Does your rear brake do this?

[Obo]

Just put a new rear tire on and when reinstalling the pads I noticed the caliper seems loose with some up and down play on the rear mount.
Not sure if there should be play like this or not. My Kawi has some play in it too so I'm guessing this is not abnormal, but figured I'd ask folks with more experience than I have. The plastic cap covering the retaining pin is missing as I hadn't put it back on yet. This was before I pumped the brakes a few times to ensure the pistons were out and the pads seated. I took it for a short ride and the rear brake feels normal.

 

[BakerBoy]

There has to be some movement for the caliper to float on the disc and move with pad wear. But that does seem just a bit more than I recall mine had. I doubt you've an immediate replacement necessary, however if that were mine I'd likely be investigating to see if the bolt shoulder is worn, or if the hole it fits into (in the caliper casting), then decide any next step. I'd also check the rubber boots to ensure they're not cracked and allowing debris/salts inside, aggravating the wear.

 

[Igofar]

Looks like your rear brake caliper bracket is damaged or worn (see pictures)
Pull the pads out, remove the axle enough to remove the caliper and bracket, then separate the caliper from the bracket.
Inspect the hole that the stopper bolt goes through, your looking for spiral looking flutes inside the hole.
This would indicate that the stopper bolt was either loose, or installed (torqued) in the wrong sequence at one time, damaging the bracket.
Also inspect the shelf that the front of the pads rest in.
The clip should be held firmly in place with a 3-M product as well as the tabs on the clip itself, and not move or wiggle at all.
If the inboard arm (stubby one) is worn down (again see pictures) it allows the pads to move around, which will cause binding, and could lock up your brakes without warning.
Also check to make sure you didn't bend or break off any parts of the upper spring clip.
It also appears that your not using OEM brake pads...
Those appear to be EBC (without heat guard)
I find poor quality fitment with that brand of pads in these bikes, ymmv.

 

[Obo]

The clip should be held firmly in place with a 3-M product as well as the tabs on the clip itself, and not move or wiggle at all.

Well I know for certain the clips are not held in with any 3M products as it fell out when I removed the pads and I first put it back in upside down. I realized it was upside down when I couldn't slide it back down over the brake disk all the way (as the arch on the clip was hitting the disc) I'll have another look to see if all the clip bits are there. A little voice in my head seems to say I don't recall seeing the J bits opposite the bridge part that I assume keep the bottom of the pads from slipping to the side.
What should the clips be held in with?

I'll take your word on the pads as I have not replaced those. They do have a stainless backer with lots of holes that is added on top of the pad base which is what these EBC (edited: darned spell check changed it to EMC lol) ones look like. Is that a heat guard?

 

[Gus1300]

The heat shield is the white stuff found only on the rear brake pads; both the fronts and rears have the metal backer plates.

 

[Obo]

Looks like your rear brake caliper bracket is damaged or worn (see pictures)
Pull the pads out, remove the axle enough to remove the caliper and bracket, then separate the caliper from the bracket.
Inspect the hole that the stopper bolt goes through, your looking for spiral looking flutes inside the hole.
This would indicate that the stopper bolt was either loose, or installed (torqued) in the wrong sequence at one time, damaging the bracket.

Just trying to orient myself on this photo. Which hole is this above, the yellow or red?

My play all seems to be on the pin 13 / red circled hole above. Either the pin is loose in the caliper bracket or the hole it slides thru on the caliper is worn.
(Sorry the online and service manual have poor diagrams showing what goes where in my opinion.)

 

[pmatulew]

The hole Larry is referring to is the big one at the front of the bracket that has the bolt through it. Certainly worth pulling the caliper and bracket to check since you're on the cusp of placing a parts order.

The video looks like the slop is at the rear slider pin. Might get away with a new pin if it looks worn. Otherwise you'd have to bush the hole or replace the caliper. (And the brake pads since they're not quite right.)

Not yet a critical situation but the slop could allow the caliper to cant and jam and cause other issues. Could also put more stress on the bracket front hole causing more issues.

Time to get it sorted out before it does become a critical situation.

 

[Igofar]

Just trying to orient myself on this photo. Which hole is this above, the yellow or red?

