Interesting, help with diagnosing horrible brake?

Posted by nickels767 on Sep 21, 2012; 11:52pm
URL: http://vintage-and-classic-hondas.81.s1.nabble.com/Interesting-help-with-diagnosing-horrible-brake-tp4029562.html

1980 CB750C.

So, I just went to take my skills test on my bike without first actually riding it. Remarkably passed the safety (after fixing the turn signal with some speaker wire in the parking lot), then I did the test. Ride steadily at walking pace, do a slalom based on turning circle, then get it up to 30km/h and come to an emergency stop without locking up or exceeding a safe distance. Considering the weight of the bike, and with me sitting at 220lbs, everything went alright. Held a straight line in the slow speed, didn't put a foot down in the slalom, but then came the emergency braking. -Remember, this was my first time riding this bike.

On the first go I locked up the rear brake quite easily, but slowly roooooolled to a stop. On the next go I went about as hard as I could on the front brake, and still took 50 feet to stop. Needless to say I was annoyed that I didn't pass just because of the bike, but considering I wasn't sure it would pass the safety I wasn't too annoyed. Picking up new tires on Tuesday, they were so old it was like locking the brakes up on a Power Wheel Jeep.

Back home, having not removed my supervised riding restriction I took Charlie for a spin in the alley behind my house. Booted it up to about 80km/h, and went hard on the brakes. With the front brake fully pressed against the handle, I felt like I was attempting to stop the titanic.

Having sat for a while, do I likely just have hardened front pad(s)? Or am I looking at something else? The lever felt alright, so with wicked pressure applied I'm hoping it's just the pad(s). With that said, anybody recommend good pads?