Motorcycle Brake Pad Options Explained | MC GARAGE

Organic, semi-metallic, or sintered—which brake pads are right for your motorcycle? We’ll break it down for you in this video from the MC Garage.

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When it comes time to replace your brake pads, you’re going to be faced with a decision. What kind do you get? When it boils down to it, you have three different compounds to choose from: organic, semi-metallic, and sintered pads.

Sintered metal pads are far and away the most common, and they’re what come stock on the majority of modern streetbikes. The term sintered refers to the production process, which uses extreme heat and pressure to fuse a powdered bronze puck to the backing plate. Sintered pads offer strong bite, loads of stopping power, and excellent fade resistance, making them ideal for aggressive street and track riding. Sintered pads tend to be more expensive than semi-metallic or organic pads, but with better performance and longer life, the cost is usually worth it. Sintered pads also require a little heat to perform their best, but even so they offer the best performance and work well in a variety of conditions.

At the other end of the performance spectrum are organic brake pads. Unlike sintered pads, which are entirely metal, organic pads have very minimal metallic content. What little metal organic pads do contain is going to be non-ferrous stuff like copper, tin, or aluminum, and it’s sprinkled in there to improve wear and friction stability. The rest of the puck is a blend of rubber, glass, or aramid fiber mixed with a heat-resistant binding resin.

Organic pads are fairly soft, so they offer a gentler initial bite, lots of feel at the brake lever, they’re really quiet, and they’re exceptionally easy on rotors. They’re easy on your wallet, too, because unlike the organic eggs at the supermarket, organic brake pads are quite inexpensive. However, organic pads have a shorter service life compared to semi-metallic or sintered pads and tend to fade with aggressive use. Organic brake pads are most commonly found on older (pre-1990s) bikes, but you might slot them into the caliper on the back of your sportbike if you want gentler response.

[jtorkilson]

Ari kills it again. Perfect length video for a quick explanation of pad tech.

[levibaluarte]

I followed his advice and I finally grew my own organic brake pads 😂

[Majesenmoto]

as always, I learnt more things in a fast and fun way. thanks guys! greets from Spain, I never miss a MC Garage video :)

[siemens]

Great video again! I just wish you guys would upload more often...

[Roadstar]

I personally prefer organic pads. You have to change your pads more often, but they have the best feel by far and they never squeak. I pulled the centered pads off my Royal Star and installed organics and man what a difference. They are available for bikes of all size and all years, in spite of what is said in the video. My Royal Star was an 850 pound, 2005 motorcycle.

[brueski]

Definitely the best place on YouTube to learn about motorcycles.

[GTORT]

This is easily the best motorcycle channel on YouTube

[heathy]

you boys must be reading my mind, was looking at pads and wondered the pros and cons of the variations, thanks

[TheINDIAN]

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can you please make these videos.

[shahidmiah]

We need a DVD on all your mc garage with more detail. Plus a full servicing guide! Please make it happen ari

[duke]

Thanks Motorcyclist Magazine, another super video! Beacuse being a motorcyclist is more than just watching new bike reviews.

[thesighbored]

So.. Sintered HH is the way to go for a 600cc used for daily fast street riding?

[onoff]

Simple videos but they just have the info that really isn't out there without some heavy googling. Informative stuff!

[seattlegrrlie]

I have always loved organic pads for better brake modulation. Less initial bite and smoother deceleration. Sweeter in the corners. Need to swap out more often, but they're cheep and don't tear up your expensive rotors.

[FenrisianAle]

I nearly always run sintered on the front and organic on the rear, as well as upgrading the brake fluid from 4 to 5.1, and upgrading the lines to braided for a less squishy feel.

[thridevsuvarnan]

I’m really curious if the brake pads affect the longevity of the discs? I see people often saying better performing brake pads are a recipe to get your disc damaged faster. Any truth in this?

[guyn]

Straight forward and clear information, mc grage is a graet spot, keep it up.

[ernicruz]

Great video! it covers stuff that generally we overlook because lack of knowledge. you mentioned your where fond of vintage motorcycles, thats pretty big right now. it would be great if you posted a video on what to look for and what to check for when purchasing a pre 1982 motorcycle. they are very affordable but can easily be a headache if not inspected property. it would help the Hipster starter kit.

[ashliehiggins]

worth noting resin/organic pads have fantastic bite from cold, and are a good choice for a commuting bike, where you brake lots but for a small amount of time, so you don't need to worry about keeping heat in them for optimal braking.

[FREE_PUREBLOOD]

Great 'to the point' video again from you guys. Your stuff is always factual, to the point and no nonsense.