My play all seems to be on the pin 13 / red circled hole above. Either the pin is loose in the caliper bracket or the hole it slides thru on the caliper is worn.
(Sorry the online and service manual have poor diagrams showing what goes where in my opinion.)

You should also inspect the rubber boot(s) on both sliding pins as they tend to get swollen, loose, and tear. If one of the boots has become dislodged from the bracket that would cause a lot of slop and play you may be seeing.
The pins are steel, going into soft aluminum, while the steel pins don't get bent, they can push into the soft aluminum causing the pin to be crooked, inspect that also.
Lastly, inspect your pad retaining pin O-ring (the little white one on the end of the pin) if this is torn or missing, it can cause issues as well.

 

[Obo]

Lastly, inspect your pad retaining pin O-ring (the little white one on the end of the pin) if this is torn or missing, it can cause issues as well.

It was there. I was wondering what it was.

 

[jfheath]

The only thing keeping the caliper in place are the two slider pins. They are a VERY loose fit. Its possible that the holes have worn larger - but I would look at the rubber boots.



The right hand one is the one that fits on the caliper bracket - yellow in the diagram that you posted, (green below) and the one that you can see nearest to the camera and the pad pin in the video.
The left hand boot is underneath the caliper when it is fitted to the bike. That is the red one below - part #15, and it fits through the hole that you can just see coloured red underneath the caliper below. It looks as though bolt #14 is about to fit into it. It isn't. Bolt #14 is the slider pin that is retained (screwed) in the green hole on the caliper and slides into the smaller boot - part #16.

The red bits fit togther. The green bits fit together.


There is normally no need to remove the slider pins, but if you do, the correct torque is 27Nm, not 69Nm as it is labelled in my copy of the workshop manual.

Your video makes it sound like metal is knocking on metal. But they shouldn't. The green hole's entrance is lined with the rubber boot #16. Pin #14 should not make contact with metal.
The Red hole is completely enclosed with rubber. Pin #13 should not come into contact with metal either.

The caliper bracket appears to be staying rock steady. The only other place the noise could come from is if the brake pads are not properly seated in the caliper, and as you move the caliper it is the pads that are knocking. Take the pads out and try it again.

Then undo the axle and the stopper bolt to lift the bracket and caliper together and slide the bracket off the caliper - carefully - check that they are mated properly before you pull them apart. It is entirely possible that the red pin #13 is the culprit - eg broken / missing / not actually located in the hole containing boot #15.

 

[caldercay]

of the pad base which is what these EMC ones look like.

No no no ... EBC pads are evil for the ST ...

EDIT: never mind, Larry covered that : )

 

[Obo]

No no no ... EBC pads are evil for the ST ...

EDIT: never mind, Larry covered that : )

Yes, he sent me a nice PM about the differences. Too bad Honda didn't promote the benefits of the OEM pads. The OEM rears are thicker and have the heat shield and the fronts save on pad and rotor wear.

 

[Sadlsor]

Are Galfer pads OK to use on the ST?
It will be some time before I need to address this, as mine was lo-mileage when I got it and the original pads are still like new.
With many of my other bikes, I have found the aftermarket offered superior wear items than the OEM.
In the case of this ST, I have been using the recommended Honda oil and filter, just because, although I've added a Powerlet 12v source and a Givi tail trunk as non-Honda approved items.
OH NO! Did I just go there?!?!
My bad, I'm sorry, I apologize. SO -- about those brake pads?

 

[Shawn K]

Having used Galfer and OEM Honda, I'd recommend going with OEM. Larry (@Igofar ) can explain in more detail, but it basically comes down to the OEM pads doing a better job at helping avoid the wear issues and SMC issues that the ST is known to have.

One man's opinion.

 

[Obo]

Having used Galfer and OEM Honda, I'd recommend going with OEM. Larry (@Igofar ) can explain in more detail, but it basically comes down to the OEM pads doing a better job at helping avoid the wear issues and SMC issues that the ST is known to have.

One man's opinion.

@Igofar knows a lot about ST brakes. His knowledge of H-D gas gauges is questionable though...

 

[Sadlsor]

OK, @Shawn K, I'm convinced.
OEM brake pads for me.
In about 15 more months(Guessing).