Just thought I'd put this one out there, has anybody any experience with changing stock front calipers on a 2010 ABS blade with Brembo's? Ridden a pals beemer HP4 and the brakes are so good compared to mine
Cheers Colin, where did you get your calipers from and do they work with the Honda ABS system, i thought the calipers were unique to ABS bikes of are they just a different colour? Is there anything specific you had to do for the conversion, i.e bleeding the ABS system etc. Anything you can share would be really useful. Thanks again.
The OEM Tokicos for both ABS and Non ABS are identical sporting 30/32mm pistons and 108mm mounting points. The ‘SP’ Brembos also have 30/32mm pistons. Replacing any part that is part of the hydraulic system will require either a conventional bleed or a full ABS bleed. There are a few threads on here how to do the bleed including a full on guide by SwissT http://1000rr.co.uk/maintenance/2411-2.htm#post256761 Read it and decide if you’re handy enough to confidently complete it before taking on any brake mods I’ve got a ’59 reg ABS, I’ve not (yet) replaced the calipers with M4s (Colin is deffo the man to talk about this) Other mods to consider are a bigger M/C ie Brembo RCS or Accosato, Galespeed etc. You also may have an older generation ABS ECU, I’ve replaced mine with the ’12 version – plug n’ play! Got braided lines too, but performance wise I don’t think they add much. I have upgraded the fork to K-tech internals and set them up professionally for my weight and riding style, the fronts stay planted and allows you to really transfer that braking force at the calipers to the road.
Cheers Slick, i'm handy with the spanners, done a few Ducati belts in my time so not afraid to have ago, thanks for the link to the brake bleeding bit, if i replace just calipers and/or master cylinder, does the whole circuit have to be bled or can i just bleed the brakes conventionally? i.e just bleed the caliper/master cylinder. Thanks again
Personally I would always recommend a full bleed the whole system(ABS power unit, valves, MC and calipers) whenever fluid is lost from the system due to replacement of a part etc. Bleed the conventional system as well as you can before you bleed the ABS. Essentially you want to avoid introducing air into the ABS gubbins. To bleed the power unit and valves you need to invoke the ABS bleeding program as in the guide. This is straight forward it is just the front power unit is quite hard to get to. You can in the most part get away with not bleeding the power valve as this is only really required if the power unit itself is replaced. I in fact only bled the conventional lines and valve unit when replacing my MC and lines. Saved the ball ache power unit when I took my radiator off when I changed the coolant. Your ABS is probably due a full bleed by now so it makes sense that you learn to DIY. If you’re handy you wont break sweat!
Cheers for the reply, sounds like a winter job, could do with giving the old girl a good annual service! then I'll sort the bike
Can you ?..... Just take the whole braking system off and fit brembos , caliper lines and m/c. All as one unit ?
If you do decide to add the Brembo M4's to the ABS system then I would definitely perform a full ABS bleed. Not easiest of things to do to be honest. Slick has it down to a T now and was very helpful when I got round to doing mine. Adding a MC to the mix I felt gives you a better feel
Im happy with the bleeding process, I assume its just a case of keeping the reservoir topped up as you go but can anyone shed any light on the jumper lead,i.e what connector or wire does it connect to and does is just short to ground?
The jumper connector is red and can be found under the battery. The cap is simply removed and the two terminals shorted. Any wire will do as the jumper, you just need to ensure it is really snug with absolutely no chance of it coming loose whilst in the bleed process. Not essential but it really helps if you fit speed bleeders. Also my first time I used ATE super blue fluid, it just gives you a positive indication that the old stuff is flushed out. As highlighted in the guide you must have a fully charged battery and the charger must be disconnected before you start.
