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EBC vs OEM brake pads

Pr_Chaos

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Hi there,

The time has come to replace rear brake pads after 14k+ on them and I am trying to decide to go OEM or EBC organic. From your experience is there any difference ?

Thanks,
 
There will be a lot of opinions as to which is better.

I'll put this out here:

There is a difference, just as there is with anything of differing manufacturers. An EBC HH is a metallic based pad and has more "stopping power" than a basic OEM organic pad, but it also has more drag and wear on the rotor. EBC, however, makes other pads including organic pads.

My recommendation would be to run the pad that suits your needs. If your riding the bike primarily as it was designed to be ridden - I.E., you're not racing or doing a Baja or whatever - then buy an OEM pad and be done with it.

If you didn't like the OEM pad, decide what you didn't like about it and pick another brand that suits your needs. If you want longer life, find a pad that promises better life (it will likely be organic as well). If you want better bite, go with something else.

Now onto personal opinions: To me, organic pads have the best "feel" for the street. They're linear, they have a soft bite and they last a long time. That said, metallic pads like an EBC HH will have better bite as the pad gets hotter and a more progressive feel. As in, you pull the lever and there isn't much initial bite but as you clamp down on the lever it gets significantly stronger and exponentially so as you pull the lever farther.

I run a Galfer 1370, which is a semi-metallic w/ a ceramic backing on the race track. I run OEM on the street. Personally, I don't like EBC HH pads, not one bit. There a lot of people who do. It's literally personal preference.
 
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I don't like sintered pads, and I assume from the grinding I hear and feel when I use the front brake on mu 2013, that the OEM pads are sintered. My first chance, I'll swap them out for EBC organics.
 
With almost all my vehicles, when I need to make a repair, I go with the OEM service part whenever possible.
 
organics are available from EBC.
for the front (DCT)
EBC Standard Organic Brake Pads - FA388 for 12-14 Honda NC700X DCT ABS
for std gearbox: FA196

for the rear:
FA174(DCT), FA140(manual)

Parking Brake:
SFA257/2
 
Another guy here who has always preferred the feel of organics and kevlar versus the sintered metal type. I can't really articulate in any hard facts or figures exactly why, though. I guess it really is a question of how many different types and compounds you go through over the course of accumulated mileage or years riding, and develop your personal likes and dislikes.

Honestly I think the OEM formula are probably the best compromise between wear and performance, but as I've found many times, just because something is OEM does not make it the best under any and all conditions. Also, a lot of the time they are brutally expensive compared to aftermarket choices.

I would rather go through more softer pads than wear out a brake rotor prematurely, too.
 
organics are available from EBC.
for the front (DCT)
EBC Standard Organic Brake Pads - FA388 for 12-14 Honda NC700X DCT ABS
for std gearbox: FA196

for the rear:
FA174(DCT), FA140(manual)

Parking Brake:
SFA257/2

The front pads part # is incorrect for me anyways.
IMG_20190516_155310 (2).jpg

I have a 2013 NC700X manual ABS. Any idea if the FA388HH would be the correct pads?
 
I always stick with OEM pads on the most important brake on the bike, the front. My reasoning is that since new I have become accustomed to the manner in which they operate under the various stresses that I put upon them. So, there is no reason why I would want to change that by changing the brand of pad.

I have been known to experiment with rear brake pads in situations where OEM's might be wearing too quickly but in general I stick with OEM pads on the rear also.

On the occasions that I have used EBC pads I have found them to be good products. I have tried other aftermarket brands but for me, none were as effective as EBC.
 
I have always used Honda OEM pads and have never had to replace a brake disc. Yup some aftermarket pads might offer stronger braking but I'm happy with the stock stuff. :)
 
Ditto on the OEM pad choice. I put EBC HH pads on my Goldwing and disliked them due to their abrupt “grabbiness”, so I went back to OEM. I’m sticking with OEM pads for the NC, although I’m still on the originals at 40,000 miles.
 
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I have found the front brake on my '18 750 DCT very good, but the back brake seems a little non existent. I would like a little more grab. Any suggestions?
 
Ran EBC HH pads on my old ZX10R for most of the 20k miles it had on it, including around 10 hard ridden trackdays, never replaced rotors. I run the EBC HH friction on my other bike (2006 Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad 1600) and already been thinking about upgrading the pads on my NC to EBC HH, but not sure yet. The rear ones squeal on my Nomad, fronts don't make any noise. Grab good, I like it, but I can understand why some would not. I also have a limited experience base, being that I have pretty much only ran stock pads or EBC HH pads on all my bikes. So far, ran EBC HH pads on 4 bikes: 97 Honda CBR900, 02 GSXR 750, 07 ZX10R, and my current 06 Vulcan Nomad cruiser. I may step out of the box and try something else with the NC, but I do want superior stopping power. I know Galfer has a good name in the brake world, just never looked into running them.
 
My NC has just under 90,000 miles and at least 60,000 of that has been using EBC HH pads on the front and I brake using only the front 99% of the time, I'm still using the original rotor
 
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My NC has just under 90,000 miles and at least 60,000 of that has been using EBC HH pads on the front and I brake using only the front 99% of the time, I'm still using the original rotor
You just talked me into buying a set when I get ready to replace mine.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 
I just put the EBC sintered HH pads on the back of the NC. What a difference, the rear brake actually feels like a brake now.
I researched some info on brake pad ratings, and found that one of the lowest friction types is the EE pads, the highest is HH. The pads on the rear of the NC are EE, so that explains why it did not even feel like it had a back brake at all.
So I am very happy with the change to the new pads, I know everyone has their preferences, I just wanted to share my experience.
 
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