Brake lines

Where is the best place to buy brake lines?

 

Top right corner of your screen:

XJ4Ever

Len has what you need.

 

+1

DOT approved, perfect fit, great price

 

Important note: The assemblies Len offers are DoT approved; not just the components thereof. This is the critical distinction between buying a length of hose and a handful of couplings (all DoT approved parts) and having at it yourself. I'm a very experienced mechanic and have worked on all sorts of vehicles besides just motorcycles; and I still wouldn't trust my life to my abilities to "build" my own motorcycle brake lines.

Plus, Len can source custom stuff nearly as quickly as stock off the shelf.

+2. Highly recommended.

 

I put stainless steel brake lines on my bike last winter and the improvement was incredible. Really scary how much those original lines were expanding. Now the brake lever is very firm.
I got mine from XJ4ever. Highly receommended!

 

I am assuming that the rubber brake hoses that Len/Chacal sells still need to be replaced every 4 years (per factory manual - as well as the caliper seals every other year). What about the stainless steel versions?

 

Just curious as to whether this requirement was a XJ-specific thing or not so I checked some of my other bikes' manuals:

KZ440 - replace MC/caliper seals every 2 years; replace brake hoses every 4 years

XT600E - replace caliper seals every 2 years (no periodic replacement of MC seals mentioned); replace hoses every 4 years

I'm guessing this replacement schedule pertains to most (if not all) cycles (really increases maintenance costs - especially to those of us with MBD (multiple bike disorder)) and expands costs greatly for multiple-pot calipers and rear disk brakes.

I think this needs to be a sticky and re-named something like "Brake Line and Seal Replacement Schedule"

 

this is a good question. i recently bought stainless steel braided lines from Chacal, in part because of the added stopping power, but primarily because i assumed that the maintenance schedule was longer.

but i just went back and re-read the description, and there is no mention of an altered replacement schedule on the steel braided lines.

are they still intended to be replaced every four years?

 

i made my own stainless steel brake line at work...cost was about 20 bucks for fittings and materials. for that price ill just replace it every 2 years

 

Every 4 years for the brake hoses (plus all the copper banjo joint washers); it's every 2 years for the MC/caliper seals. Plus Chacal recommends replacing the banjo bolts and bleeder nipples too.

For the 750 Seca owners, that's at least 4 hoses (plus a 5th if you switched from the cable-actuated MC to a handlebar-mount version). $175.80 in stainless steel hoses alone (from Chacal).

 

From the Spiegler USA site:
"A generally unrecognized manufacturer's recommendation is that all original rubber hydraulic hoses should be changed every four years to avoid failure. Spiegler brake lines are maintenance free and will provide reliable service for the life of your motorcycle."

Len - do your stainless steel lines have the same lifetime?

 

I'm no expert in this (and chacal should weigh in) but this is how I understand it:

The key difference between rubber and stainless steel brake lines is that the rubber in the rubber hoses performs both a structural (has to contain thousands of psi of pressure) and a fluid barrier roles. As the rubber ages, it's structural properties weaken. It still retains fluid just fine.

Stainless steel lines have rubber in them as a fluid barrier, while the stainless steel braid provides the necessary structural support. As long as the braid is unharmed, I think the lines would not need replacing (and you can visually see when steel fails, i.e. tears/rust). It should last the life if your bike.

 

I'm pretty sure the ones chacal has are teflon lined. Good product and service btw.

 

You guys are funny when you mention the life of the bike.

We are talking of 30+ year old bikes. What the hell is the lifetime of these bikes? another 30 years? aha!

Just a fun observation.

The stainless lines are worth the money. Cheap and effective. Rubber has no real place on bikes anymore - in my opinion.

 

i just ordered a set of stainless steel tires from Chacal. those rubber tires are so 3 decades ago!

 

Lytew8, the lifespan of these bikes can be estimated by the number of owners willing to buy the parts to maintain them in a condition that keeps them on the road. And if Chacal has anything to do about it, we'll see XJ's riding around for centuries.

 

I too would think that ss lines would have a longer maintainence schedule, but i cant say that with any real proof, just an idealistic approach of my mind.