Akebono ceramic pads so soft?
 

Maybe because I just put them on last night. Feels very different than the original semi-metallic pads, which is very powerful. Now I have to press a little bit harder, and longer. Only my illusion? :dunno:

No, it's not in your head. Ceramic pads have less inital cold "bite". The trade off for the reduction in cold bite is less the 1/2 the rotor wear and much better high temp modulation. I've felt the same thing on every car I put ceramic pads on.

Ceramic pads need proper bedding to function correctly (the bedding process takes around 20 minutes). Did you follow bedding procedure?

No, didn't follow the bedding procedure. Sorry. Can you elaborate it a little bit?

I believe its 10 stops going from 60 mph to 10 mph, in succession at moderate braking, then 10 stops on hard braking from 60 down to 10, then driving on highway for 15-20 minutes without stopping or using brakes to "cool them down"

Google search should turn up a Zeckhausen or Brembo procedure, but my memory fades me.

That's it. You will find inital cold bite much better after break in. You will need to scuff up the rotor surfaces with scotch brite B4 break in, break in on glazed or used rotors will sometimes leave you with pad clatter/squeal.

I'd go ahead and have the rotors turned, then scuff the surface of your pads before doing the "bedding". The pads already have a slight burnish from your initial use and removing it will speed up the bedding process. Don't worry about pad like - my first set lasted 130,000 miles with no rotor wear at all.

2002 X5 3.0 238,000 miles (now on it's second set of Akebonos)
2004 325i 106,000 miles (still on the first set of Akebonos)

Holy sh$t, 130,000 miles??? :yikes: That's unbelievable.

The rotor is brand new, got it from Bavauto, slotted rotor, looks great to me. :D

It does actually feels better today, after several brakes. Just the rotor is turning a little bit brownish. :dunno: Maybe it's the brake pad film. Hope it'll be gone soon.

Bedding procedure Instructions for bedding in your brakes

I don't think ceramic pads should be bedded. Semimetallic - yes.
I had a nasty experience with Akebono, after I bedded them - one cool morning right after bedding them, I lost TOTAL braking power. Like pushing the brake pedal as hard as I could, and it seemed like the car had the pedal just for ornament. After this incident I did a research, and it seems that ceramics should NOT be bedded. maybe they form a glazed surface when bedding that will NOT brake at all? :dunno:

These brake pads, slowly started to bite as time passed. But for about 2 weeks, it was a thrill driving in the city.

That's kinda super scary....:wow::wow::wow: