Best Brake Pads For Harley Davidson Touring (OEM Replacement)
Below are some great tips and the best brake pads for your Harley. At the end of the day, choosing the best sintered or organic brake pads all comes down to your own preference and the riding you plan on doing.
Many riders often get caught up all in the fuss over the latest innovation and the best parts. Finding the best replacement brake pads for your Harley can often lead to analysis paralysis. If you’ve found yourself in this position – just like so many before you, here’s what to do.
What Are The Right Brake Pads For Your Harley?
Go back to basics, stop overthinking. Unless you’re a high performance track racer, spending a fortune on brake pads just isn’t worth it. The second place you should look to find more information (You’re already at the First Checkpoint) is your Harley-Davidson owners manual. OEM brakes are the best option for most Harley riders. They offer everything you could need.
However, OEM brake pads are often more expensive than brake pads offered by other manufacturers. Some riders (like myself) prefer the feel of a different brake pad as they can and often do lead to performance boosts and improved stopping power. Talking about improvements, if you’ve ever found your Harley shocks to be a little uncomfortable, check out our review on Harley Davidson shocks.
If performance is what you’re after, you should take a look at sintered brake pads. which focus on performance. Semi-sintered or organic brake pads are the way to go If performance is not your end goal, but you’re looking to maintain your stopping power with a different bite. The complete list of optimal brake pads for your Harley are:
Best Harley Davidson Touring Brake Pads
Finding the best brake pads for your Harley Davidson is a time-consuming task. We’ve done the research for you and found the 6 best Harley Davidson Brake Pads.
EBC Brakes Semi-Sintered Brake Pad
EBC Semi-Sintered brake pads are a dual composite construction that offer the high-performance benefit of sintered brake pads while still being light and less damaging to the rotor.
These are well suited as replacements for both Kevlar brake pads as well as sintered metal pads. The semi-sintered nature means that these offer a similar feel to a softer break while still boosting performance to an enhanced level.
Interesting performance testing has been done on the V-Pad range. Running these brake pads through a dyno has shown that the V-Pad range has much better durability over other aftermarket sintered brake pads.
Ultimately, these have been designed with heavy cruiser bikes and street bikes in mind with the intention of being one of the best brake placements for Harley Davidson riders.
Replacement Brakes For:
- OEM 41852-08, 41854-08 & 42897-08
Notes:
- Sold as one set (2 pads)
- Same brake pad is used on front and rear wheel
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EBC Semi-Sintered Brake Pads
These are a very common set of brake pads for Harley riders. In fact, most of the guys you ride with are using the EBC Semi Sintered V-Pads. They’re great value for money and straightforward to install.
Brake pads are not the most challenging items to replace by yourself at home. Although if you’re not sure of what you’re doing you should always ask a friend or take your bike to the dealer/mechanic.
These brake pads are no different from an ease of installation perspective. Which is great because they make a massive difference over the stock brake pads. Some might even call it a matter of night and day.
To fully experience the difference, make sure you run a new line of brake fluid which will further improve the smooth performance of the EBC brakes.
If you tend to ride a bit more aggressively than the average rider, you want a pair of brake pads that will offer more bite, but not wear too harshly. The EBC Harley brake pads are the perfect option for riders looking for a harder braking performance, even in cold weather.
When compared to a harder brake like the Lyndall Xtreme’s, they don’t offer quite as stiff of a bite, but they do have a similar mileage which makes the EBC brake pads much better value for money considering the price difference. They also don’t need to run as hot as the Lyndall pads to reach optimal braking performance.
REPLACEMENT BRAKES FOR:
- OEM 44082-00
Note:
- Will not fit Front of 2000-2007FLSTSC or FXSTS models
- Will not fit Rear of 2006-2007 FXST or 2007 FLSTF models
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EBC Double-H Sintered Brake Pads
Sintered brake pads are constructed almost completely from metal alloys which are combined through intensive heating and high pressure environments. The benefit of sintered brake pads as mentioned earlier is that they deliver exceptional performance in a wide variety of situations, from cold weather casual riding, all the up to heavy brake intensive touring routes.
Most motorcycles are equipped standard with sintered brake pads right out of the manufacturing plant. These Double H sintered brake pads by EBC provide incredible braking performance with a strong bite. The bite is vastly more powerful than the typical softer organic brake compounds. These brake pads have actually featured in the top position in our guide to the best motorcycle brake pads.
Sintered brake pads also have a longer lifespan as a result of their ‘hardness’ when being created in those high temperature and pressure environments.
What makes the Double H brake pads different to other sintered brake pads is the fact that they are developed without any iron powder. This removes all possibility of your brake pad and brake disc fusing together due to corrosive forces.
Sintered brake pads generally provide a more consistent braking feel when riding, regardless of weather and temperature which is why they are often considered to be the best brake pads for Harley Davidson touring.
Important Notes:
- Sold as one set (2 pads) for one wheel only (buy two sets)
- Same brake pad is used for both front and rear wheels
Features:
- Sintered copper alloy construction
- Ideal for all weather conditions
- Tested and approved by ECE R90 and TUV standards
- HH compound tailored heat cycling
- Made locally in the USA
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Lyndall Brakes Z-Plus
Lyndall Z-Plus Carbon/Kevlar Brake Pads are uniquely constructed from a mixture of carbon and kevlar. The brakes are manufactured with little to no iron, which means that these brake pads are slightly softer than the Lyndall Gold Plus pads (see below).
They offer a longer wear down duration or better bang for buck at the cost of losing a few performance points. Although the performance from these pads will still heavily outweigh that of other organic composite brake pads.
Sacrificing a few performance points is not a big deal for everyday riders. In fact, that’s exactly what these brakes are designed for – the everyday Harley rider. They might not have the same stopping power as a set of performance brakes, but they last longer and work much better when riding in lower temperatures – as one would when cruising the streets – not so much the track.
The softer nature of these brake pads aids in preventing damage to polished rotors which is a big deal for most Harley riders. The other big deal offered by these Lyndall brakes is their “Dust Free” claim – which has successfully stood up to the tests and makes these one of the best aftermarket brake pads for Harley’s.
Even after 500 miles of touring, the whitewalls on your Harley tires will still look white, which is a major problem when riding with OEM brake pads. In case the white walls of your tires have been to far abused, check out this guide to the best replacement tires for Road Kings. To top it all off, these Lyndall brake pads are silent as hell which is another reason why we suggest these as the best replacement brake pads for harley davidson touring.
Features:
- +10% Stopping Power than stock pads
- Zero Dust
- Zero Noise
- 30% Cooler than stock pads
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Lyndall Gold Plus Harley Davidson Brake Pads
The Lyndall Gold Plus brake pads are a bit more expensive than some of the other Harley touring brake pads but they do have some interesting benefits.
The Gold Plus are the latest and greatest innovation from the Lyndal factory. They feature all the high performance metals and alloys that you could ever want. The Gold Plus brake pads are designed with high performance materials which are suited for riders looking for some serious stopping power.
Serious stopping power can sound a bit scary. No rider wants an unpredictable front brake. Lyndall has ensured that the Gold Plus brakes are predictable and perform consistently. If you’ve ever been unsure as to when to use the front brake, check this guide on front brake usage.
Lyndall have basically created the Gold Plus brake pads as the optimal brake pads for Harley-Davidson performance riding. What’s great is that the performance does not waiver under varying weather conditions. Hot or cold, rain or shine, the trace iron organically blended brake pads need very little break in time.
Features:
- Replaces OEM brake pads
- +20% Stopping power than stock pads
- Low Dust
- Zero Noise
- 30% Cooler than stock pads
- 18,000 miles service life
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Semi Sintered vs Organic Harley Brake Pads
When it comes to deciding between sintered and organic brake pads, there are pros and cons to each. Organic brake pads often have a smoother feel to them as they are manufactured from a softer compound which also means they will cause less abrasive harm to your rotors.
The downside is that because they’re softer, they tend to wear out and need replacing more frequently. Sintered brake pads are the opposite. They last longer, but they apply much more abrasive stress on the rotor as they have a harder stopping force.
When it comes to performance, sintered and organic brake pads offer the same level of performance for casual riding, although sintered brake pads are preferred for higher speeds, harder and more frequent braking like tight winding roads.
Choosing sintered or organic brake pads boils down to your preference, use, and how often you’re willing to replace the brake pads on your motorcycle.
Best Brake Pad Brands
EBC Motorcycle Brake Pads: EBC has a world-renowned reputation for being at the forefront of motorcycle brake pad innovation. They have a wide range of high-quality aftermarket brake pads. EBC brake pads are manufactured in the US and UK, straight from EBC’s own manufacturing facility for over 40 years.
Galfer Motorcycle Brake Pads: Galfer first started production back in 1946, based out of Barcelona their original target market was the European rider. In the early 90’s Galfer expanded to the US market and have since become a widely recognized motorcycle brake pad manufacturer. Galfer are particularly well known for their high-performance motorcycle brake pads and rotors by track riders around the world.
BikeMaster: Well known for high-quality OEM replacement parts, including motorcycle brake pads at competitive prices. Bikemaster have been manufacturing and supplying motorcycle tools and parts since 1981. Bikemaster brake pads offer equal performance and top quality riders expect from similar OEM parts.
Lyndall Brakes: They’ve been supplying motorcycle brake pads to riders for over 20 years already. They specialize in providing high-quality and performance brakes for V-Twin motorcycles. Lyndall has a strong focus on striking the perfect balance between appealing aesthetics and high-quality performing brakes.
Lyndall also boasts about being the only motorcycle brake manufacturer with a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee – not a bad track record. Lyndall brakes are all fully organic with offerings in three different compounds to fit your preferred riding style.
Last Checkpoint
Thanks for stopping by at First Checkpoint!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this Harley-Davidson buyer’s guide and it’s helped you on your quest to find the brake pads for your Harley. After all the research that’s gone into this guide, I would choose the EBC Semi Sintered Brake Pads. They are one of the most commonly used brake pads by Harley Riders around the world. They’re a mid budget brake pad with top-budget performance.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on the brake pads that you’re currently running on your Harley Softail, Dyna, Sportster, Street Glide, Road Glide and all the other amazing Harley machines. Tell us which brake pads you’ve found to be the best for your type of riding. I’m sure your thoughts would help other readers out as well.
As always, if you have any questions, feedback, thoughts, or advice for the First Checkpoint team and our readers, I encourage you to drop a comment below.
Stay safe and stay on two wheels!
Nice writeup Wes! I have a 2018 Roadglide Special was a 107 new but a Stage3 bumped it to 114. I’m in the process of upgrading the fronts to Lyndall 11.8 Crown Cut Enforcer rotors but seriously weighing out the 13″ instead since I have a spoked 21″ front wheel. The hardest part is finding feedback on whether it’s beneficial to spend the extra $350 for the larger rotors? I’m purchasing straight from Lyndall and going with the Brembo calipers too. They require using a different mounting bracket so I can actually run 11.8 or 13″ rotors since the required caliper brackets accommodate both sizes. I need to talk to them to see if I need to swap out the pads to fulfill the lifetime warranty on their rotors. They are black and their Z pads will protect the black or silver coatings and the gold pads will protect the gold coated rotors. So this writeup came at the perfect time. Keep up the good work brother! Motor on…….KB.