Check out these brake pads
 

I have recently acquired my first DR650!! It is a post '96 model, and this winter I will be Farkling the hell out of her. The brake pads need immediate replacement. I'm surprised the previous owner of my Beast didn't kick it in a crash. Check out the condition of the OEM pads the last owner was riding on!!!doh:


This leads in to my couple questions... My cycleshop didn't have the OEM sintered pads but had the EBC. I asked them for F&R sets of sintered EBC pads. Thinking they gave me the right ones, when I got home I double- checked, and it turns out that both front and rear sets are the red X-class carbon pads. Kinda pissed the "guru's" don't even know which damned parts are which. It was my first time buying EBS so I had no idea- stickers on the packaging prevented me from knowing they were the wrong pads, and seeing as I had already installed them before noticing they were the wrong pads, I was hoping to get a couple questions answered before I go bitch at the staff there.

1--Front brake pad shim: I can't find pics of it online, and the DR650 manual I downloaded from the Inet is worthless when it comes to photos. There is a tiny aluminum shim at the top and bottom of where the pads fit onto the caliper. The bottom shim fell out and I need to know its correct orientation with the pads. Can anyone provide an illustration or photo so I know I have it on right?

2-Are the red EBC carbon x- series worth a shit for a non-motard style DR, or should I uninstall them and return them for regular sintered? If these pads only last about 2500miles then my use will be primarily road, with some mildly aggressive off-roadiing. Weatherwise, there is a fair amount of snow/runoff/ rain where I live. Conditions will likely usually be dry, but I need to depend on those pads when I happen to be in the wet and off-road. If they last until next summer, I will be off-roading like mad.

3-Searched google for a good source for OEM suzuki parts (pads)- ebay seems to only carry ebs and no-names. Anyone have a good and cheap source online for OEM 650 parts? My Cycleshop quoted OEM pads at ~$44 USD for the front set and $66 USD for the rear pads. That seems ridiculously high priced? The woman behind the counter was a space cadet.

Thanks for the help!

Photos of the front pad shims
 

Does the placement of the tiny metal shims look like they are positioned properly? Cheers!

Attachment 4082

Attachment 4083

I don't think that top pic shows the spring in the right position.

I saw and replied to your post on the ADVRider DR 650 thread, as I was having the same problem. I posted a parts diagram and someone else over there posted a pic of the correct orientation.

Check on ADVRider and see what you think. Be careful riding until this one gets figured out for sure.

..........shu

The spring is upside down......

Thanks guys for the heads-up. The last post I had seen on ADVrider was from a fellow named "Tree" who, if I read it right, said their positioning looked correct. Fortunately, I haven't ridden her since swapping out the pads, so I am happy to say this can be remedied before any problems occur.

Thanks again!:thumbup1: