Easiest and cheapest brake upgrade??

[aid-90]

hey guys i was wondering what ye have done to improve braking performance?
currently i am considering braided lines which seem to be a popular mod.

i have a 2004 model. would it be worth my while to upgrade the calipers to the ones off the newer fazer with r1 style brakes i i were to find them on flea bay? or think i read on here that the calipers of the r6 wont fit too easily?? :BLAA:

thanks for your help :thumbup:

 

[greg]

better pads might be the easiest option
also give your calipers a good clean out and make sure they are bled properly
increasing the front suspension pre-load, or stiffening it up a bit may also help

 

[aid-90]

better pads might be the easiest option
also give your calipers a good clean out and make sure they are bled properly
increasing the front suspension pre-load, or stiffening it up a bit may also help

i was thinking of upgrading the pads, but my friend told me that more aggressive racing type pads would chew up the brake discs in no time?

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

IMHO, just upgrading all my brake lines to HEL SS lines made a BIG difference, considerably stiffer lever, approx 50% more braking power (no expansion in the rubber lines). That's with stock brake pads.

As noted above, the harder brake pads will chew up your rotors much quicker than the stockers...

 

[aid-90]

IMHO, just upgrading all my brake lines to HEL SS lines made a BIG difference, considerably stiffer lever, approx 50% more braking power (no expanasion in the rubber lines). That's with stock brake pads.

As noted above, the harder brake pads will chew up your rotors much quicker than the stockers...

thanks for your reply :thumbup: :thumbup:

my friend installed the hel lines and found them great on his bandit. he also upgraded his suspension, he he was told that will better performance wise then just upgrading to high performance calipers. he installed a gsxr1000 rear shock and is going putting in hagon progressive front springs.

is there much need for such radical upgrades on the fazer considering it has better stock suspension than the bandit?

 

[greg]

tbh race pads probably wouldn't help, as they only start to work properly once they get hot

sintered pads probably off the best street performance

 

[lastlaugh]

SS lines and good brake fluid. I switched to Venhill lines and Motul fluid.
Helped out immensely.

 

[turbid]

ss brake lines improve feel and stopping power, as townsend noted there is no expansion in the brake line, so all the lever effort is transformed to braking power. r6 calipers will not fit on the stock 04 fork legs without custom made brackets

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

thanks for your reply :thumbup: :thumbup:

my friend installed the hel lines and found them great on his bandit. he also upgraded his suspension, he he was told that will better performance wise then just upgrading to high performance calipers. he installed a gsxr1000 rear shock and is going putting in hagon progressive front springs.

is there much need for such radical upgrades on the fazer considering it has better stock suspension than the bandit?

If I was you, I would do the SS lines first and see if you need any more upgrading.. The FZ is lighter than a 1000 and should stop faster with SS lines and the brakes in proper working condition (all other variables being equal)...

I truly believe that with the new lines, I can now do a "stoppie" where before, no way, that's with the stock calipers and pads... I wouldn't want/don't need anymore stopping power up front...

 

[ChevyFazer]

The best and cheepest IMHO is to simply flush the old fluid out and replace with new

 

[iSteve]

Do you guys really get better braking with braided lines or just a better feel. I've used braided lines on my other bikes and found they have a much better feel and I could use a lighter touch but stoping distance didn't seem to change any.

I put Sintered pads on the front of my 08 and they seem to have a bit more grip and a little shorter stoping distance.

 

[tanman]

I recently put ss lines on mine and I was really impressed with the difference. A reasonable increase in performance and a massive increase in lever feel. And mine only cost 16 quid auctioned new on eBay :thumbup:

 

[Randomchaos]

With great brake feel, comes great responsibility lol.

I had some SS lines on my previous FZ6. It helped alot when braking, making it easier to control the front brakes and feel what they were doing. This improved my braking overall. If that isn't enough stopping power for you, then try some sintered brake pads made for the street. EBC or some other brand. They give a bit more initial bite I have noticed form previous experience.

