Caliper Maintenance is a Must for a Convenient 125cc Scooter | Check Worn-out Brake Pads Before Noticing it!

017.jpg How to

The 125cc model has been the main class of scooters for the past 10 years, as it is compact and powerful enough to handle. Since the engine was changed to a 4-stroke engine, scooters have been attractive because they can be ridden easily without the hassle of refilling with oil, but since the weight of the vehicle has increased since the 2-stroke era, the role of the brakes has become more important. The brake pads are worn out before you know it! It is important to check your brakes regularly to prevent this from happening.

Disc brakes with no change in lever play have a high risk of rotor damage?

002-3.jpg The Suzuki Address V125SS debuted in 2013, and its compact body made it easy to maneuver around town, making it a favorite for commuting to work and school.

003-1.jpg The current Address 125 is equipped with 12-inch tires on the front, while the V125SS, which is one generation ahead of the current model, has 10-inch tires. The brake caliper is a single-piston type with a pin slide.

In the 2-stroke era, the standard grade scooter brakes were front and rear drums, and the sports models such as the Honda Dio ZX and Yamaha Jog ZR had front discs. Now that the number of 50cc models has decreased and the number of 125cc class scooters has increased, it is not uncommon to find models with disc front and rear brakes.

Compared to drum brakes, disc brakes dissipate heat better, provide more subtle control of braking force, and have a sportier look.

Riders who have never experienced drum brakes may not understand this, but cable-operated drum brakes, like caliper brakes on bicycles, increase brake lever play as the brake linings wear.

This is an everyday occurrence for Super Cub riders, but it is not necessary for scooters with disc brakes to use the adjuster at the end of the brake cable to reduce the brake lever free play when it becomes too large. Of course, this is unnecessary on all disc brake-equipped vehicles, not just scooters.

The reason why we are focusing on 125cc scooters here is that this class of motorcycle is so integrated into our daily lives. Riders who own sports models with large displacement as a hobby are likely to be people who treat their motorcycles with awareness and love. However, when it comes to scooters as an easy means of transportation, there are many users who tend to neglect their daily care.

This results in the creation of no-maintenance scooters that forget when to change the engine oil, use the tires until the slip lines appear, or use the brake pads until they wear out. The biggest cause of poor maintenance, especially with brakes, is that the brake lever play does not change whether the pads are new or have zero remaining.

Some automobile disc brakes, which are difficult to check from the outside of the wheel, are fitted with indicators that rub against the rotor and produce a noise when the pads are worn. Motorcycle brake pads, however, are visible on many models, so there is no mechanical system to notify you of wear.

This means that the lining, which is the friction material that holds the brake rotor in place, is used up and the problem is only noticed when the backplate to which the lining is attached is pinching the rotor. Even if you don't notice pad wear because the brake lever play doesn't change, the fluid in the master cylinder is actually dropping, so you can imagine pad wear by looking at the drop in fluid level through the check window. Also, if you lower your eyes to the caliper and look into the pads, you should be able to see how much lining is left. However, if it is not a hobby motorcycle, it is difficult to pay attention to such things, and I tend to leave my motorcycle unattended.

Incidentally, when the lining wears out and the backplate comes in contact with the rotor, an abnormal sound is produced because the metal directly rubs against each other. Also, the backplate does not have the same braking effect as the lining, so the brakes will not work as well. Furthermore, the backplate, which is harder than the lining, will pinch the rotor, so the rotor will be scratched and damaged at once, and you will need to replace not only the pads but also the rotor. In other words, it is important to replace the pads before the brakes become steel plates in order to avoid spending money on unnecessary parts replacement.

POINT
  • Point 1: With drum brakes, lever play increases as the linings wear, but with disc brakes, lever play does not change as the pads wear.
  • Point 2: If the pads wear out and pinch the rotor with the backplate, the rotor will be shaved and have to be replaced
  • Point 3: Regular check of pad wear is necessary to avoid replacing rotors.

I ride in all kinds of weather, so there's a lot of dirt on the caliper pistons.

004-1.jpg The caliper bracket mounting bolt is a hexagon socket cap bolt; it is difficult to apply force with an L-shaped wrench, so it is best to use a ratchet handle or T-shaped handle to turn it.

005-1.jpg When the pads wear out, the caliper piston stops sticking out. The more it wears, the more it moves forward and the more it gets dirty, and the more it gets dirty and the more it rusts. The reason why the dirty part is clearly separated from the clean part is that the brake lever is squeezed several times to push the piston out.

006-1.jpg After cleaning the dirt with neutral detergent and a toothbrush, apply a thin layer of chemical or silicon grease for rubber seal assembly. Some manufacturers specify the application of brake fluid in order to ensure compatibility with piston seals and dust seals.

007-1.jpg When fitting the cleaned and lubricated pistons into the caliper body, push the pistons straight down with your fingers to prevent them from tilting. When replacing worn pads, the piston must be pushed back in, but be sure to clean it, as pushing a dirty piston in can damage the piston seal.

If you use a 125cc scooter as a means of daily transportation, such as commuting to work or school, there must be many vehicles that are traveling regardless of the weather. If you ride your motorcycle once a week and tour on weekends, you will probably do a careful motorcycle wash after riding in the rain, but it is difficult and troublesome to always wash your scooter after riding in the rain when you use it every day.

As pad wear progresses, the combination of wet weather driving and dirt on the pistons sticking out of the caliper becomes a cause for concern. The reason why the lever play does not change as the brake pads wear is that the caliper pistons gradually protrude from the caliper to keep the gap between the pads and rotor constant. The exposed pistons are pushed back into the caliper when the pads are replaced, but this can be tricky because dust from the worn pads and moisture from driving in the rain can cause rust to form on the piston surface if it becomes a constant problem.

