SoCal: Braided Steel Lines for Cheap

[Adam R]

I found a place in Ontario, CA (Califorina, not Canada or, as I call it,  Tundraland) that will custom make a steel-braided front brake line in a variety of colors from either Russel or Goodridge lines and add fittings for a fraction of the cost of an online kit.  PM me if your interested and I'll give you the shop's contact info.

Tomorrow I'll be giving the steel lines a try.  Just finished bleeding the brakes this afternoon.   Ohh, I'm excited.  

Adam

[Adam R]

My cost was $25 with CA sales tax.  The place is called G & J Aircraft or something along those lines.  If enough people are interested - and provided that my brakes work tomorrow when I try them! - it might make sense for me to put together a group buy.  The fit was excellent and the quality of the product seems very impressive.

[BadBatzMaru]

I'm definitely interested.... keep us posted. (any pics?)
thanx

[Adam R]

Well I was out testing my new braided steel lines and I grabbed too much front brake and locked up the front right in front of my apartment.  The rear tire slid out and I lowsided the bike.  I'm still surprised, I haven't dropped a bike since the summer of 2000.  Damage to the bike is minimal, although I did bend a clip-on and put a scratch on my exhaust.  Damage to me is also minimal, just a cut on my elbow.

I guess the lesson here is be on your guard even when tooling around in a parking lot, especially after doing work to the bike.

[jake42]

adam,

glad to hear you're ok man. can we say stoppies.? not to start the whole stunting post again.

Anyway, I"m definitely interested. can you take pics for the wof?


thanks in advance

jake

[akh223]

I am extremely interested!!  Let us know what the price would be, as you have to factor in shipping to get them to everyone as well.  

Pics would be great.

Andy

[Adam R]

I'll try to get some pics out to you guys tomorrow.

Adam

[JohNLA]

That sucks about your lowside.
That is a great price for a steel line. If they work good. I want some.

[Blueknyt]

yeah, you have to change your braking techniqe (sp?) with braided lines as they dont expland under pressure like stock rubber lines. they will grab tighter and sooner then stock lines and give better feedback through the lever.

[JLKasper]

Sorry to hear about your mishap; that extra braking power might save your a$$ on the road, however.  Put me down on the interested list.

[Turkina]

Sorry to hear about your mishap; that extra braking power might save your a$$ on the road, however.  Put me down on the interested list.

This confuses me.  How does a steel brake line improve braking power?  I can see it improving brake feel.  But stopping power is limited by your tire's traction limit unless the front caliper isn't strong enough to lock the front.  :dunno:  I'd be interested in going for a group buy.  Is there any way to adjust the brake lever travel so you can modulate the brake over a longer range?

[squidscareme]

i'm interested!

[Adam R]

[JLKasper]

This confuses me.  How does a steel brake line improve braking power?  I can see it improving brake feel.  But stopping power is limited by your tire's traction limit unless the front caliper isn't strong enough to lock the front.  :dunno:  I'd be interested in going for a group buy.  Is there any way to adjust the brake lever travel so you can modulate the brake over a longer range?

Uh, perhaps I should qualify my statement.    You're assertions are correct that the addition of a steel line won't add to the ultimate stopping power.  What it does provide is quicker response, due to the reduction (or elimination) of expansion of the lines.  If you cover your front brake by one or two fingers like I do, and you have to grab them in a sudden emergency, chances are you're not going to reposition your hand to grab a fistful; rather your well-being may depend on those one or two fingers.  If you have steel brake lines, you're not expanding hoses, which therefore moves the calipers further relative to application pressure; therefore providing more stopping power in that circumstance.  At least, that's how I understand it.  Since I don't have Kung-Fu grip, my money's on the braided cables.  The best way to modulate your brake over wider range on a GS is NOT to use braided cables, and allow the expansion of the hoses to increase the range of motion.  The other way is to somehow change the lever ratio.  It would be nice to be able to do that; rotate a wheel similar to the lever/grip distance adjustment on the lever but it's not that simple.

[rideLIKEjehu]

count me in for interested as well. what do you thing shipping to DC would cost? would you use the same amount of line for a stock bar as your clip-ons?

(aside) how easy are clip-ons to install? any recommendations as to type/place to buy?  thanx!

[Adam R]

I had an inch or two taken out for my lines, but the guys at G&J can make them exactly like the stock rubber hose.   As far as clip-ons are concerned it's not the simplest process to install them because of the stock headlight mounting brackets.  I took off the headlight and turn signals on my bike, as you can see in the picture.

I bought KevinC's Aprilia front fairing and I have some auxiliary lights (i.e.small fog lights for cars) that I plan to install under the fairing.  

Adam

[hotbunz4]

oh, I'd be interested in that too.

[werase643]

Well I was out testing my new braided steel lines and I grabbed too much front brake and locked up the front right in front of my apartment.  The rear tire slid out and I lowsided the bike.  I'm still surprised, I haven't dropped a bike since the summer of 2000.  Damage to the bike is minimal, although I did bend a clip-on and put a scratch on my exhaust.  Damage to me is also minimal, just a cut on my elbow.

I guess the lesson here is be on your guard even when tooling around in a parking lot, especially after doing work to the bike.

stupid question.....how did you slide the rear while grabbing the front brake lever?? :dunno:

[Adam R]

I still don't exactly understand what happened, because I fell while traveling in a straight line - certainly a first for me!  I think I must have locked up the front while braking but something had to give.  Otherwise I wouldn't have fallen, right?  Or I would have done an endo.

I'm wondering if my front tire cold-tore because on the front tire there is a large section of rubber that seems to have scrapped off.  Of course this might have happened as the rubber slid on the pavement, but the tear is on the opposite side of the side the bike and I fell (right side).  I currently have Supercorsas mounted and they definitely were cold.  My only other idea is that perhaps there was something slick on the tires or road surface.  

Ideas?

[luke1645]

put me in the interested category until further details come in.