Suspension is a good mod as well for braking. Less front-end dive = better feeling of control over the bike.

After that, its onto fork swaps, fabricating, and other stuff to get some radial mount brake calipers.

On another note, do the 2007 and up FZ6 brake calipers swap over to the 2004-2006 model easily? Might be easier to do that with a 2007 fork swap as well to minimize fabrication needs.

So many options to choose from!!!!

 

[MitchellsFZ6]

Hi guys,

I've got the 2008 FZ6 S2.. Would upgrading mine to SS Lines make much difference? I've got the stock pads, calipers and header.
I like the feel of my brakes but I think the front end is just a bit spungy at times? Anyone else feel exactly the same way?


MitchellsFZ6

 

[greg]

Hi guys,

I've got the 2008 FZ6 S2.. Would upgrading mine to SS Lines make much difference? I've got the stock pads, calipers and header.
I like the feel of my brakes but I think the front end is just a bit spungy at times? Anyone else feel exactly the same way?


MitchellsFZ6

SS brake lines definitely make a huge difference to brake feel

 

[lastlaugh]

Hi guys,

I've got the 2008 FZ6 S2.. Would upgrading mine to SS Lines make much difference? I've got the stock pads, calipers and header.
I like the feel of my brakes but I think the front end is just a bit spungy at times? Anyone else feel exactly the same way?


MitchellsFZ6

How many miles or km's? Yamaha recommends replacing brake lines every 4 years.
I replaced my stock brake lines with Venhill lines and Motul RBF600 fluid at around 5k miles and the difference was amazing. I think the fluid does more for the feel than the SS lines. But why not go ahead and upgrade?

 

[Randomchaos]

Yamaha recommends replacing brake lines every 4 years.

I am so using this as an excuse to get my wife to let me buy some new lines

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Hi guys,

I've got the 2008 FZ6 S2.. Would upgrading mine to SS Lines make much difference? I've got the stock pads, calipers and header.
I like the feel of my brakes but I think the front end is just a bit spungy at times? Anyone else feel exactly the same way?


MitchellsFZ6

With SS lines, ALL the spongyness is gone...

The lever is much, much more solid. Full lock of the front wheel is considerably less at the lever. As for sintered brakes and more grab, I cannot comment, I haven't used them as I don't want a more aggressive pad on the rotor. Pads are cheaper and easier to replace than rotors...

Changing the fluid is basic mantainance and promote longevity of the braking system... As long as there's not air in the system, (and your not getting the fluid to a boiling point) changing the fluid alone will not enhance braking (unless your system is below par and not maintained).

My FZ was the first and only bike I've upgraded to SS lines, one of the safest, best investments IMHO, you can make.

And yes, it's well worth it...

 

[FinalImpact]

Hi guys,

. . . .
I like the feel of my brakes but I think the front end is just a bit spungy at times? Anyone else feel exactly the same way?


MitchellsFZ6

Agreed 100%, the nose is wimpy and consumes far too much travel under moderate braking not to mention the complete face plant it does when braking hard. :thumbdown:

Its 35% of why i went to the R6 forks. . . The bike now rides the way it should have from the factory. . . As it is now it has stock pads and will be bled every year just to keep the system clean and healthy and it stops great! If SS lines cost you a $100, id be real tempted to put that towards some new forks. All in the swap cost me $250USD and was worth every penny. Like Chev said, bleed them properly first and see where that lands you! - Then pads, then lines after the pads have bedded in so they work effectively.

Edit:
Please follow the manual for proper bleeding. Its been done that way for years and it works. Some will try to justify how pumping the levers WITHOUT closing the bleeder valves is OK and ITS NOT! If you want the job to go faster, use a turkey baster and SUCK out the old fluid, clean the reservoir and refill it with fresh. Each end only takes 10minutes tops following the service manual and doing what I suggest here.

 

[kennedyted]

ive got an 07 fz6, i have the same issue as above with the spongeyness, is there an adj i can make to the forks/front suspension or is only option to change it ?