stainless steel braided brake lines

[Church6360]

stainless steel braided brake lines, anybody have them? have an opinion on them? know where to get them for our gs500's?

thnaks for any info

-Matt

[MarkusN]

Most sensible upgrade (at least for the front brake) on the GS apart from progressive springs.

[The Buddha]

Buy line from galfer - like $2 a foot, you need ~2 ft 8-10 inches of #3, if I remember. Get earls stainless fittings ... about $5-6 a fitting ... you need banjo for #3 and a 30 degree banjo for #3 ... or a long banjo for top and a 30 degree long for the bottom ... yea long ... Short ones onmy 89 need some shaving on the caliper end. Bolt it all together and fill with dot 5 and bleed ... and done.
Cool.
Srinath.

[Kerry]

Galfer also makes brake line kits that fit the GS500.  If you check out their overview page at http://www.galferusa.com/MOTO.html and download the PDF version of their catalog you will find the following info:



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Another name you hear a lot is Russell.  Unfortunately, the Import Motorcycle Catalog link on their Catalog Page is broken.  :dunno:

My Dennis Kirk printed catalog lists Russell brake line kits for several models, but nothing less than 600CC.  That doesn't guarantee that they don't sell a GS500 kit, just that they don't list it in the catalog.

Ah!  I just did a MAKE / MODEL / YEAR search on the Dennis Kirk online catalog for my 1999 GS500.  It came up with Russell Brake Line Kit #196279.  Further research shows that this part should fit all 1990-2000 models.  Doing a MAKE / MODEL / YEAR search for the 2001 model came up with nothing.  :x

===========================================

If only I hadn't taken my Chaparral printed catalog home....

[danci1973]

I have Goodrige brake lines (http://www.goodridge.net). They have a GS500 specific fit.

I must confess that I didn't feel much difference after fitting them, but I did that in the snow season, so I wasn't riding a month before the change and a month after and didn't have a real before/after experience.


D.

[dgyver]

Replacing the front stock rubber lines is the first mod I do to any bike. It really does make a difference in brake feel and control. Solid feel and less fade. Also, I only use one finger to brake.

You can use lines designated for use with other bikes. But most bikes have 2 calipers so you would have an extra line (would not be hard to sell it). As an example: I have a set of s/s lines marked for a TLR but are using them with Katana calipers and a GSXR master cylinder. The ends are basically the same for all metric bikes but there are several different angles of the banjo fittings. Length will vary with application.

Goodridge, Fastline, Russell, Galfer, Fentubo are excellent brands.

[tkm433]

[paternoster2012]

where can you get galfer lines for $2 a foot?
I found some goodrich for 10ft for $30

[The Buddha]

OK I can bleed the system fully and get rid of all the old fluid, and with dot 4 or 3 you'd have to do it everytime you decide the fluid is too brown or dirty and with 5 you can just add or do a partial bleed cos it doesn't take water ... and I have used 5 for over 5 years in the GS, and they are omitting few very very vital aspect of 4 or 3 ... of course they are race teams and could possibly care less about it ... Dot 5 can be stored in a container for years and still used ... 4 and 3 cannot ... also dot 4 and 3 etc will eat paint on contact ... and if you spill any fluid on painted parts you'll see the paint wrinkled up there.
Mushy lever feel ... I have not noticed it ... of course I am a street rider only as they have described.
Cool.
Srinath.

[Flash]

I copied an old post of mine. Just click on the links.

Steel-braided front brake cable:
Galfer custom fitted lines - $???
- have to send your brake line in or fax dimensions / diagram for $$ estimate

Russel  lines for GS500 ('90-'00) - $42.46
- need to choose SUZUKI from pull down menu first to see/order

Spiegler lines - $60+
- 3/4 down the "GS500 Accessories" page under BRAKES heading; Kevlar lines are 20% more ($12)

[Michael]

I have the Goodridge lines front and rear.  The difference from the stock lines (which were two years old when I made the change) was very noticeable, especially on the front.  More feel and more power.  Well worth doing.  

