Last year I went from a Ninja 500 to a CBR600RR. The front brakes on the CBR are way more powerful than on the Ninja, it took me a while to get used to them. Now a year later I thought that maybe they need replacing because they don't seem as "touchy". The pads look fine, the fluid, well it's the color of swamp water. I had my husband ride it and he said the brakes are bad ***. So I'm going to chalk that up to the fact that I'm just used to the the braking abilities of the CBR. But what I would like to know is how often ya'll change your brakes and brake fluid and what indications are you looking for that tells you it is time?

Also, what tire pressures do you run? I run 36 front and 41 rear which is recommened on the tire. That pressure feels really good to me when I'm riding to the point that if I lose 1 pound of pressure I can tell the difference. A freind of mine said I should run lower pressures but I don't like the way the bike feels with lower pressures.

 

Brakes & brake preferences can be a personal preference thing, as far as settings go.

As far as new fluid is concerned, I flush/fill/bleed b/f track season starts in the spring - whether the fluid looks like it needs it or not. It gives me a chance to thoroughly check over my braking system b/f taking it to the track. (I flush/fill the coolant system at the same time.)

I rarely let my brake fluid get dirty looking (darker brownish) b/f changing it but that is a sign that you should change it. A good rule of thumb would be to change it once a season. This gives you a chance to give it that thorough inspection. Your owners/service manual should list the recommended service interval as well.

I use OEM Honda brake pads on both my CBR & RC51. They are very good pads & give great performance.

Tire pressures are even a more personal thing. Pressures really depend on bike, rider, type of riding, etc. While tire company pressure recommendations are a good starting guideline, it really depends on your personal preferences for the type of riding your are doing. Since you are riding a 600RR, I would research what other riders, similar to you & your style, are experiencing w/ dif pressures.

I'm using Q2's on my CBR & RC51. Naturally, each bike gets dif pressures. I'll comment on the CBR... For twisty riders & track, I run lower pressures. For daily commuting & everyday street riding, the pressures are set higher. The latter is most likely your concern. Typical street riding pressures are generally higher.

 

I would run the pressures recommended in your operator manual.

 

I also don't like like a lower tire pressure than recommended. The bike just feels off and I can also tell it's not at the right pressure by the way it handles. I run 36/42 on the F4 and 42/42 on the Bird as per the manual (street, I don't do track days).

Regarding the brake fluid... Swamp water? Change it haha. I change mine onces a season but this season did it twice because I installed some braided lines. It should be nice and clear.

Bleading brakes is super easy and I can do it in about 30/40 minutes (front and back).

It seems you just got used to your brakes.