ive been hearing a noise for the last week in my front end. here i thought it was the bearings going bad, so i ordered new ones and replaced them today. well one of the bearings was getting kinda iffy, as it felt a bit rough when i pulled it out. but im still hearing the noise. while i had everything apart, i checked the brakes, and i realized that all of my pads still look nearly new, except for 1. the one on the inside of the left side is worn down to just about nothing! my thoughts is that the caliper is frozen up or something?? i rotated the 2 pads around so atleast try to even it out a bit till i get some new parts. but what do you guys think would be causing this? would a slightly warped rotor cause this harsh rapid wear?? because when i brake hard i can feel a very slight pulse. but im leaning more toward a junk caliper.

 

A combination of factors can be causing your irregular wear...warped rotor w/ bad caliper, cheap pads, etc...

Your brake system def needs servicing/maintenance...
*You need to flush/fill your brake fluid, & bleed system. Check your brake lines...remember, unless they've been changed - they are over 10 yrs old...it may be time for replacement.
*Your brake calipers may or may not need to be rebuilt...it isn't difficult but time-consuming.
*Your rotors may or may not be warped as well...again, they are over 10 yrs old as well & could need replacement.
*Obviously, you need new brake pads. DO NOT "rotate" the pads...simply replace them.

 

well, the fluid looks and feels fine, and it isnt low. and i only temporarily rotated the 2 pads since one was obviously worn more than the other, but i have ordered new pads. also, the pads and rotors are both aftermarket, so there is a chance that the pads may be a generic brand, but i doubt that is the problem. i will try bleeding the lines, and will try checking the pistons in the caliper when i get a chance. but the more i think about it, its most likely the slightly warped rotor putting more pressure on the 1 pad. so i guess that will be the next thing i order on payday. thanks for the tips! i will definitely go through everything just to be sure its all in good working order when i get my new pads.

 

Sounds like a plan.

FWIW, I use factory Honda OEM pads. They are excellent quality.

 

Sounds like the caliper(s) are frozen on the hanger bolts. The calipers float on the
bolts that hold them to the fork-legs. That allows them to adjust and not bind as the
pads wear. if they are frozen, they won't back off the rotor and will cause excess wear
to the pads and possibly over-heat and warp the rotor(s).

The hanger-pins are the bolts inside the rubber accordians. The caliper is supposed to
be able to ride back and forth on them.

Hope this helps, Ern

 

madhattr - i replaced the pads, tested the calipers, and all seems to be working fine now. but there is nothing for the caliper to slide on?? the calipers bolt solid to the forks. but each caliper has 4 pistons in it, and they seem to have tons of give from side to side, and the pads themselves are on sliders.. so i just slightly lubed the sliders for the pads even though they seemed to move freely. also, i checked out my old pads closer, and the other side averaged out to be about half gone, but those also wore a bit unevenly. but on the side that had one worn all the way, the other looked brand new yet.

 

The outer bracket bolts to the fork. There are a couple of bolts that the caliper floats on. Parts #9 and #13 in this....

HONDA OF TULSA 2005 Honda Street Bike RVT1000R RC51 Parts List

This is the rear (for ease of viewing) but the principle is the same.

Ern

 

hmm... looks absolutely nothing like mine! i know exactly what you are talking about, as cars are the same way as you are mentioning. and it makes perfectly good sense. bunt mines litterally just bolted solid to the fork. i took some pics. is this possibly aftermarket or entirely different forks?

dont mind the nasty looking rim! havent taken the time to clean any of it off since i replaced the bearings and pads.

EDIT: oh, and also.... i notice that the page you linked is for a 2005 1000r, and mine is a 2000 f4. which has a completely different setup. i looked on hondaparts-direct.com, and everything i have matches up completely to the image diagrams they have.