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brake pad suggestions

NCX19

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Did an advanced search, but didnt pickup a thread in 7 pages of older results with any concrete suggestions from experience.

I find the front brake adequate in city and occasional highway braking.

Just did 1000km mountain tour, and have to say the front brake is less than adequate at times.

Not much 'bite' and need very firm grip for less than adequate results. Low rumbling and feel it working when piling on, but have had much better brakes on other bikes.

Have used EBC HH sintered in the past, and they were an improvement over stock on the bikes I used them on, however Id like something more aggressive.

Just wondering if there are suggestions on other brands of pads (and model of pad) that give a very firm bite right off, and keep biting harder the more you grip.
 
Hey NCx19.. A quick search on FleaBay shows a full set of pads(F+R) can be had for $10.00-$58.00. Thanks for the post as i was considering replacing both of mine as well. :{)
 
no way :( Sure puts a damper on the EBCs

Hoping someone /s have tried other brands (eg Brembo) with positive results and will chime in.
HH is a range of course. Perhaps an aftermarket brand has better stopping power albeit at the expense of progressive feel or fade resistance.
 
I can't get past the need for a brake pad more aggressive than the EBC HH pads. Man, those are really aggressive pads. Throw some EBC pads on front and rear, flush your brake fluid front and rear, and rock out. I've ran EBC HH pads on 2 different track bikes, a 2002 GSXR 750 and a 2007 ZX10R, also run them on my 2006 Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad 1600 bagger currently. I will eventually put some on my NC as well.

My 2013 NC700X has just over 10k miles on it and what I assume is the stock brake pads both front and rear. I am doing a track day on it tomorrow, with those pads. Flushed the brake fluid today, because I'm sure it hasn't been done since it was bought new.

Throw on some EBC pads and squeeze that brake lever, it will stop on a dime! Lol

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Yep Tacoma, I've discovered the british NC forum too, and there are 4 posts I found on brake pads, and EBC HH seem to be the choice. Brembo SAs are perhaps a bit more bite and are more expensive .. however only last 2500 miles!! Ive used EBC HH on a couple bikes in the past and found em very decent. Was looking for suggestions based on others experience, and maybe looking for a unicorn finding something better rated ... the stock grip is just not enough for me.
 
OK $49 Canuk bucks to the door, and I have my EBC HH fronts installed.
First couple applications disappointing. Number 3 to 6 each got better. Progressively doing harder applications, but short 2-3 second squeezes.

Way to early to see the full effect, however they are now very pleasantly giving great feedback and increased stopping power. Will be doing the rear next for sure.
Last bike was a Ducati with 2 large rotors and Brembo M50 monoblock calipers. OK - so not that awesome. However the EBCs are already much above par than the OEM pads. Very worthwhile upgrade. Soft braking is not adversely affected, and 2 finger pulls now have a lot of effect. Hope to update in a week of riding, but can only get better as they bed in.
 
Well its been a week with the EBCs.
- bedding in was quick. after the first half dozen applications, any improvement was so subtle I didnt notice.
- grab better than stock. Definite improvement, especially hard braking, as they do not rumble and vibrate under heavy load. Worth the 'upgrade'.
- do not transfer the OEM non piston side pad's shim to the EBC. Brakes work fine, but there is slight pad drag when brakes not applied. After removing, this drag is gone. I suspect after the pads wear a bit, it would be a non issue due to the increased travel. Researching - dont transfer an OEM pad shim to an aftermarket pad. If new pad does not come with shim, dont reuse the OEM one. Honda doesnt sell the pad shim separately - comes with the pad.
- I dont remember OEM pad making a buzzing noise like the EBCs do when applied. Likely due to a relief cut in the middle of the Honda OEM pads. Only difference I can see. Tried a light filing of the edges of the EBC pad to eliminate a sharp edge where it meets the rotor. Didnt change anything. I know its normal from other drilled disk/pad combinations I have used on autos and bikes. Just a difference to be aware of. Only tried smoothing the edges as an experiment, its not an issue for me.
-ABS works the same. Tried activating ABS before and after swap, and speed/application force was similar for both tests.

OK - grab ... noticeably better (EBC FA196HH front). light to hard application transition is progressive, not sudden. Great upgrade. However, if you like to tinker ... EBC has a more aggressive pad for some models.
However they dont make a 196 front pad for this bike. They make a grippier street EPFA series. There is a GPFA series, but its not for street use. The EPFA has more bite, less lever pressure required. Again - if you like to experiment - EBC EPFA226HH same dimensions but .8mm thinner than OEM . Note they dont offer this as an NC750X part. So you are one your own giving em a go.

Next - I will be trying the 226 EPFAs in front sometime, but not soon. Also will be using an HH in a week or 2 for the rear.
Best low cost performance improvement.
 
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The EBC pads on my Nomad make a grabbing noise when applied. Doesn't bother me, it's just something I notice. I would imagine it is just from the more abrasive material contacting the rotor surface, nothing to be worried about.

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"grab better than stock. Definite improvement, especially hard braking"
I agree with your post, I also put the EBC sintered HH pads on my NC750, front and rear. Very noticeable improvement over stock pads, i'm much happier with the brakes now.
 
Has anyone tried the EBC EPFA226HH pads yet? Did they fit and work better or just stick with the FA196HH pads?
Not familiar with the 266's, but I just put the EPFA388 Road Race pads on my 2013 track NC and they seem to be a good improvement over the standard EBC HH pads that I had on it prior. They glazed badly after 8-10 track days, so we'll see if these last any longer. They stop great though.

Screenshot_20220404-224011_Gallery.jpg
 
Wait. Maybe the 266 is the same kind of pad as my 388, but just for the newer models? My 2013 NC700X has the older 3 pot caliper, different than the 2 pot caliper on my 2016 NC700X.
 
Wait. Maybe the 266 is the same kind of pad as my 388, but just for the newer models? My 2013 NC700X has the older 3 pot caliper, different than the 2 pot caliper on my 2016 NC700X.
As far as I know only the 2012-13 DCT models were equipped with a 3 piston caliper.
 
As far as I know only the 2012-13 DCT models were equipped with a 3 piston caliper.
That's correct. I was just thinking the pad number difference between the 3 pot and 2 pot calipers for the different models may mean the EPFA388 that I bought are the ones for the older 2012-2013, and the EPFA266 pads he is talking about may be the same pad material that I recently bought, but designed for the different 2 pot calipers on the newer models, 2014+.
 
I installed a set of the EBC EPFA226HH pads on my 2021 NC750X DCT. The OEM pads are the loose ones in the photo. The new pads work great and were a noticeable improvement over the OEM pads.
 

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I installed a set of the EBC EPFA226HH pads on my 2021 NC750X DCT. The OEM pads are the loose ones in the photo. The new pads work great and were a noticeable improvement over the OEM pads.
what are you doing with the old OEM pads? They still look good.
 
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