| Author |
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Thefleshrocket
| | Posted on Thursday, July 22, 2010 - 02:20 pm: | 
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I am just about positive that you'll have to remove the front wheel to get the caliper off, but maybe someone will speak up to say otherwise.
The OEM pads are actually pretty good--they are about the best OEM pads I've ever used, to be honest, with lots of initial bite even when cold, and pretty good overall stopping power. There's certainly room for improvement, but the 1125 hasn't been like some of my bikes where I'll ditch the stock pads even though they don't have many miles on them. Given my experience with the EBC HH pads on other bikes, I'd be surprised if they are much (if any) of an improvement over stock on the 1125. |
Jdugger
| | Posted on Thursday, July 22, 2010 - 03:45 pm: |
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> I am just about positive that you'll have to remove the front wheel to get the caliper off
It's really hard to do with the OEM front brake line.
I have a "long" brake line on mine, and I can drop the caliper and it slides down to the bottom of the wheel where I can remove it with the wheel still mounted.
Makes front tire swaps GOBS easier. |
_gdkp_
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2010 - 07:48 am: |
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hi,
so on over the night i would do the zip-tie trick, and today morning i have to recognize that my lever is very loose (no pressure)... if its between the grip and where the zip-tie is fixed, so if i pumped onced, it will be hard..
why the lever would be so loose if i take the zip-tie trick? - after that it will be rock solid, but only just for 3kms  |
Thefleshrocket
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2010 - 02:31 pm: |
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The ziptie trick just plain doesn't work on the 1125s.. at least not for more than a few miles if you've noticed. I did it twice and both times it was better for a very little bit and then back to its old sloppy self.
Just wait until you do the pads and have a chance to push the pistons back in--that will make the difference you are looking for. I'm at more than 200 miles since doing so and the lever still feels good. |
Avalaugh
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2010 - 02:49 pm: |
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I'm in the process of fitting a GSXR 1000 radial master cylinder, so far it's very straight forward and could well work out as a "must have mod" for us 1125 owners.
Once my bloody parts turn up ill be able to get out for a test ride and ill update with a write up.
(Message edited by Avalaugh on July 23, 2010) |
Avalaugh
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2010 - 04:06 pm: |
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like this one
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&it em=320563496114&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT |
Froggy
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2010 - 04:10 pm: |
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I am running the Nissin master cylinder and Lyndal pads from American Sport Bike, it feels fantastic. I will be converting my other bikes whenever I get the spare coin. |
Avc8130
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2010 - 05:11 pm: |
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1-3-2-4 and I swapped bikes for a spirited backroad ride last night. My setup: stock 1125CR. His setup: GSXR radial master with EBC street HH pads. We tried to quantify the braking power/feel. The stock 1125 had better initial bite. His setup was more linear. I really missed the initial bite when I got on his bike and he missed it also when he got back on his bike. We tried to quantify the brake reponse:
1125 stock: 5-4-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10
Radial/EBCs: 0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 |
Thefleshrocket
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2010 - 05:15 pm: |
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Avalaugh, the problem I've seen with radial master cylinders is that they are designed for the brake line to attach to the bottom of the master. That means that the brake line will need a 90-degree bend to angle down to the caliper. Our bikes (and pretty much any bike with an axial master) have the brake line attached to the side and it doesn't have any bend in it.
The end result being that if you switch to a radial master, you'll probably need a new brake line as well. If you've got crappy rubber lines then it's easy enough to justify a new steel line, but if you already have a steel line, it's a bit harder. Or at least that's why I haven't gone to a radial master. |
Thefleshrocket
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2010 - 05:20 pm: |
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Avc, that's because the EBC HHs are crappy pads in my opinion. The DP HH+ pads I've got on my CBR600F2 have good initial bite as well as good power and response. That compound is definitely going on my 1125 when the stockers are worn out. The part number for the DP pads is SDP993. Of course I don't have a vendor link to send you.. you'll have to check with www.dp-brakes.com to see where to buy them.
Froggy, I've heard that the Lyndall pads also lack on initial bite compared to the stock pads. Is that true? |
Avc8130
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2010 - 05:28 pm: |
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I am surprised the EBC HH pads are crappy. On my TLR forks on my track SV the EBC HH pads have TONS of bite and stopping power.
ac |
Reepicheep
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2010 - 06:12 pm: |
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Correct, lyndall golds do not have high initial bite. Doesn't feel as "snappy", but makes it easy to finesse things in a turn or in the rain, and they will still do two up stoppies no problem. |
Froggy
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2010 - 08:11 pm: |
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Yes less initial bite, which is better for the street in my opinion. I need to throw some stock pads on to see how it does with the Nissin MC. |
Dcmortalcoil
| | Posted on Sunday, July 25, 2010 - 06:37 pm: |
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OEM m/c travels a good deal before engaging. Try for instance, Ducati m/c - has a very little travel in comparison.
