What makes a good brake pad great?

Since not all brake pads are created equal, some technical information can help you understand the differences between the kinds available on the market. There are three types of friction material commonly used for motorcycle brakes: sintered metal, ceramic and Carbon-Kevlar.

Sintered metallic brake pads, which have a very high metal content, are typically very hard and abrasive to the rotor surface while offering moderate stopping power and mechanical strength. Service life tends to be significantly lower and sintered metallic pads tend to run more dirty and noisy than other types of friction material. They are also inexpensive to manufacture and are the cheapest pads on the market.

Ceramic brake pads usually have a very high copper content and are sintered as well. While ceramic pads generally offer a slightly longer service life and run cleaner than sintered metallic pads, they offer only moderate stopping power.

Carbon-Kevlar pads, often referred to as organic pads, usually have a small percentage of iron or non-ferrous metal and are softer than other friction materials. Carbon-Kevlar pads typically run very clean and quiet and offer good stopping power. They have extremely long service life and are not abrasive to the rotor because they generate less heat than other friction materials.

Lyndall’s brake pads are of the Carbon-Kevlar variety. What makes our pads unique is that they contain a premium blend of Carbon-Kevlar and non-ferrous metal and have a high transfer rate. Once the pad material has transferred a layer to the rotor, the rotor effectively becomes one big brake pad stopping against the two smaller brake pads positioned in the caliper. The result: incredible stopping power, no dust, no noise, no drag, no measurable rotor wear, and the highest service life of any pad on the market.