Talk to me about brakes

[Silly Car]

Current bike 2000 R1, just under 20,000 miles on the clock, still running OE hoses, AFAIK OE fluids and pads. I bought the bike with 5,000 miles on it with FSH, however, I can't imagine they had been changed before I bought it.

I ride like a girl, there I have said it, get over it , so the brakes are not worked overly, but after nearly 10 years, I reckon a new set of front pads and probably fluid would be in order.

But what do I look for

Do I change the fluid?
What pads?
Should I chuck on a set of braided hoses, if so why, if not, why not?

There is a bit of life left in the pads, but the fluid level has dropped to around the min and to be fair, it isn't leaking, so I don't want to top it up, just to syringe out a load when I 'have' to do the pads.

Thanks for any help, no thanks to the piss takers

[Weeksy]

1. Yes. New fluid is 'better' because of the way it moves/stretches/flexes *not the best words for it
2. SBK and Performance Friction both have excellent reps. GOLD (Fren) have a fucking terrible one. Stadards are good. EBS/SBS are no problem
3. Yes. Your rubber hoses will have lost rigidity and expand wrongly, therefore not pushing the fluid about well.

You should really be able to imprvoe your brakes with just fluid... but in your case, fluid/lines/pads would be a plan.

Make sure you clean your disks before fitting new pads to remove any residue from the pads of your old pads, getting mixed with your new pads material.

Pads/disks will take approx 100 miles to 'bed in'

Different companies recommend different bedding in processes. A lot will depend on your pads chosen.

[Bigyin]

When you change the pads and push the pistons back in the fluid level will come back up but i would change it mate

EBC HH pads are good but i have more recently used Carbon Lorraine SBK pads or OE pads.

Your hoses will have lost their rigidity probably after that length of time so an HEL kit wouldnt hurt

But 10 years on original pads is a miracle........ i have just fitted my 3rd set in 3 years on the 636 and 27,000 miles............... the rear pads are still the same ones as i bought the bike with as i never use it

[cheb]

New fluid would be good.

If you are happy with the OE pads then why not fit another set, they'll presumably feel the same.

Hoses, if they aren't cracked then why replace them unless you want the extra performance and it doesn't sound like you do.

[Weeksy]

Originally Posted by cheb

Hoses, if they aren't cracked then why replace them unless you want the extra performance and it doesn't sound like you do.

Disagree. You have no idea how much they are expanding when they shouldn't be.

[Silly Car]

Originally Posted by Bigyin

When you change the pads and push the pistons back in the fluid level will come back up but i would change it mate

EBC HH pads are good but i have more recently used Carbon Lorraine SBK pads or OE pads.

Your hoses will have lost their rigidity probably after that length of time so an HEL kit wouldnt hurt

But 10 years on original pads is a miracle........ i have just fitted my 3rd set in 3 years on the 636 and 27,000 miles............... the rear pads are still the same ones as i bought the bike with as i never use it

I knew the fluid would rise back up

TBF the pads may have been changed just before I bought the bike, however the previous 2 owners were even bigger girls who mustered a total of 1,000 mile between them

Rear pads are OK, hardly ever used

HEL or Goodridge?

I've got a Pilot Power front and 2CT rear that have done nearly 4,000 miles and loads of life left, the previous 010s did over 5,000 before squaring off beyond use

Originally Posted by cheb

New fluid would be good.

If you are happy with the OE pads then why not fit another set, they'll presumably feel the same.

Hoses, if they aren't cracked then why replace them unless you want the extra performance and it doesn't sound like you do.

Hmm interesting, my view is they are nearly 10 years old, rubber perishes and becomes elastic, I haven't had a good poke around them recently, so they could either be brand new or fooked, just gauging vies atm

OE pads are in the offing as they seem to last a long time, certainly with my riding efforts

[Weeksy]

Originally Posted by Silly Car

HEL or Goodridge?

Same shit different day.

[cheb]

If the bike is stopping in a manner that is you're happy with then why worry?

Easy enough to stick a set of micrometers on the hose and squeeze.

[Silly Car]

Originally Posted by Weeksy

Same shit different day.

Any other contenders?

Should I avoid mild steel fittings and just get stainless steel?

[cheb]

Stainless all the way.

[Yorick]

Originally Posted by Silly Car

Any other contenders?

Should I avoid mild steel fittings and just get stainless steel?

Some cheap end bits on braided hoses can fail the MOT

[Weeksy]

Originally Posted by cheb

If the bike is stopping in a manner that is you're happy with then why worry?

So you wouldn't change a chain or sprocket till it started missing gears ? or tyres until they didn't grip at all ?

[cheb]

Originally Posted by Weeksy

So you wouldn't change a chain or sprocket till it started missing gears ? or tyres until they didn't grip at all ?

Not comparable situations IMO.

[Silly Car]

Originally Posted by cheb

If the bike is stopping in a manner that is you're happy with then why worry?

Easy enough to stick a set of micrometers on the hose and squeeze.

Just stuck the digital verniers on the offside hose, with lever all the way back to the bar, 0.1mm deflection next to the banjo, however there is no way of telling if the hoses is flexing under the sheathing.

Should the lever go all the way back to the bars?

Originally Posted by cheb

Stainless all the way.

Given my other hobby, it should have been a rhetorical question really

[Weeksy]

Originally Posted by Silly Car

Should the lever go all the way back to the bars?

Not really. IT's quite rare to find this being the case.