Watch out for EBC brake pad catastrophic failures

[AlanH]

I really hate EBC pads now. Look what I found when I removed the rear wheel to get a new tyre fitted:

This is the second set of EBC pads I have experienced that have broken up. The last set was on a little Honda CB-1 where the entire pad material completely separated from the backing and just fell out of the caliper.

Apparently, EBC only give a limited warranty on their pads. To quote their site:

Motorcycle Disc Brake Pads The EBC Brakes warranty covers defects in materials or workmanship only. Warranty is for replacement of similar product or refund of purchase value only excluding all labour and ancillary charges such as collection, fitting, inconvenience, purchasing of other manufacturers products and is good for a period of six months from date of purchase or 5,000 miles of highway use. Proof of mileage will be required. Warranty is invalid if product is used for taxi/hire car, racing, trackday experience riding, or any other form of competition. There is absolutely no warranty on any EBC product for race use. Warranty does not cover brake noise or normal wear and tear. Some brake pad systems cause pads to wear faster than others. Riders must assess the performance and durability of EBC Brakes products themselves if any EBC product is to be used in racing.

So, they only warranty them to remain in one piece for 6 months or 5000 miles. After that, if they break up and kill you, it's not their problem. I won't be using them again. There are enough other road users out there trying to kill us without shoddy aftermarket pad suppliers getting in on the act.

Very poor!

If you're using EBC pads - check them regularly for hairline cracks and signs of the friction material coming away from the backing plate. If in doubt, change them.

[Robster]

I heard that a good while back about EBC pads...been avoiding them for 3 years at least.

Scary stuff.

[outrunner]

Never used them, EBC that is, not the brakes!!

Andy.

[digitalcaptive]

Oh dear, I've not long fitted a set of EBC sintered pads in the rear

[StumpyFingers]

Blast it, I have just fitted a set to the front.

[Alba]

Just fitted a set on the rear... Doh ...

[winxp-master]

guys i don't care what the cost is, get them removed immediately! no way would i have them on, not a chance!

[nomad]

i've never had a problem with ebc pads
perhaps you were just unlucky to have two sets break up

[icenian]

Dude, that's nothing! There's still some friction material left FFS

I've had them disintegrate so there's nowt but the backing plate left on. Surprisingly the brakes still worked pretty well, but you should have heard the noise

The bad news is this has happened to me on 3 different makes of pad: EBC, Carbone Lorraine (sp?) and another I can't remember. Been riding for over 20 years and this has happened to me in the last 5 years or so, which probably accounts for only about 10% of my total mileage. This could be because my brake pads tend to get old before wearing out these days, whereas I used to get through 1-2 sets every year. Or it's something to do with modern manufacturing. Perhaps the EU banned all adhesives that actually adhere, or something?

they only warranty them to remain in one piece for 6 months or 5000 miles. After that, if they break up and kill you, it's not their problem

Terms and conditions don't really mean anything in cases were there is a defect that you can argue makes a product unfit for the purpose for which it was sold? You'd have to ask a solicitor if you really want to know, but I'm fairly sure statutory rights etc. override any amount of small print someone puts on a product...

I think it would hang on whether a court would accept that brake components sold for a normal road vehicle are fit for the purpose, if they disintegrated after say 5100 miles or 7 months of normal use. Might be different if there was evidence of poor maintenance or abuse, but EBC would have to show that was a more probable cause of the failure than a defect in the pads.

Naturally you may feel it's not worth taking EBC to the Small Claims court in order to get a new set of EBC pads for free. But if you'd crashed and it could be attributed to the pads failing, I don't think it would affect your case.

[AlanH]

Well, up until a couple of years ago, I'd had no problems with EBC pads too. When the EBC green organic pad failed on my CB-1 I posted on the 400GreyBike forum and found two other people on that forum had experienced the same thing. This latest set of EBC organic pads came with the bike so weren't my pad of choice.

Yes I'd say I've been unlucky having this happen twice but I have been very lucky that it hasn't caused brake failure or caused them to lock up mid-corner.

For this to happen twice with the same type of pad has to be a design or manufacturing flaw. For EBC to only warranty the pads against defects for 6 months/5000 miles shows they know they are rubbish too.

Having a bit of a google about shows this has also affected cars:

http://forums.focaljet.com/tire-rack...e-failure.html

...and Mountain Bikes:

http://www.mtbr.com/cat/brakes/brake...65_107crx.aspx

In all the years I've been biking and all the countless pads I've got through, the only two failures I've seen have both been EBC. I'm not risking it happen a third time.

Naturally you may feel it's not worth taking EBC to the Small Claims court in order to get a new set of EBC pads for free. But if you'd crashed and it could be attributed to the pads failing, I don't think it would affect your case.

It sounds to me like that famous Ford Pinto bean counting case. The cost of meeting any claim of death or injury from defective pads may be far less than making the pads properly in the first place.

If I had crashed as a result of defective pads, I too am sure their 'Warranty' would be irrelevant to the court case.