Scooter brake service record

The problem it solves

Brake parts on these machines are bought by shape-matching and fitted without record, so nobody knows what is in there, how long the last set lasted, or whether the disc has been measured since it left the factory. On every other system that is untidy. On brakes it is different.

There is no catalogue telling you which pads your machine takes, so whatever you found last time was worked out from measurement. If it is not written down, it has to be worked out again — and the temptation next time is to guess from memory and match by eye.

The other reason to keep this is wear rate. Knowing that your front pads last a certain number of miles the way you ride is far more useful than any published interval, and it is the difference between checking them before a long trip and finding out on a hill.

This sheet also records the things measured rather than replaced: disc thickness, drum diameter, fluid condition. Those change slowly and invisibly, which is exactly why a written record beats a memory.

The mistakes this sheet exists to prevent

• Replacing pads without measuring the disc, which wears too and has a minimum thickness.
• Not recording what was fitted, so the identification work has to be repeated.
• Ignoring fluid that has gone dark, which absorbs water over time whether the machine is used or not.
• Fitting new pads onto a scored disc and expecting them to bed properly.
• Not noting the date of a fluid change, since fluid ages by time rather than by mileage.

How to use it

1. 01Measure the old pads or shoes before they go in the bin.
2. 02Measure the disc thickness or drum diameter at every pad change, not just when something feels wrong.
3. 03Record the exact description of what you fitted, since no catalogue will tell you next time.
4. 04Date the fluid changes. Brake fluid ages by time, not by use.