The best way to protect your caliper pistons from getting dirty is to not ride them, but that's not an option on a commuter scooter. The best way to keep dirt from getting on them is to clean the caliper pistons regularly to keep it from turning into rust.

Remove the caliper from the vehicle, remove the brake pads and check the pistons for dirt. If they are covered with a mixture of grit, dust, and worn pad dust, clean them with a mild kitchen detergent and a toothbrush. If the dirt is stubborn, you can use a liquid metal polish like Picard on a rag to polish it.

After degreasing and cleaning with metal polish or detergent, apply a thin, even coat of silicone grease or other lubricants suitable for rubber-to-metal contact areas to the caliper piston. This chemical helps to keep the rubber seals inside the caliper and the pistons lubricated and prevent rust. If you think it's too wet, you can wipe it off with a rag, but it will still do its job as long as the lubricating element remains.

If there is a risk of contamination by the lubricant, you may want to use it in a degreased cleaning state. However, if the piston seal is not slippery where it meets the dust seal, it may cause the piston to move badly or the seal to bite and deform, so it is recommended to apply a lubricating component. It is recommended to apply lubricant.

At the same time, changing the brake fluid once every two years is the ideal maintenance between the master cylinder and caliper.

POINT
  • Point 1: As the brake pads wear down, the caliper pistons are exposed to more dirt.
  • Point 2: It is important to clean the piston with a neutral detergent and spray lubricant to protect the surface before rusting occurs.

Be careful not to damage the spring or retainer when replacing the pads.

008-1.jpg The order of operation is back and forth, but when replacing the brake pads, loosen the pad pins and remove them. This caliper has a clip inserted to prevent the pin from coming loose, so pull it out first and then loosen the pin.

009.jpg Since the motorcycle is driven in the rain during commuting, the surface of the pad pins are rusted red. These pins are in contact with the brake pads and support the movement of the pads, and if the rust gets worse, the movement of the pads will become worse, so they need to be replaced.

010.jpg When the pad pin is pulled out, the pawl on the other side comes off and the pad can be removed. To clean the caliper, you can wash it with neutral detergent. When doing so, be sure to check the assembled condition of the pad springs and retainers.

Regular caliper cleaning, even on scooters used for practical purposes, allows you to check the wear of the pads at the same time. And if the pads have reached their wear limit, it's time to replace them.

The brake caliper of the 125cc scooter is a single push pin slide type, so pad replacement is easy. Since the method of assembling the brake caliper and pads differs depending on the model, it is important to observe carefully before the work. The brake pads for the Suzuki Address V125SS shown here are fixed by hanging one side over the caliper and inserting the pad pin into the other side. Since the vehicle is used for commuting, the caliper itself is coated with pad dirt, and the surface of the pad pins is also rough with rust. Fortunately, there is no rust on the caliper pistons, so they can be reused after cleaning and lubrication.

When installing new pads, be careful not to forget to transplant thin metal plate pad shim if it is incorporated on the back side of old pad. Pad shim is an important part to control brake squeal and reuse it with grease for shim. Also, there may be a part called pad spring or pad retainer which is molded thin metal plate into caliper.

These are important parts to hold the pads inside the caliper and prevent them from playing around while positioning them. Once the pads are removed and the springs are removed from the retainers, be sure to install them in the correct position and in the correct direction before setting the pads. If the spring is incorrectly set and the pad is assembled, the pad will not return properly and may cause dragging symptoms.

011_001.jpg The pad used is the Golden Pad made by Daytona. The Golden Pad χ is the successor model to the Golden Pad χ, and it features high control and high efficacy that overturns the common sense of sintered metal pads.

012.jpg If there are thin metal pad shims set on the back of the stock pads, transfer them to the newly installed pads as well. Apply a thin layer of pad grease to the mating surfaces of the pads and shims.

Also, if the retainer jaws that determine the position of the pads are not assembled in the correct position, the retainer jaws may break as soon as the brakes are applied, and the brake pads may not return properly, resulting in dragging.

When the caliper is dirty with pad dust, it is easy to disassemble it without remembering the retainer and pad spring assembly because you want to prioritize cleaning.

The Address V125SS has one pad pin, but when inserting it into a new pad, grease should be applied to the surface. This will allow the pad to slide smoothly over the pin, and also helps to prevent rust on the pin itself.

Even if it is a scooter instead of a foot, the maintenance of brake calipers and pads is no different from big motorcycles. You may feel that it is a hassle even though it is a practical vehicle, but you want to spare no effort to practice maintenance to keep the condition of your beloved motorcycle that works honestly regardless of the weather and climate.

013.jpg If the pad pins are rusty, use a file or sandpaper to smooth the surface and apply pad grease. This grease will not only make the pad movement smoother, but will also prevent the pins from rusting.

014.jpg Greasing the slide pin of the caliper piston will also improve the movement of the caliper itself. If there is any old grease left on the caliper side, wipe it off with a rag or cotton swab.

015.jpg When setting the brake pads, make sure that the pad springs and pad retainers do not interfere with the movement of the pads. Also, apply a thin layer of pad grease to the contact area between the spring or retainer and the pad to reduce brake squeal and prevent the pad from dragging smoothly.

POINT
  • Point 1: Before removing the brake pads, carefully check and remember how the caliper and pads are assembled.
  • Point 2: When installing the pad, pay attention to the installation direction of the pad spring and retainer.

 

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See Accessories for SUZUKI Address V125SS

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