Motorcycle Repair: Brake squeal, brake squeal, dual action sander

Question
Heya Mark,
   I just recently bought a 1998 Suzuki Savage LS650. I love the bike but the front brakes squeal. There seems to be no lack of stopping power, and she brakes evenly, but the squeal is really annoying, and I worry that it could be covering up a more severe problem.
  Is there anything short of taking her to a shop that I can do to stop the squealing?
  Thanks,
     River
     satyir@yahoo.com

Answer
Hi River,

The first step to getting rid of brake squeal is to remove the caliper from the bike. Remove the pads and blow out any dust or dirt from the caliper. Clean with Brake Kleen if there is grease or old fluid on the caliper. Inspect the pads for embedded metal or debris, then lightly sand the surface of each pad with emery to remove the shiny spots. A nice dull finish is fine. Chamfer the leading edge of each pad, (the edge that the rotor feeds into) at 45 deg. with a file.

You can use "Disc Brake Quiet" on the backs of the pads, where they contact the pucks. This is a slightly gooey red or blue cream that adheres the pad to the puck, reducing chatter and allowing the pad to retract with the puck and get away from the rotor. Disc Brake Quiet and Brake Kleen are available at auto parts stores.

Also recommended are SBS Brake Shims which are a rubber/glassfiber shim that adheres to the back of the pad and dampens vibration.

If your rotors are very glazed, you might consider giving them a minor resurfacing with a Dual Action sander like the ones used in auto body work. Finally, if you have ultra-hard pads, try replacing them with the newer soft compound pads. They will wear a bit faster, but braking will be improved and it will eliminate the squeal.

LRB has brake pads in aggressive compounds that increase brake efficiency and reduce braking effort.

Respectfully,
Mark Shively