Goodridge Braided Hoses?

I've had my SK6 for about 6 months and the brakes are in need of a little TLC. I noticed the hoses should be changed at 4 years and I suspect that given there was only 3600 miles on it when I bought it, they will not have been changed.

I think the best option is to change them for braided hoses to improve the performance. Has anyone used GOODRIDGE? I don't think I can stretch to HELL lines but these seem ok?

I'm pretty confident with a spanner and do my own servicing, and want to have a go at a full brake overhaul. Is there anything I should be wary of before taking this on?

[andrewsmith]

Goodridge are fine, got them on my curvy. The 4 yearly thing (with hoses) is a little bit of a false truth, its based on riding and average 12k in that period in mixed weathers. Still change them for braideds. I'd be careful of the goodridge uk online shop, its a bit iffy by recent accounts. Best go to a shop and get them.

For an overhaul, make sure you've got a Pot of red rubber grease for the rebuild and copper grease for the back of the pads.

To get the pistons out, either pump them out then gently removed with moe grips and a rag or use a set of theses http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Draper-Motorcy...f#ht_500wt_856

Also once you've got the calipers in bits check the rubber boots and the caliper slide (best remove and re-grease) and the brake seal and dust seal.

Bleeding the brakes with braided lines can be a bit of a sod at times, so patience a few hours is needed.

HTH

[MJC-DEV]

I've got Goodridge blue hoses (cadmium ends) on my SK6(2 hose set up, slightly cheaper than the 3 hose set). I generally change to braided hose (HEL are identical except you can get black stainless fittings) regardless of age as I prefer the harder feel compared to older OEM hose. 99% of the time people change them for the looks anyway and the see-thru blue really suits a CNB SK6.

HEL have some of the best service I have ever experienced though.

Phoned them up and ordered a set for my bike in the early afternoon and asked if the still did the 20% discount for the SV owners club? (chancing it a bit) and they said "yes, we can do 20%" and I got them the next day.

Then I got a second set of lines after naked conversion which I specified to be longer lengths than standard. Got the same discount (cost about £48 posted in total from memory) and they came on the second day after order. It was quite a late afternoon order though.

When I tried them on the bike, I found I'd misjudged and were a bit tight, so phoned HEL back up and explained the situation. They said to return the lines to them, and they would make new ones up with the longer length free of charge!

I've only been impressed by them so far, and though I only posted those lines back on Saturday, I imagine there wont be any real differences to the service they've already given.

And no, I don't work for them.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by andrewsmith

Goodridge are fine, got them on my curvy. The 4 yearly thing (with hoses) is a little bit of a false truth, its based on riding and average 12k in that period in mixed weathers. Still change them for braideds. I'd be careful of the goodridge uk online shop, its a bit iffy by recent accounts. Best go to a shop and get them.

For an overhaul, make sure you've got a Pot of red rubber grease for the rebuild and copper grease for the back of the pads.

To get the pistons out, either pump them out then gently removed with moe grips and a rag or use a set of theses http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Draper-Motorcy...f#ht_500wt_856

Also once you've got the calipers in bits check the rubber boots and the caliper slide (best remove and re-grease) and the brake seal and dust seal.

Bleeding the brakes with braided lines can be a bit of a sod at times, so patience a few hours is needed.

HTH

4 years... well any line is getting squishy. I think it is ozone/Uv degradation of hose.

No such thing as gentle with mole grips lol. Pump the pistons out, do not try gripping outside of piston unless you put a jubilee clip round it first.

Originally Posted by Nelson

HEL have some of the best service I have ever experienced though.

Except they sent you the wrong thing every F***ING TIME I come to fit some. Bah!

I've probably done 20 sets and I can remember 5 c*ck ups. Seriously lads, sort it out.

[andrewsmith]

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

4 years... well any line is getting squishy. I think it is ozone/Uv degradation of hose.

No such thing as gentle with mole grips lol. Pump the pistons out, do not try gripping outside of piston unless you put a jubilee clip round it first.


Except they sent you the wrong thing every F***ING TIME I come to fit some. Bah!

I've probably done 20 sets and I can remember 5 c*ck ups. Seriously lads, sort it out.

True. the other way is always compressed air and a bucket of water.
Goodridge seem to be better quality and correct.

[dizzyblonde]

Goodridges on Suzy, had Hel on Dave, due to a feck up when they sent Paul 6th curvy lines for a pointy! We got a good deal out of those int end

If your rubber stock hoses bend like yer elbows when you pull your lever, you know they need to go!!!

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by andrewsmith

True. the other way is always compressed air and a bucket of water.
Goodridge seem to be better quality and correct.

compressed air is not reliable if calipers are at all seized. Hydraulic method is always my first port of call.
Goodridge get it wrong on occasion too, could not split them on quality, HEL stuff is excellent when they get it right.

I've been happy with HEL every time. If you're just looking for a standard length lines, I would imagine theres a high chance of getting them right!

[yorkie_chris]

Well yeah you'd think so, it's hardly rocket science. I make hydraulic hoses occasionally and seem to manage fine, you'd think doing it every day would result in them all being perfect but no.

Check and double check that the lines you receive are correct by mocking them up if you need to use the bike. IMO.