Stainless Steel Brake Line Install

[Phaedrus]

Stainless Steel Brake Lines for 2004+ Suzuki GS500F

Upgrading the stock brake lines to stainless steel lines will improve your braking performance. Afterall, what good is making your bike go faster if it does not stop you any better?  Quite foolish, actually.    Also, unlike stock lines, stainless steel lines do not need to be replaced every 4 years .  In fact, these lines (and I am sure the stainless steel lines from other manufactuers) have a lifetime gaurentee on them. Since you can get them colored, they can even add some style to your bike.

Materials I Used:

(1 set) Front and rear stainless steel brake lines purchased from Hel Performance USA for $98.00 complete with all hardware and shipping. I got them very quickly too. I chose blue lines, but others colors are also available:



Yes, you can find them cheaper elsewhere and by different companies, like Russell. I went with HEL because..well, thats the kind of guy I am. 

(1) un-opened bottle of DOT 4 compliant brake fluid. I chose the Valvoline synthetic.

Wrenches in 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, and 14mm. 12mm and 14mm sockets would also be handy.

(1) Brake bleeder kit or some way to bleed the brakes. The "one man brake bleeder kit" can be purchased at a parts store, like Advanced Auto, for about $6. It provides you with the hose, the bottle, and everything else you need to bleed the brakes except for the fluid and the wrench! If you don't get the kit, you will still need a hose of proper size and a bottle to put the fluid in. In regards to hassle vs. cost, ou might as well get the kit.

(1) turkey baster (optional) and an old soda bottle (optional)

(1) Phillips head screwdriver

Rags

Pitcher of water (optional, but required if you are you messy! Quickly dilute and wipe off spills)

To Do...

Get all of your tools together mentioned above.  Put your bike up on the centerstand, or on your motorcycle stand if you don't have your centerstand anymore (aftermakret exhaust hackers).  You want the bike level for brake fluid reasons.  The first thing I did was open up the fluid reservoir for the front brake line and removed much of the excess fluid with a turkey baster (to save a little time from pushing it all through the old line).  I left a little in there but just enough to cover the bottom and flush through the lines.  I cleaned the diaphragm off (the "rubber thing" inside the reservoir) and set it aside, and loosened the retaining bolt on the brake line at the wheel (see photo below). The idea here is that the fluid in the line will use gravity and come out the loosened bottom end and drain into a an empty soda bottle that I had ready.

Note: You will find Kerry's tutorial on REPLACING BRAKE FLUID / BLEED LINES IN THE GS500 very, very helpful. Be sure to read it and print it out if necessary. 



^ I put a green circle around the bolt you want to loosen to remove the front brake line, and a red circle around the bleeder screw. 

You will need to bleed the air out of the lines later.  After the bottom of the line is removed from the brake caliper, and most of the fluid is out, you will need to remove the bolt that retains the top of the brake line to the fluid reservoir also.  Once they are both removed, you can replace the line with the new one. Simple enough right? To reiterate:

a) Drain the fluid

b) Remove the brake line at the caliper. This is so the remianing fluid will flow down and into the soda bottle mentioned earlier. Or alternately, all over your foot or your bike where it can eat away at the aint.  Whatever makes you happy. 

c) Remove the brake line at the reservoir.

d) Install the new brake line the same way the original was installed.

Very easy modification. The important thing is to keep the brake fluid off the paint and put the new lines on routed the same way you found them and to bleed them once installed.

Once the line is installed, you need to fill the reservoir with the fresh DOT 4 brake fluid and bleed the brakes by using Kerry's guide.

The rear is about the same as the front, but the routing is obviously different. Take notes and photos if necessary to see how the line was routed before taking it off (thats what I do whenever I take something apart).

Here are more pictures:



^ You can see the blue brake line sticking out. Looks cool huh?



^ Same here.



^ New brake line installed at the top

Once the new lines are on and have been bled, take the bike out for a slow speed ride at first. I noticed the increase of braking performance immediately! But I took it really slow around the parking lot, then a side street, then into town - just to be safe. I also practiced a couple of panic stops and was impressed by how much of a difference this actually made.

After the brake line install, wash your bike just to be SURE you got all of the rogue brake fluid off. You don't want that stuff on there. And wash your hands you grease monkey. 

If anyone has any corrections - questions - things to add, etc. please post up. I'd like to add this to the FAQ once it gets properly up to snuff. 

[Kerry]

I put a green circle around the bolt you want to loosen to remove the front brake line, and a red circle around the bleeder screw.

Help!  I can't find the red circle!   

[My Name Is Dave]

Very nice, that's good info.

Dave 

[Phaedrus]

Help!  I can't find the red circle!   

It is on my bike, silly. I used a sharpie to draw it on there...! J/K.

I must have got excited and deleted the link to the image during my "speel chek" editing. I was deleting this, modifying that - I was a real madman.  Haha. Thanks. Should be all fixed. Did I forget anything else that should be in there? I want it to be accurate. 

Dave - Thanks 

[Egaeus]

How did you get the rear brake line?  Did you have to call or what?  I only see the front line listed.

[jen_]

ooooo, they have yellow ones.....

[Phaedrus]

How did you get the rear brake line?  Did you have to call or what?  I only see the front line listed.

Yeah, I called them. From the impression I got, they are a pretty small operation and cut the lines to order. I talked to a guy named Craig all 3 times I called - he was very helpful. 

ooooo, they have yellow ones.....

Yep, they got all sortsa colors. They have colored hardware too, but I was less-than-encouraged from getting them because the color wears off after a couple years, I was told. But you can get the colored hardware, and definitely colored lines 

[tkm433]

Stainless Steel Brake Lines for 2004+ Suzuki GS500F

Upgrading the stock brake lines to stainless steel lines will improve your braking performance. Afterall, what good is making your bike go faster if it does not stop you any better?  Quite foolish, actually.   

Good write up on how to do the brake line install!

As you install new brake lines and new brake pads remember your brakes are only as good as the tires that you use so remember if you have shaZam! tires ( either old or just cheap ass tires)  and great brakes you will still not stop so think about quality tires in your upgrade to better braking.  If the tires do not stick but the brakes stop the wheel you end up washing out the front end and we all know what happens next.

Again this was a good how to!!

[nick_villan]

wow looks like a most do mod.