Front brake rotor issues!

[Damaged Goods]

So I've had the front rotors replaced under warranty once at 16k miles, 4 months ago. Now I'm at 23k miles and the rotors are warped again. I have a good relationship with my Kawi dealer and they are working with me to get them replaced under warranty again if possible. The issue is the dealer says that next time Kawi is most likely not going to fix this. I am trying to find the deeper problem, the real cause for the rotors warping. Are the calipers not releasing all the way, why not? Has anyone found the real problem here, and what is it? How can I fix this for good?

[VirginiaJim]

What year bike?

[Pokey]

Doubtful they are warped.

[Damaged Goods]

09, and they are warped, confirmed by dealer.

[Pokey]

09, and they are warped, confirmed by dealer.

Can't figure out for the life of me why some of y'all are having this issue, my 2008 has no issues. I did get a slight wobble/pulsing in my rotors after some hard braking during a long trip, but I cleaned them thoroughly and switched over to Galfer HH pads. No issues now whatsoever.

[sycamoredave]

Had the same issue on my '08.  I finally gave up on OEM parts and went after market.  No problems since.  One thing to consider is whether this surfaced soon after changing tires.  If so, the tech may have damaged the disc during the process.  Those OEM discs are very soft metal.

Ride safe...
Dave

[VirginiaJim]

Can't figure out for the life of me why some of y'all are having this issue, my 2008 has no issues. I did get a slight wobble/pulsing in my rotors after some hard braking during a long trip, but I cleaned them thoroughly and switched over to Galfer HH pads. No issues now whatsoever.

Poke, if you got out of your subdivision and rode faster than 35, you might understand this better.    Was this long trip to the grocery store?

I've had it happen to me three times.  Once was self-inflicted, the other two were hard braking events.  The carrier (black piece) is flimsy.  Enough so, that Kwak has upgraded the front rotors and changed the pads.  So something is going on.  The rotors are also highly susceptible to deposits.

[Damaged Goods]

Had the same issue on my '08.  I finally gave up on OEM parts and went after market.  No problems since.  One thing to consider is whether this surfaced soon after changing tires.  If so, the tech may have damaged the disc during the process.  Those OEM discs are very soft metal.

Ride safe...
Dave

Which aftermarket rotors did you go with, and how many miles have you put on them?

[MGvaleri]

Poke, if you got out of your subdivision and rode faster than 35, you might understand this better.    Was this long trip to the grocery store?

I've had it happen to me three times.  Once was self-inflicted, the other two were hard braking events.  The carrier (black piece) is flimsy.  Enough so, that Kwak has upgraded the front rotors and changed the pads.  So something is going on.  The rotors are also highly susceptible to deposits.

The rotors are also highly susceptible to deposits.yes
The problem is not the rotors due to vibration or pulsation in the brake lever, clean rotors and brake pads, all sconpare.

MGvalerio.

[sycamoredave]

Which aftermarket rotors did you go with, and how many miles have you put on them?

I've run about 15K since then including trips to CO in the mountains with some pretty technical riding.  I think they were KBB, but will have to go back and make sure.  We went with what my bike tech recommended.  I have about 24K on the bike.

Dave

[Tim]

I own a ABS 09 with about the same mileage as DG. I still have the original pads and rotors. I don’t use the brakes hard. I’ve followed the front rotor issue from the beginning. As Jim said the rotors are susceptible to pad build up.

 I’ve had the rotors feel like they were warped to the point of making me think the front end was coming apart. I also wondered if the front tire didn't have something to do with it. I read the rotors will get pad build up on them so I bought some foam covered in sand paper material and cleaned the rotor surfaces on both sides. It only takes a few minutes. The results were a normal braking feel just like new. After a while the rotors would feel like they were warped again. I have had some success at braking hard a couple of times and clearing the pad build up. If this doesn’t fix it, then I clean with the sanding blocks again.

If the dealer just rides the bike and the rotors feel warped it would be my guess it’s just easier to say they are warped. The only real way to check this is with a dial indicator.

I won’t say pad material build up is DG’s problem but rather what I found with my bike.

Regards, Tim

[Pokey]

Poke, if you got out of your subdivision and rode faster than 35, you might understand this better.    Was this long trip to the grocery store?

I've had it happen to me three times.  Once was self-inflicted, the other two were hard braking events.  The carrier (black piece) is flimsy.  Enough so, that Kwak has upgraded the front rotors and changed the pads.  So something is going on.  The rotors are also highly susceptible to deposits.

[stevewfl]

[VirginiaJim]

 

[dolomoto]

I changed my front PR3 (>18,000 miles) yesterday and I tweaked (warped) one of the brake rotors. The front brakes are mostly useless unless I pump them several times before squeezing the lever. I think the bent rotor is knocking the pads away every time it goes around (hence the need to pump).

Anyway, with 65,000 miles on them I reckon it ain't so bad...even though I'm just on the second set of pads.

I'm leaning towards the EBC rotors from Murphskits...who has experience with these? Or other rotors?

[stevewfl]

I changed my front PR3 (>18,000 miles) yesterday and I tweaked (warped) one of the brake rotors. The front brakes are mostly useless unless I pump them several times before squeezing the lever. I think the bent rotor is knocking the pads away every time it goes around (hence the need to pump).

Anyway, with 65,000 miles on them I reckon it ain't so bad...even though I'm just on the second set of pads.

I'm leaning towards the EBC rotors from Murphskits...who has experience with these? Or other rotors?

My rotors are showing wear after 67,000 miles.  I haven't measured them but it seems obvious a replacement is around the corner.  Please make a thread about what you do and how it turned out.  I want aftermarket higher performance rotors as well

[dolomoto]

My rotors are showing wear after 67,000 miles. ...snipped...

How many sets of pads have you went thru?

I'm ridiculously easy on brakes...the OEM rear pads went around 56k, the OEM front pads went around 25k and the replacement EBC pads are still on at 64k.

[VirginiaJim]

I changed my front PR3 (>18,000 miles) yesterday and I tweaked (warped) one of the brake rotors. The front brakes are mostly useless unless I pump them several times before squeezing the lever. I think the bent rotor is knocking the pads away every time it goes around (hence the need to pump).

Anyway, with 65,000 miles on them I reckon it ain't so bad...even though I'm just on the second set of pads.

I'm leaning towards the EBC rotors from Murphskits...who has experience with these? Or other rotors?

Been there, done that, have the t-shirt...  Same symptoms as you.  It's not the rotor itself, it's the black carrier that it's fastened to that's been bent.  Don't let it go too long like I did.  The pads will wear out very quickly and unevenly in that situation.  I've got the EBCs and they appear to be good rotors although they take a bit to 'wear' in.  Get the EBC pads as well, otherwise EBC won't warranty the rotors.