[The Buddha]

OK if this post doesn't go anywhere ... I am going to start makiing these as well ... How's $35 ... what was that older post that AdamR was saying ... never mind ... But honestly I should be able to make them for ~30-35 ... but again how many people order ... makes big difference. The main advantage I have ... I live in NASCAR country this stuff probably grows here.
Cool.
Srinath.

[Blueknyt]

i can get them for about 40$ 60 with swivel fittings.

[dgyver]

Not to put anyones ability down but before making any, have you thought about a line failing and causing a crash in which you could be held liable?

[paternoster2012]

Not to put anyones ability down but before making any, have you thought about a line failing and causing a crash in which you could be held liable?

Exactly
I made some for my bike and my freind wanted some but I just gave him directions
I dont need the liability of anyones death on my hands

[The Buddha]

OK great here we go again ...
Leaking fittings might cause it to fail, but you'll see the leak long before the thing becomes a factor ... a lever that comes back further and further will be giveaway sign as well. Line bursting open ... yea I haven't considered that ... BTW I have run almost 10 years and 35K miles on lines made by me ... and back then I didn't even have a decent set of wrenches... Swaged fittings ... AKA lines made by galfer are morelikely to fail and worse ... harder to fix ...
OK that gives me an idea ...
Brake Lines - if anyone wants these - I am going to cut them to length and have fittings included and you fit it together with the Instructions provided  ... OK happy now. Anyone that has made brake lines would well know by now ... bolted together fittings are far superior to swaged fittings on the lines.
Cool.
Srinath.

[dgyver]

OK great here we go again ...
Leaking fittings might cause it to fail, but you'll see the leak long before the thing becomes a factor ... a lever that comes back further and further will be giveaway sign as well. Line bursting open ... yea I haven't considered that ...

It sounds like a leaking fitting is no big deal to you. Any additional connections increases the chance of leaking.

BTW I have run almost 10 years and 35K miles on lines made by me ...
and back then I didn't even have a decent set of wrenches...

Maybe it is the mixing of DOT4 & DOT5 fluids that helps keep operational.

Swaged fittings ... AKA lines made by galfer are morelikely to fail

Facts to back this up or is this just words from the "guru"?

Anyone that has made brake lines would well know by now ... bolted together fittings are far superior to swaged fittings on the lines.

Easier for the DIY, but superior? once again facts?

I have never had (or seen) any factory swagged line leak or fail. There are few things that I do not go cheap on, brakes & tires.

[werase643]

i think BUDA is talking out his ass again.....

but hey what do us racers know........ :dunno:

[The Buddha]

I have some lines that leak, they are swaged ... I have no idea who made them ... but they dont have vinyl on the body. I was going to cut and make shorter lines ... if it was somehting in a size I needed. Swaged and bolted together lines have leaked ... not really in my possession but I have heard from my friend who used to be a race car mechanic ... If you must know ... check with Cedric Smith ... my friend is called Gregory LaTendresse from Spokane WA ... he said He's met Cedric ~7-8 years ago. Swaged lines as well as bolted lines ... both probably have an equal chance of leaking if bolted together by someone who knew what he was doing. The difference ... with a bolted line, you can take it apart and replace the ferrule and maybe the banjo fittings as well and re use it. As well as effect a repair on the road by tightening or somehitng and get by till you fix and bleed it. Swaged lines ... they leak ... you are screwed ... Also leaking is not going to be a geyser ... it will be a visible and very perceivable by feel loss of pressure and increase in lever travel well before you have a catastrophic failure. Now just because you pay more does not mean you get a better product, and heck even so bolted together lines cost almost as much. Just that you need to finish the item. Inherently they are bolt sound design. the main advantage of bolted lines other than the repairability ... the banjos can be positioned in the right location and you can avoid twisting the line to fit it.
Cool.
Srinath.

[Blueknyt]

there is a shop near my work that makes braided lines, Nos,Brake, and Oil lines. thats where i got the quote from.