I had the new calipers put on my bike and it seems like I've lost some inital bite. When I jump on the R1 I have to be careful not to throw myself over the handlebars, it's about that bad. The power is there if you sqeeze, but not the feel. I thought it might be new pads, but I've got about 150 miles on the brakes since the service and it's still there. Bedding shouldn't be the problem.

Anyone have any pads to recommend and where to get them?

Thanks.

-- Andy Ruhl (quadreverb@yahoo.com), May 06, 2002

Answers

I just got a 2000 MV F4, and had the brake upgrade done before delivery, so I have nothing to compare it to, but initially I thought the brakes were very poor......but once the pads had bedded in they feel ok......the initial bite is still not too strong, but the brakes themselves are excellent......I've done about 500km's now, and they seem to be getting better and better.

Pete

-- Pete Hughes (hueyhuey@ozemail.com.au), May 07, 2002.

I wasn't very happy with the brakes either initially, but the pads bedded in after about 100 miles and they worked pretty good. Not as good as the R1 with SBS pads, but good.

I'm not convinced that these Nissin calipers are the correct choice for this bike. They just seem to require a bit more initial effort than a good 4 piston setup. Maybe it's all those pistons just needing a bit more convincing that it's time to move?

If I can find some other pads, I'm going to try them. I put SBS pads on my R1 and they are really nice. I put on steel lines long ago, and I can't really imagine a better setup for the street. The MV already has steel lines so that's not one of the culprits...

So again, if anyone has any pad recommendations, I'd appreciate it!

-- Andy Ruhl (quadreverb@yahoo.com), May 07, 2002.

Hi Andy. The brake feel on both the 2000 MV and the 2002 are about the same....it doesn't inspire confidence. I think it's just one of the quirks of the MV. Cagiva should have really gone with Brembo. :(

-- Allan Gibbs (Phoenix, Arizona) (Agibbs996@aol.com), May 07, 2002.

I have no doubt that Nissin makes nice calipers. Colin Edwards and Noriyuki Haga preferred them during the 2000 WSB season over the Brembos. They were 6 piston as well. Could just be that the pads aren't so special. I'm going to research new pads a little and get back.

I'm sure that the fact that Nissin would make those nicely shaped fluid reservoirs had something to do with Cagiva's decision to use them as well...

-- Andy Ruhl (quadreverb@yahoo.com), May 07, 2002.

Let me know how things turn out. I'd love to beef up the front brakes on the MV, and I'm getting tired of having to drag my feet to helps slow the bike down! ;) (joking)

BTW, I hit an all time record high temp of a flashing "223" yesterday, while stuck in traffic for about 5 to 7 minutes @ 94 degrees. I inspected the fairing and there doesn't appear to be any melting or damage. I have to check the inside of the fairing and see how the heat resistant foils are holding up.

-- Allan Gibbs (Phoenix, Arizona) (Agibbs996@aol.com), May 07, 2002.

The never ending saga of the brakes! Remember intial bite is not all important, it's can it stop! If you can do a stoppie, which you can on an F4, then the brakes work. How hard you pull the lever is pretty immaterial. As to the nissin calipers, the boys at QB Carbon who race an F4 in the six hour endurance series in the UK, use the stock calipers. They change the pads for a racing compound and the master cylinder is a racing typr, but they reckon (and yes I asked) that the std calipers are more than adequate for the job. Anyway who wants to slow down?

-- will (ginnyoneuk@yahoo.co.uk), May 08, 2002.

I disagree completely about your comment on braking power. It sounds cliche, but power is nothing without control. I can't modulate something that I'm using too much effort on. That race team may be using the stock calipers, but I'd be very surprised if they are using the stock pads. Like I said before, I know Nissin makes good calipers. The Triumph TT600 I rode was proof of that. However, these pads or possibly discs are probably not so hot. I just can't modulate them as easily as I can on my other bike.

-- Andy Ruhl (quadreverb@yahoo.com), May 08, 2002.