KDXRIDER.NET

alrighty... I went up to ride capital forest yesterday ( WA)....it was rainy and slick as hell. long story short, i ate it pretty bad on a fire road because my front brakes are like a light switch...on or off...no in between. it could possibly be the brake pads, but i've tried a few different sets and no matter what, they are all super grabby. any suggestions? i'd like a nice gradual lead up to lock up....i have a 98 kdx 200. thanks

Most grabby brakes are from contamination...oil, brake fluid, etc. Try to clean them first with brake cleaner (be careful). If they are glazed, sometimes sanding just the surface off can fix them (figure 8 motion on a flat surface), but not always. Were the different sets you tried clean? It could also be a piston problem (all or nothing action), but that would be unusual. You might be able to tell if thats the problem by checking the feel of the piston by hand pushing it in and using the brake lever to move it back out - should be smooth either way.

Love Capital Forest. We rode there two weeks ago. Wouldn't want front brake grab there, not in wet conditions for sure.
My front brakes were doing the same thing. I cleaned them with cleaner and sanded them out a bit. Cleaned the rotors too. Seemed to help. I used to lightly sand my mountain bike pads when they were new. Seemed to help giving me a smoother brake in. Our west side trails are no place for harsh brakes. Not this time of year.
Happy Trails

What brakes are you using up in capitol? I think I'm going to go with sintered metal this next time. Or just stock pads. Thoughts?