I've always thought the brakes on the blade were good. I've had a couple of moments over the years when I've had to yank on the anchors and never had a drop (done a few endo's!) So I was thinking what could I do to improve the braking even more. The obvious one would be braided hoses - do they make a big difference over standard? Also replacing the discs with wavy - again what difference do they make? (lighter, less spinning inertia?) Finally I could go to specialist brakes like Brembo - again what experience can you offer? Any other advice/opinions would be great Non-ABS bike by the way....
you talking about road use only? if so,the standard set up Is perfectly fine,however,if you really want to spend money then.... m/c lines fluid pads (although standard are very good a they are) calipers and lastly discs.
Hi Scooby, yes road use only. Can you please expand on this: m/c? By lines I believe you mean replace the hoses/lines. What do you mean by fluid - replace with difference kind - if so what? (DOT?)
brake fluid degrades over time,absorbing water,its this that gives poor performance,allowing the fluid to overheat (boil,the water that is,not the actull brake fluid).replacing the fluid,even if it's just standard stuff will make a difference. yes braided lines,the rubber hoses can swell,expand under pressure/time so you don't get a consistant feel when your braking.spongey. m/c,a better m/c is probably the the best mod you could do,they tend to have a higher work rate(ratio) than standard,and like most aftermarket things,are made to a tighter tolerance/better materials,so you get better performance,and consistency.
I've just fitted Brembo M4 monoblock calipers, a Brembo 19RCS master cylinder and Goodridge hoses. I use Petronas Tutella brake fluid. Massive improvement over stock. A lot more feel and bite. I haven't been on track with this setup yet though so can't comment on fade.
Standard are fine for road as scooby said. Unless u want it too look good. Braided lines and good fluid will give better feel and little more power Standard pads for me too
The standard brakes are more than good enough for 99.9% of all eventualities. Don't be sucked in by all those clever marketing guys who will make you believe you can stop before you've even thought about hitting the lever. Make sure the pads and disks are in good condition, bleed the brakes, then bleed then again. IMHO unless your the fastest of fast group track day heroes you'd be better off spending your hard earned on some of these. I spend plenty on bling, but that's all it is.
All I've fitted is Hel brake lines and SBS excel pads to my non abs! They are amazing pad and almost half the price of Honda pad then used Castrol brake fluid to bleed them this made a big difference in performance with more bite at higher speeds better feel and confidence! All I'll ever need especially when I compare them with my mates blingy Brembro'd up 899 Panigale the standard Blade brakes feel better than them I just can't justify spending £100's when mine are so good just how they are.
The SBS Excel pads are a great improvement over the OE pads! and made quite a difference in the feeling at the lever, felt like it had more bite and pulled up harder then ever! I had a big debate with myself as I was going to order the OE pads but glad I took the plung with the SBS.
Scott you should give SBS pads a whirl I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at their performance and price
Yes I agree the standard pads are great! .... But not as good as the SBS pads, and a fraction of the cost...
No comment anymore lol. I Shal try some just to be sure. But me and fozzy decided standard were better for us, but I could have had a poo set so I will buy new next time and have another go . I have the ebc to try next. Hrc pads have been the best so far but slightly pricey
If you are doing endos when you are braking it sounds like you may gain better braking performance from upgraded forks over better braking components. I am, however, a hypocrite
Stock brakes that are well maintained will perform admirably on the road. Once you hit the track then the the faults appear. Main issue is the average master cylinder which becomes spongy no matter what hoses or fluid you use. Same issue on the 600rr with inconsistent lever travel but an upgrade to Brembo or Accosatto then it is night and day with no more issues. Yes you have the initial outlay but buy wisely and you will get a big lump of the money when you sell or move onto another bike. I have a SP with Brembo calipers but not a patch on my 600rr with the Accosatto MC and sock calipers. As the 600 is going back to stock then I will definitely fit the MC on the blade.
