I thought the brakes were ok until

[olebiker]

I went out tonight to blow out some cobwebs both the bikes and mine. We spent six days putting around the mountains at low speeds. I had always wondered at lots of guys saying that the stock brakes are not what they could be. Mine have seemed ok. So there is a long line of trucks in the slow lane and my speed is way past the point were they would impound my bike. I dive into the exit ramp part way down still in excess of 100mph. Guess what I am now a believer. At high speed they sure don't haul that old girl down as fast as I would have liked tonight. Gotta remember that before I short ramp myself at speed again. Funny at 60 or 70 MPH they will pull it down pretty good. The bike is working real well now no clutch slip and runs to the red line real smooth even shifts ok as long as I get it right. Comes outta 3rd at about 90mph dont have the roads here to redline 4th. Pulls pretty good for a 28 year old bike with over 80,000 kms (50,000 Miles).

[Geezer]

The easy fix is to loose the rubber brake hoses and replace them with braided stainless ones. You won't believe the difference.

Years ago I was tearing my hear out trying to get a Suzuki GT750 to stop right. We talking about a bike almost as heavy with about the same sized double disks up front. I rebuilt the master cylinder, tried 2 others. different pads and finally I went to braided stainless lines. I've been a convert ever since...

Geezer

[olebiker]

Tony they are on the list but until tonight really far down the list. Now they have moved to about number 3 or 4. I rarely come into anything that hot anymore (it was kinda fun though). I might have ruined any chances I had of some of the HD guys wanting to try me though. They were all beside the coffee shop that I passed as some kid in a lowered hoped up cage pulled up beside me. I didn't see them till I was well into third. Fun to pretend I am young once in a while. The old girl is fast enough for me. My reflexes are just not up to a new litre sport bike. Neither is my pocket book the insurance here would eat me alive.

[Geezer]

I know what you mean. I used to always ride fast but now a days I'm the guy riding at the back of the pack.

The 79 standard that I've been riding these days came with a set of stainless break lines and I sure can feel the difference.

Geezer

[mro]

stainless break lines and I sure can feel the difference

I'll second that.
If funds become available will put SS lines on my daily ride.
Have SS lines on my hot rod XS with dunlop rubber for contact with the road. Panic front brake grab with SS lines can lock up the tire which can be scary.


mro

[81xsproject]

Panic front brake grab with SS lines can lock up the tire which can be scary.

Hell, I have done that on the stock hoses, and yes it is scary.

[stereomind]

We put SS lines from Galfer on the XJ1100 along with a big-bore front MC from mikesxs.com.... Boy, what a difference! Both rear and front feel like they're vacuum-boosted.

we replaced the long metal line that goes from the rear MC to the front with one solid SS line, eliminating 2 flared fittings. It works very good.. The line has a PVC (I think..) jacket on it, so it does not rub against the frame.

[Crazcnuk]

"At high speed they sure don't haul that old girl down as fast as I would have liked"


Under the right (wrong) circumstances, they never will.

You can overdrive ANY braking system.

I am not a fan of having the brakes lock up easily, so I have not gone to SS lines. I think I can probably still lock the stock ones if I panic enough, but that is the last thing I want to happen.

[Axel]

devil's advocate

Isn't the idea to scope that threshold of front lockup so you will know your brakes intimately ? I dont think mine will lock up but frankly I'm hesitant to try . I've heard that its good form to try to lock up your front brakes for minute periods of time to find out where that spot is and what it feels like . So when you have to make a panic stop , it wont be the first time you experience lockup.
I wanna go stainless badd .

Stereomind , do you have the part numbers for those XJ hoses ? Everyplace I inquire at ,they want measurements . I also want the MikesXS front M/C . Are the fittings the same ? Did you use a long front hose from left front caliper right to the rear M/C ?OR front caliper to the proportioning valve and then a long hose back ?

Stoppies , anyone ?

[planedick]

That's why

I didn't drill my rotors. The drilled rotors make the brakes more effective when wet which is just exactly what you don't want. If the brakes are wet that means the road is wet and better braking power is just what you don't need.

[stereomind]

Axel, I don't have a P/N for the lines, but I got the sizes:

measurements are eye-to-eye.

Rear line: 20 1/2" 20deg, 12deg
Left front line: 21 3/4" 40deg, 12deg
Right front line: 43", 40deg, 12deg
Front/rear link line: 46", 0deg, 0deg

This eliminates the steel link line.

One of the banjo bolts is a double, the others are single, 10mmx1.25

The MikesXS part # is 08-0265.. That's the 16mm bore unit. It's overkill for a single caliper on the XJ1100, but we like it

[HobbyMan]

Maby its just me but I can lock both wheels on most of my bikes with the stock hoses.

[stereomind]

Stock lines work, but they're over 25 years old, and made of rubber... Something's gotta give..

Originally posted by HobbyMan
Maby its just me but I can lock both wheels on most of my bikes with the stock hoses.

[olebiker]

I can lock them up as well but not the front at 100 plus mph.

[Axel]

Right on

Stereomind
Thank you so much . This will save me a lot of grief .