouldn't be able to say "ah, you didn't use BMW pads, your warranty is kaput". Another brand to consider is Ferodo.

[bikerfish1100]

Either EBC HH pads and the CLs would give you superior braking over OEM. both are excellent choices (currently running HHs on my R11S)

[Mr Sunshine]

I wouldn't touch the EBC HH's pads.  Also I would just get the OEM pads.  I know they are expensive but they should last you around 15k miles and they are pretty good anyhow.

[bikerfish1100]

I wouldn't touch the EBC HH's pads.  Also I would just get the OEM pads.  I know they are expensive but they should last you around 15k miles and they are pretty good anyhow.

and your rationale would be??????
(this is the very first time i've heard someone say "not EBCs", so i'm pretty curious as to why that non-suggestion).

[tigertom1965]

EBC HH are a semi mettalic pad. The HH pads would definately stop your bike quicker but you may also eat your rotors faster or generate more heat which could cause your rotors to warp. This depends on the shape of your rotors as well. I know that EBC and Carbone were used regularly over the stock pads on the old style concours touring bikes. So they do work well at stopping a heavier bike. It may be that they wear faster than the stock brake pads and you will need them more often which won't be a good deal.
If the stock OEM pads are an HH pad in the front and an organic pad in the rear (Which is common on many sport bikes) I would stick with that setup. Then I would use either I would use any pad you decide on but I wouldn't switch to the HH pad material for the rear. The HH pads have more bite then the organic pads and can (will) cause the rear to lock easier.
If you have an ABS system that has worked well for you why mess with success. Get the part numbers and search around at all the BMW dealers in your area. Then on to the online dealers or EBAY. You didn't mention if you needed both front and rear or just the fronts or just the rears. You just said you were looking for a set of front and rears. Are they needed for inspection? Or can you get your fronts now and do the rears later?

[RBEmerson]

  I used EBC HH's on my Connie and they worked quite nicely.  Maybe my K's rotors are thinner or something, but somehow I don't see the HH's as being all that evil.  

[Lawn Dart]

Carbonne Lorraine's work great for me.  

[Kerberos34]

Okay, so I replaced my front and rear pads with the EBC HH - (purely for cost effective ness, I also had 40,000k service and insurance all in the same week  ) and they have great stopping power, but they are noisy.  When applied I can hear what can only be described as a "whirring" noise that decreases in pitch as the bike slows. When not applied I can hear them gently on the rotors.  Is this normal?  I've never heard the breaks before, is this what I get for cheaping out? I followed the bed-in procedure I found in one of the posts here.

[RBEmerson]

How many miles on the new pads?  They need time to wear and bed in.  Also, did you put anti-squeal goo on the backs?  

[Kerberos34]

I have probably put 2000+ kilometers on the new pads.  And um.... anti-squeal goo?  Is this just something I get from my auto parts store? And it just goes on the back of the pads where the pistons contact?

[bikerfish1100]

I have probably put 2000+ kilometers on the new pads.  And um.... anti-squeal goo?  Is this just something I get from my auto parts store? And it just goes on the back of the pads where the pistons contact?

yup, and yup

[RBEmerson]

   

2000 km or 1200 mi is more than enough for the pads to bed in if you didn't jam on the brakes for the first 500 km / 200 mi (give or take).  If you got on the brakes shortly after installing them, it's possible you put some glaze on the pads.  Rumor has it the glaze won't ever come off.  Maybe yes, maybe no.  NTL, hard brake application while the pads are bedding in isn't a good thing and might contribute to the whirring noise.  

Or, in all seriousness, it may well have been there all along and you didn't pick up on it until you changed the pads, thinking the HH's might somehow be less than all you want.  

Going further down the road, it's also possible the rotors have warped a bit.

But I'd go with adding anti-squeal goo and re-bedding (go easy on the brakes until the pads and rotors are well acquainted).  

[tigertom1965]

Did you remember to lubricate the pins (slides) or did you just clean up all the crud and put the new pads in?

[wbrisett]

The EBC pads are stocked by our local BMW dealer and recommended over the BMW brand pads when I replaced my wife's pads on her 1150R two months ago. Seems to me that EBC has a great reputation and if the parts manager recommends them over the OEM pads, that should say something about them (other than they are a fifth what the OEM pads go for). I haven't had to replace my pads on my '09 RT yet, but when I do, I'm planning on running the EBC pads.

Wayne