For a Better Brake Feel

I love your magazine and, honestly, your articles are the most tech inclined articles. They are highly informative. I am writing today because I have a technical question regarding my bike. I own a KTM 390 Duke, which I bought recently. I am happy with the performance of the bike; however, when it comes to braking, I am not really happy with the stock brakes. I want to know what I can do to improve the brake feel. Should I replace the brakes or should I change the brake pads? Please advise me.

Ahmed Shaikh, Bhopal

Thanks for your kind words. As for your question, we would say that changing the calipers would be an expensive proposition. However, to get a better feel from the brakes you may first get the brakes checked for air. Sometimes, there is some air trapped in the brake lines and also in the caliper which can affect braking performance. We recommend that you get the brakes checked for air and if there is air in the system, get them bled by an expert. If you still feel that brake feel is still not to your liking, you may replace the pads with ones that use a different brake pad material. That should give a better feel. There are companies like EBC who make brake pads that will fit your KTM 390 Duke. And they are easily available in India.