5th Gen Brake Noise

I know there's been at least one thread on this made before, but I'm torn between whether the previous owner installed new brake pads or the calipers/pistons are in need of adjustment. There is no oscillation in the brake handle under load, and, especially at lower speeds, the bike wants to stop on a dime. Given this, I'm assuming the pads are new, or at very least the rotors aren't warped. I just want a second opinion, since I'm headed 650mi to Sturgis in 11 days. Thanks in advance!

Bike is my 1998 VFR 800, ~37,000mi on the clock.

 

I'm not sure what your asking.
You don't mention what the noise is, from where, or when its happening.

 

My apologies, that was a late-night post for me (past my usual bedtime ). The noise is your typical brake-on-rotor grinding/rubbing kind; thankfully, no loud screeching. If anything, the sound is fairly faint. It appears to only occur in the front rotors, and I can only hear it when pushing the bike (engine off). When pushing the noise is constant, not internittent.

 

There IS no adjustability in 5th gen calipers. The only thing that you can do is check that the left axle mount is in the right place on the axle, as you can push the caliper body into contact with the disc if this is off. See the owners manual if you're unsure.

A hissy scrapy sound is normal for good discs/pads, especially sintered metal pads like EBC HH.

One bit of maintenance that a lot of people overlook on the 5th and 6th gen is the sliding mounts on the caliper. The calipers have pistons on one side only so the whole caliper body has to slide sideways slightly for both pads to make contact. If the sliding pins seize you will find pads wear very differently and brake power is compromised.

 

What he said ^