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Front brake "pulsing"

8K views 43 replies 13 participants last post by  ron.davis 
#1 ·
Just bought a 2018 300 and noticed front brake seems to "pulse" when I brake. Not sure how to describe it--grabs then eases off. It is not an ABS model. Dirty pads? Air in system? Need advice!
 
#4 · (Edited)
I agree with JT in GA. The front rotor and brake pads will need to be closely inspected for what I call the "Rings of Saturn" on the rotor. By that I mean grooves or visual discoloration that would indicate wear and uneven warpage from excessive heat. It could be brake pads that are worn down to the backer plate or rivets. The good news is if the front brake fluid reservoir is showing normal level in the sight glass and there is no leakage anywhere around the brake caliper replacing the front rotor and brake pads should be pretty straight forward. Pads are around $35 and rotor cost (UPDATED 9/19/2022 $315 on Partzilla = ridiculous and hopefully not needed) and once swapped out your front brake should be back to like new.
 
#10 · (Edited)
rotors are crazy compared to cost of pads...pads are 35-60 dollars. disc monies is kinda insane,.., see pic of screen shot....I know there are other options for buying..Sometimes the whole wheel asssemply used can be less expensive then the new part for the wheel etc.. I digress

View attachment 190273
I had no idea that the rotor is very expensive - your example is $431. I just looked up the rotor on Partzilla and it is $315. Either case that is ridiculous. I hope none of us ever need to replace the rotor. Kawasaki seems to over charge for any larger part but the small stuff is reasonably cheap. It is what it is.
I'm always digging in to find simple and inexpensive solutions.
On ebay right now 9/18/2022 10:20AM there is a front rotor off a Versys X300 2020 model and that is used but could be considered if a front rotor is needed and it has no bids and starting at $42.74.
LINK to the ebay rotor: 20 Kawasaki LE300 Versys X-300 Front Brake Rotor 29C | eBay
 
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#7 ·
easy fix like new pads
I fixed my front brake pulsing by replacing the front brake pads on my 650 with EBC double H sintered pads after researching a bit. I dont notice pulsing anymore. The idea is that at a stop we use the front brake to hold the bike and when hot the softer OEM type pads leave a residue on the rotor.
noticed front brake seems to "pulse" when I brake
Try cleaning and sanding the rotors first and see if that works. Spin the wheel while sanding with emory paper. I use 400 grit or even 220 grit on squeaky rotors. If that works for the pulsing, the EBC double H sintered pads should limit the residue left on the rotor. Better grabbing power as well.
 
#8 ·
The downside of drilled and pedal rotors, lots of machining-high cost. Kawasaki is pretty proud of their work.
I’d try to verify it actually is a damaged rotor. Sure sounds like it.
I’ve brought auto rotors into an auto parts store to have them turned down before. It wasn’t very expensive. Might be worth asking someone offering this service to have a look at it. See what they say? I’d try to avoid telling them it’s a $400+ rotor if possible. Might see that as a reason to charge extra.
 
#19 ·
Growing up on dirt bikes, I generally avoided using the front brake until I started street riding. But he may just have not wanted to admit knowing about the problem without disclosing it to you. All the more reason to look beyond the obvious to make sure you have a safe machine.

Does the front still wear factory rubber? A likely time for rotor damage is mishandling the wheel when it’s removed from the bike. Factory rubber up front could indicate the wheel has not been removed. Also check the cotter pin. If the ends are fully wrapped around the axle nut, that would also point towards maybe the front wheel never being removed.
I’m not sure how to damage a rotor on the bike, short of major trauma. I’d strongly recommend close and thorough inspection of the front end. Not trying to scare you. Just make sure all is well so you have peace of mind. I’d be especially concerned if there is no indication the front wheel has been removed
 
#27 ·
Warped rotor.
My 08 has a warped rotor on one side from when it was knocked over a concrete parking lot brick by a lady not watching where she backed her suv. I had it checked by a machine shop.

The warp is only in the thousandths, but it's horrid braking at speed. I just never replaced it because bobbin rotors are freaking expensive, and I've been told that replacing front rotors requires doing both at once because of uneven wear.
 
#29 ·
I've had pulsing on my V1K ever since I got it in 2019. It was noticeable, but didn't seem to affect overall stopping. Either I've grown accustomed to it, or it has diminished over the 25,000+ miles I've put on the bike. I'll be going on a 200 mile day trip to Cripple Creek, CO tomorrow, will report back on whether or not it's still there...
 
#41 ·
I put the EBC Double H on the front and the rear of my 650. The rear was unnecessary really as far as the pulsing fix which worked on the front. They grab better but the rear rotor will chatter abit when they have brake dust on them. I clean the rear rotor with rubbing alcohol quickly when I have the wheel spinning like chain spraying time . If you're hard on your braking I can see the rear rotor wearing quicker as this is the most used. Ive got 50,000K on the pads no problem but I'm careful rider as far as stopping...
 
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