shortening brake hoses

[vandito.cb]

i ditched the bucket and bracket for my stocker in lieu of aftermarket fork mounted brackets and, of course, a new headlight. problem is, my brake hose (from the M/C) seems to be a bit out of place.

does the factory length of the hose strictly factor in suspension travel or is the path it takes through the stock front end headlight assembly a factor?

i'm trying to avoid looping it between the brackets, but it has too much slack and is way out in the open when not. is it possible to shorten one or is buying one already shorter my only route?

i havent had the opportunity to check how far the forks can and will travel as I've had no means of lifting it up yet which is why I ask if it needs to be as long as it is.

TIA

 

[hillsy]

Factory hoses cant be shortened (well, if you can, you shouldn't).


It's probably 40 years old anyway so replacing with a braided line is the go. You can get them made up to any length you want.


You should obviously have enough slack on the cable to allow for the suspension to unload. Hoist the front of the bike up (jack under the sump if you have a centrestand ) and check the length with the suspension unloaded.

 

[vandito.cb]

an extra inch of slack, fully unloaded should be enough, yes?

this is the part where i try to justify to myself buying SS lines and wind up spending my tire money on it :/

Sent from my Z812 using Tapatalk

 

[teazer]

Get them from Rennsport aka Apex in Niagra. They sell on ebay and make them to whatever length you want with whatever fittings you need at a great price.

 

[jpmobius]

Cables and brake lines. surely the most obviously simple and easy to understand parts on a bike - but they are NOT!

They may be simple enough mechanically, but designing and routing them well is no simple task (even the manufacturer's often do a poor job). The good news is, that even butchered, they are forgiving enough to still work - at least after a fashion. You have to put a fair bit of thought into building either to get correct performance and long life. Very much worth the effort.

Really good hydraulic lines can be very pricey, but good one should last most of a lifetime. Tires are consumable like gasoline - you will be buying more!

 

[vandito.cb]

i cant say i don't mind dishing out the coin for quality parts, but when it comes to safety, I feel more obliged than inclined to splurge a bit so I'll be going with some good hoses, rubber or SS.

and does anyone know why shorty lever seem to be impossible for DOHCs?

i see they (DCC, etc.) sell clutch lever/perch combos and the same for brakes, exclusive to drums, yet no matching shorty sets for hydraulic brake and cable clutch setups.

having a DOHC sucks sometimes and you really start to dread seeing "fits 69-78" :/

Sent from my Z812 using Tapatalk

 

[teazer]

There are a number of replacement master cylinder options available. If you are using stock calipers, do you know what diameter the master cylinder is? It's usually cast into the M/C. Search on line for a replacement of the same size with the levers you want.

 

[vandito.cb]

mine's 5/8"...i found a replacement on 4into1, but haven't heard anything (negative or positive) about it so i'm on the fence about it.

Sent from my Z812 using Tapatalk