Replaced front brakeline with HEL Brakeline

[bassman]

I'm finally happy with my front brake now!  After first changing the brake calliper piston seals (required replacement), rebuilt master cylinder (not sure it was necessary now, but as the bike is coming up to 10 years old not a bad investment!) I am finally happy because I put a HEL stainless steel braided brakeline on today

Easy Peasy job and has made the brake feel nice and firm.  The lever travel is still longer than my Yamaha XJ600N but the braking power has definitely increased (just right...in no way excessively sudden or sharp).  The brakeline was just £25 delivered from Busters (the cheapest steel braided lines in the UK I've found).  How long will it last? Only time will tell.  But, from a UK point of view...compare £25 online purchase delivered to my door compared to £74...YES! 74 smackers for a Suzuki OEM replacement !!!!!!:o  The HEL wins hands down even if it only lasts a year or two!

The brakeline came with only one rubbber collar on it (the OEM has two - one that fixes into a support on the steering head bracket and a second on the right hand lower fork.  Warning!!  Pay attention class!  I fitted the one rubber collar into the steering head support, bracket, whatever you want to call it...this is correct.  I then canabalised the old brakeline and split a collar to fit into the righthand lowere fork brakeline support.  DON'T DO THIS!  I though it was the right thing to do.  But after completing the job (Torqued and bled), I bounced the forks and saw that the lower fork bracket was making the brakeline rub against the fork stanchion!  That would have been a disaster!  I took off the lower forrk stachion brakeline bracket and just screwed the screw in for tidiness (I don't like empty screw holes!).

The HEL brakeline does not need a lower fork stanchion support - the brakeline is stiff enough (and, conversely, flexible enough) to stay clear of the front mudguard and fork stanchion without any extra support than the stearing head support bracket (look at where you brakeline is supported under the headlight and you'll seee what I'm blabbering about!).

Bassman

[bassman]

Here's some pictures of my new HEL front brakeline.  I did end up canabilising a rubber collar off of the old line just to keep the new line away from the back of the headlamp (just an extra safeguard - probably not necessary).  You can see it in the shot from the top if you follow the line down into the space behind the headlamp.  The shot from the front show the collar that was already fitted to the the line inserted into the stock line bracket.  Also note no lower fork leg bracket - the cable flexes parallel to the mudguard - a brackt impedes the flexing.

Bassman

[bassman]

I'm just interested (paranoid, actually), can anyone see any 'school boy' errors in my fitment of my new SS braided brakelines?  It's not a trick question, I'm satisfied that I've done it correctly...I just feel vaguely uncomfortable that there is no fork leg bracket.  I'm torturing myself at the moment by looking down when I'm riding to see if the line is rubbing on the mudguard.  So far it hasn't.  I'm going to put a protective pad on the mudguard just for peace of mid.

Bassman

[galahs]

Looks ok.

Just be aware that a more rigid braided line can loosen the bango fitting over time due to vibrations. So just make sure you check the tension of the bolts once in a while

[bassman]

Thanks galahs - I'll keep an eye on the banjo fittings like you suggest

Bassman