Spongy feel is from using a 14mm m/c bore (OEM). I replaced mine with a Brembo 16mm m/c from Yamaha R1/R6- feels firmer and yes less travel. I have a Brembo 19mm m/c for XB12Ss - feels rock hard, but I need to put more force to the lever. |
Dannybuell
| | Posted on Sunday, July 25, 2010 - 08:02 pm: |
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That 'travel' may also be the suspension soaking up the braking energy as well!
Do a zip tie on the top of your fork tube to see how far it gets pushed down.
Putting on the brakes with a soft front end is like; nothing, nothing, OMG here it is! The nothing part can sometimes be the suspension absorbing/travelling/nose diving not giving enough resistance and when that travel firms up the rider begins to feel the brakes.
Increase the preload a bit and see if that helps. |
Thefleshrocket
| | Posted on Sunday, July 25, 2010 - 10:31 pm: |
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Dcmortalcoil, a smaller diameter piston means more lever travel but also less effort required to get good stopping power. Conversely, a larger diameter piston will result in less lever travel but more effort required for good stopping power. I went from a 1/2" piston to a 5/8 or a 3/4 on my 91 CBR600F2 and the lever would barely move and it would take a strong squeeze to get the back tire off of the ground. I went back to the stocker and there waa more lever movement but the brakes suddenly requires hardl any effort for great stopping power. |
Nattyx1
| | Posted on Monday, July 26, 2010 - 03:12 am: |
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Ok, so here's my two cents on all this, as I just went through a few steps and tests. I'll save you the boring parts and just tell you that I now have excellent lever, great feel, plenty of bite and stoppies when I want em. Bear in mind that at the last track day (three weeks ago), I nearly ate it at the first turn at the end of the front straight because I went for the usual two finger breaking pull and all I did was smash the lever against my ring/baby fingers that were trying to blip. Some rear brake and using every inch of the pavement I just barely got it turned as the front end started tucking... So I was definitely ready for a solution.
(Prior to track day I bled the front brakes so I was sure there was no air - I STARTED the day with excellent lever and good bite with the new Lindall gold pads).
Anyway, after this fiasco, I went back to the stock rotor from the used/"race" rotor I had been running. It's the 5mm with cutouts "petals" for cooling. I think it's galled/warped and was banging the pads against the piston on the fast straight.
I mounted the stock rotor using the old hardware. Crappy lever, still fading but not terminal/horrible like the other one.
So then I ordered and received Erik Buell Racing's rotor mounting kit (bolts/washers/spacers) and installed the stock rotor with those.
I removed the caliper, checked the pistons, reinstalled the brake pads just to be sure that was all ok. It was.
I reassembled the front end, torqued everything and re-bled the system just in case.
I rode hard this morning in the canyons. I did two "laps" one one particular road that has many short straight sections into tight DR hairpins. It's where I go to test brakes on all the test bikes I get.
90 mins of this, and through it all I had great lever, zero fade. Problem solved.
I had been talking myself into spending $200 on a 19x18 nissin master cylinder (or waste a bunch of time trying to find a used one that wasn't destroyed in a crash), but I think I'm good to go here -- certainly for the street.
ymmv |
Dcmortalcoil
| | Posted on Monday, July 26, 2010 - 03:20 am: |
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The "travel" I was referring to was the initial amount of movement it takes before hitting resistance.
Yes the smaller bore takes less effort - and thus feels "spongy." |
_gdkp_
| | Posted on Monday, July 26, 2010 - 05:09 am: |
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@dcmortal
yes, thats right, normally if you buy an japan bike, there are usually mounted 16mm m/cīs... so on,i thought my brakes would have an defect, but now iīm very happy - cause in mountains (where i ride), itīs much better to handle, cause of the better feel i have - so on, if somebody is a hard driver, or rides on the track, he might have to uprade the m/c to getting more bite and agressive braking... |
Thefleshrocket
| | Posted on Monday, July 26, 2010 - 01:19 pm: |
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Nattyx1, you're probably correct about the warped rotor pushing the pistons in. I bought a used, supposedly straight rotor for my SV650 and within 100 feet of pulling out of my driveway, the brake lever would go to the clipon. I pulled the rotor (which was intended to replace a SLIGHTLY warped on) and it was very visibly warped. |
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