Visualizing Brake Pads

This might be a stupid question but after looking through the Haynes manual it says you can open an inspection window in order to visualize your front brake pads to check for wear, I however, have not been able to locate this "window." Can someone point me in the right direction here?

 

I've never noticed an inspection window on mine.

You can see them easily enough sighting along the rotor.

Be aware - the pads are wedge shaped. Looking from the front one will look much thinner than the other. From the rear (underneath) the opposite one looks thin.

 

Good tip on the tapered pad thing, MiCarl. Jdpesz took his bike into a local bike shop and the shop owner told him he needed pads after inspecting them. Jdpesz came over one Sunday to have me help him install the pads and we discovered there was virtually no difference between the ones on the bike and the brand new set he purchased to replace them.

 

Bikes with Calipers having Opposing Caliper Pistons have a Plastic Inspection Cover over the Pads. (If they haven't fallen off)

Lifting off the Cover and looking down into the Pads will let you see the Cut in the Pads used as a Brake Pad wear indicator.

Calipers on the early Bikes didn't have two active Pistons.

 

My ride has the inspection holes on the back side of the caliper.
Very hard to see into the hole, if you get a shop light to shine in there it's in your line of sight.
I found a flashlight works best.
I did not know there was a cut in the pad to show were.
I've just been making sure there was still pad left.
:lol:

 

Not all brake pads have the 'cut' although the stock ones do. If in doubt, pop the caliper off it only takes a sec; and look.

 

My Dad's 81 XS1100 has the inspection windows yet my 82 XJ1100 does not. Be safe and pop off the caliper for a visual inspection. As stated above, takes about 60 seconds to pop one off and another 60 to put it back on. Brakes are not something you want to guess at or neglect.

 

I described the taper of the pads wrong. Looking in from the front the outboard pad will look thin. You really can't look from the back because there is no port in the caliper.

It is not necessary to remove the caliper to get the pads off an XJ650 Maxim. Simply pull the retaining pin at the bottom of the pads. There is a spring clip that holds it in place just inside the hole in the caliper. Squeeze the ears on the clip, slide the pin out and the pads will fall out.

 

So if there is still a groove in the stock style pads then they are good? Mine are getting thin but I still have a little groove left.

 

If you have a grove, they are good. Grove non-existent or faint, replace them.