More brake dust residue on rear wheel than front?

[Kurgan]

I've noticed my rear wheel has more brake dust accumulation compared to the front. Has anyone else noticed their S10 doing this?

This is my first bike with linked brakes and rarely if use the rear brake pedal so I'm wondering if this is to be expected and normal? It's all original and with less than 10k miles. I've pulled the caliper and inspected it, the pins are lubed, there's no corrosion on them or on the piston and the rear wheel spins freely by hand when up on the center stand.

 

[jeckyll]

I've seen significantly higher rear pad wear vs front.

So I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[yoyo]

I've not noticed more brake dust but as Jeckyll has noticed the bike is heavier on rear pads than fronts.

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[Don T]

I've seen significantly higher rear pad wear vs front.

So I wouldn't be surprised.

Same here, and like OP I very rarely touch the brake pedal.

 

[Kurgan]

Ok, faster pad wear, more brake dust. Effectively, I'd love to kill the linked braking system but that's probably not an option so how to decrease the rear brake's strength compared to the front, it's not like we have a proportioning valve we can adjust (how I wish!).

Back in the day, in the cases of some sport bikes having too powerful a rear brake that could not be easily modulated, it wasn't uncommon to introduce an air bubble in the rear brake line or in some cases install pads with less grip. No idea if the air bubble idea is an option, would need to do some reading in the factory service manual to see how this whole thing is plumbed. But playing with pad compounds might work out if I change out front and back like this:

Install higher friction front brake pads like Galfer HH Sintered Ceramic pads, which provide more braking power than their regular HH pads. At the same time, install their standard semi-metallic compound OEM replacements on the rear wheel. If the front brakes are now effectively stronger I wouldn't need as much pressure at the lever to achieve the desired rate of deceleration. Less lever pressure = less activation of the linked rear brakes = less rear brake dust.

Maybe?

 

[jeckyll]

I really haven't found the linked brakes to require adjusting or changing in any way, nor do I see them as an issue.

For street riding, I tend to actually add more rear brake. This is a long bike and responds well to additional rear brake.

Easy test: Ride towards a stop, then use the brake (hand lever only). Once the suspension has compressed, add more rear brake with your foot. Result: You'll feel the bike slow down more, and not lock up the rear. I.E. Not too much rear brake.

We all ride different and YMMV, but that works for me including for pretty hard street riding with 50/50 tires.


Edit: Just to add, I've found rear brake usage (or need thereof) hugely varies by bike. For instance, on a KLR, you _must_ use the rear a lot, or you will simply not have enough stopping power. On my Tuono, I two finger brake the front Brembos and almost never touch the rear brake, it's simply not required (unless I'm trying to stop myself from rolling back at a stop light, or just want to flash the brake light ).

 

[scott123007]

An old trick is to cut grooves into the pad material if you want less braking force. (less swept area)
You may ultimately get faster pad wear, but not as much dust because there is less material now.

 

[cyclemike4]

I have a lot of brake dust on the rear wheel. At least i think so. I hardly ever wash my bike and the rear wheel gets all kinds of crud stuck to it that the front doesn't. But i am pretty sure the brake dust is worse on the rear. I really can't say i like the linked brakes at all but they are on there and I am not going to mess with it till they fail.

 

[MFP]

I've noticed my rear wheel has more brake dust accumulation compared to the front. Has anyone else noticed their S10 doing this?

This is my first bike with linked brakes and rarely if use the rear brake pedal so I'm wondering if this is to be expected and normal? It's all original and with less than 10k miles. I've pulled the caliper and inspected it, the pins are lubed, there's no corrosion on them or on the piston and the rear wheel spins freely by hand when up on the center stand.

On the S10 the rear brake pads do wear down sooner than the front ones.

 

[Cycledude]

On the S10 the rear brake pads do wear down sooner than the front ones.

yes definitely the rear brakes wear waaaay faster than the front ! On my previous 2013 the rear pads were shot at 25,000 miles. The front still had the original pads at 50,000 and they were still in pretty good shape.

 

[Don in Lodi]

Can you be sure it's brake dust and not road dust kicked up by the front tire?

 

[RonH]

Rear wheel will always have more dust than the front, even if you ride all interstate, and basically never touch the brakes. Same idea as rear flats are far more common than front tire flats. Reason is the front tire kicks up dust, the rear wheel is constantly riding right through that dust. As minimal as you would think the dust is, it adds up every mile on the rear rim. Front tire kicks up a nail, rear tire gets the puncture. Same idea, and simply the way it is.
Every forum regardless of motorcycle has this brake dust debate from time to time. Some disagree, but logic pretty much dictates the rear wheel will always be dustier than the front on any motorcycle.

 

[squarebore]

If you apply the rear brake first then the front, the rear will not be combined. You can release the rear and you get front only.

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[Kurgan]

Lot of good posts above, thanks to all. Regarding the dust, I believe it is primarily brake dust as the right side of the rear wheel has more than the left and it's the same color as what's on and around the caliper and caliper bracket.

Reading through the factory service manual I do see where I can "trick" the system to not link up as mentioned above, including applying the front brakes, releasing pressure and then reapplying them. Will try that on the next ride to see how that works out.