2010 Victory Cross Country | Doin' Time

Wrist: Aaron Frank
MSRP (2010): $17,999
Miles: 7371
MPG: 41
Mods: EBC brake pads

With a curb weight in excess of 830 lbs., the Cross Country has given me a new appreciation for strong, reliable brakes. The front brakes are exceptional for a cruiser, consisting of dual four-piston calipers, full-floating 300mm rotors, sintered pads and even stainless-steel lines. I’ve been taking full advantage, riding this big bagger like an overgrown sportbike, and stopping power has suffered as a result.

I inspected the OEM pads just past 7000 miles. They still showed adequate thickness—almost 3mm—but, as I suspected, all four were glazed to a mirror-like finish from over heating. Time for a replacement. When I learned that EBC offers a Cross Country fitment for its premium, Double-H-rated racing pads ($37 per pair)—a product with which I’ve had plenty of positive experience on sportbikes—the search was over.

Double-H is the highest-available friction rating, for the maximum stopping power. The pads are manufactured from a copper alloy for longer life and more consistent braking response, and there’s no iron so the pad won’t “weld” to the disc if the bike sits for a few days.

I’ve only ridden a few miles with the new pads installed, but I’ve already noticed a massive improvement in braking performance, with a snappy initial bite and significantly more stopping power. I also noticed increased brake noise, though I’m hoping that this will disappear after the new pads bed-in and mate to the old rotors. I’m hoping for a decrease in brake dust on the wheels, too, given the harder, higher-quality compound. I’ll make sure to include an update in my next report, after I’ve put on some proper miles and tested the new pads in a wider range of riding conditions.