Newbie Hi, and braided lines question

Hi everyone, just joined yesterday and haven't been able to stop searching through threads since! Some great help and advice on here. I'm not a great one for fiddling with too much on the bike, but hopefully I can contribute somewhere along the line, although I know I'm going to get more out of this than I can ever put in!

I've searched through some threads regarding braided lines, but there didn't seem to be too many recent ones so hopefully you won't mind if I ask again.

I'm considering fitting HEL or Goodridge lines to my pointy K6, but do you think it will make much difference to stopping power?

I have the adjuster set to 1 on the brake lever and it's still coming in too close to the bar for comfort. I figure I probably need the lines bled and new fluid, so might as well upgrade the lines while I'm at it.

Does anyone know if there's any difference between the 2 manufacturers?

Thanks in advance,

Dave.

goodridge are expensive and HEL are just as good in my opinion but for less, have HEL lines on my front brakes (not sv brakes) and make a pretty noticeable difference over the standard spongy things.

ohh and it sounds like your brakes need bleeding any way so you might as well get some braided lines

[dizzyblonde]

I have Goodridge hoses on one SV and Hel on the other. Both are equally as good as the other. Either are much better than the old stock hoses that bend like yer elbows when you pull on the lever! Have a look over your clocks down the front and do it....you'll see what I mean if they are ready for renewal

Shall be replacing my Raptor lines at some point, even though they come with braided as standard, they're a bit plop.

BTW I do have a braided rear line on one SV, have to take slight more care on the old foot on that one, but you soon get to not be too heavy, as it can be a bit sharp!

Yea the cable does bounce a bit, was looking at that the other day. Swapped bikes with a mate for a run last week - I knew my brakes were bad, but he got off my bike white as a sheet, all he said to me was 'brakes!'

Thanks for the info. much appreciated. Looks like HEL at the dealers then....

I prefer Venhill ones personally with detacheable banjos

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Stainless-stee...item2a08eb7153

Originally Posted by hardhat_harry

I prefer Venhill ones personally with detacheable banjos

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Stainless-stee...item2a08eb7153

Wow, nice price - I'll have to look into this a bit deeper then....!

Thanks again.

They do kits for bikes too so you don't need to measure the lines just ask for an SV kit.

They are being used by a few race teams in the BSB paddock as I found out when I was wandering round the garages at Oulton.

[Sid Squid]

Braided hoses are much of a much, they're all better than knackered standard hoses, buy the ones that suit your pocket/you like the sticker that comes with them the best.
As to whether they will make much difference to stopping power, the answer is a definate maybe.
If your bike's brakes have not received attention since they were constructed they may be suffering from ailments other than hose degradation. A common problem can be as simple as fluid that's past its best, it's often found when fitting new lines that the brakes improve, but, in a significant number of cases, all that was required was the new fluid that will obviously be used when the hoses are fitted. But this seems to pass many people's appreciation by.
Also the brake calipers themselves can become gunged up, the SV uses low tech, (relatively), sliding calipers, unless these move smoothly the brakes can be very spongey and won't perform well, the pistons can get stuck and the outer seals are well known for getting stuck in the gunge on the pistons and get dragged out of their grooves. Are the pads good? if they and the discs are not perfectly clean braking power will be seriously affected, rub a finger over the disc face lightly, black gungey stuff on your finger? That's between the pads and disc that is - not conducive to good braking. Clean out the holes in the discs too - they fill up with the gunk and are a surprisingly useful reservoir for said muck - causing a constant supply of goo to make a very slidy paste when combined with rainwater. If the pads are very contaminated often replacement is the only effective remedy, even if they're not worn out.
I'm not suggesting against replacement of the hoses, but bear in mind there is much that can be amiss that won't be addressed by new hoses.
Suzuki recommend periodic replacement of all the rubber parts of the system, hoses included, and by the time four or more years have passed the lines will not be at their best, but if you're on a tight budget changing the fluid, (if it's never been changed of course), and cleaning the calipers, discs and pads, (if they're not perfectly clean), will make a big difference for a minimal outlay.

Hi Sid, I did clean the discs before a trip to Silverstone last weekend for the WSB, but I have to admit it was more of a cursory wipe. The brakes did seem to get worse throughout the trip, so maybe it helped immediately but I didn't get enough of the gunge out to make a lasting difference. I'm not technical/confident enough to remove the calipers to clean them and the pads though.

I think I'll leave it into the dealers to get the lines changed, and they'll have to do the fluid anyway. I'll be sure to ask them to clean the calipers and pads too.

Thanks for the great advice, it's comforting to know people will help you out if you ask the right questions.

[Spanner Man]

Good morning all.


Ditto Sid's advice on caliper maintenance.

There's little to chose between the makes of braided hoses on the market.
However, HEL often get it wrong when it comes to length, & have been known on more than one occasion to send out a pair of 'skipping ropes' or ones that are way too short.

I have my hoses made by a local Automotive plumbing specialist. However, the Venhill ones with detachable banjos are very good, & they also allow you to get the orientation of the bajos spot on, & the curve of the hose away from the fork legs, & mudguard etc.


Cheers.