brake lines

[thirdstreetjoe]

can anyone tell me where i can buy a set of front steel braided brake lines for my 84 r100rs. my local dealer is not much help. thanks joe

[shire2000]

Order online. I used Spiegler but there are other manufacturers such as Galfer. All seem to be about the same price.

http://www.spieglerusa.com/

http://www.galferusa.com/html/streetlines.html

Most dealers can order them in for you. I ordered direct from Spiegler as I wanted something custom to fit one of my bikes. Ordered for both at the same time. They went on very easily and fit perfectly on both my 1980 R45 and my 1981 R100RT. I would not hesitate to buy from either Spiegler or Galfer. They both have excellent reputations.

:ca

[lostboy]

Bob's BMW

[lkchris]

Don't do it. Bad idea.

See http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/brakes.htm

Your local dealer is doing you a favor.

[bikerfish1100]

Kent- this was the first time i have ever read/heard advice against SS lines.
Sounds like the person knows what he's talking about- BUT- what are his credentials? who is he? And most importantly- are his recommendations backed up by facts and data?
plenty of other "experts" have frequently recommended SS lines for their improved feedback and longevity, inluding our own AndyVH.

[shire2000]

I have replaced stock old brake hoses with braided stainless steel on over 30 bikes in the past 30 years. Never have I had any of the problems that are discussed in that article. I respect the author of the article very much, but I always look at numerous sources for information. There are a lot more people that advocate braided stinless lines than those that don't. Also, why else would they use these lines on race bikes and cars? Because they work and are reliable.

I have always found that braided stainless steel lines tend to give me slightly better braking and are very easy to bleed. I think it may depend on the quality of the lines. Don't just go down to some hydraulic shop and have them make up your lines for you. The quality of the hose and the fittings may not stand up in our application. Use a kit that is made for your bike, by a reputible manufacturer. I have even had special lines made up for certain bikes by both companies. Told them the length and type of fittings required. Cost was comparible to stock OEM lines.

When ever I buy an old bike, I almost always replace the brake lines, along with most other rubber components. The difference in price is negligable. The lines I use are always either Spiegler or Galfer. They have a teflon coating on the inside and good quality fittings. I have never had one fail. Put over 250,000 miles on a set on my old 1979 R100RT over a 10 year period, with Galfer lines. My brother-in-law has over 300,000 on his 1978 R80 with Galfer lines. Still working fine. We always bleed the brakes every winter to replace the fluid, not just to get any air out. I find that the fluid tends to flow much easier thru these lines and air in the system never seems to be a problem. Probably have one of the few airheads around with a properly working rear disk brake, solid feel and short travel.

Just put a set of Spiegler lines on my R45 project, completely bled the system in less than 5 minutes, from a totally empty system. New MC, New lines, rebuilt caliper.

In my honest opinion, braided stainless steel lines are a good replacement for stock lines on older bikes. Most new bikes come with them. They just work.

:ca

[crazydrummerdude]

Kent- this was the first time i have ever read/heard advice against SS lines.
Sounds like the person knows what he's talking about- BUT- what are his credentials? who is he? And most importantly- are his recommendations backed up by facts and data?

At first glance at that obnoxious font background colors, I knew; it's Snowbum. He is an expert.

Recently, I heard that Oak votes against them as well.

completely bled the system in less than 5 minutes, from a totally empty system. New MC, New lines, rebuilt caliper.

I can do that with my old rubber(?) lines..

...

But, like many things, I think people take even the notion WAY too seriously. Yeah, it's brakes, and yeah, you put your life on the line when you apply the brakes, but geez. If they don't work out, switch back. I've heard far more people talk about their benefits rather than their disadvantages. True, it could all be in their heads. But, if Oak or Snowbum wrote on their website; "BMW designed the Type 247 to be ridden off a cliff after 50k miles," I'll bet we'd hear about morons doing just that. You gotta make your own decisions, learn from them, and adapt accordingly.

I would like to hear/see some first hand account of the kinds of failures Snowbum calls "common" with SS lines.

I'm personally probably going to put some on my bikes when I loosen up some funds.

[keelerb]

I echo the respect for Snowbum and Oak, who have forgotten more about airheads than I will ever know, but with all due respect, I put S/S lines on all my bikes, including my airhead (those were from Bob's BMW), and have never had a problem and have never had to replace them again. I

n the garage right now, an R100RT, Duck, HD, and Norton have them, and the other two will get them when they are four years old, if I wait that long.

BMW makes (mostly) high-quality parts. They're not the only one who does, though.

[fabiox]

the best place to buy


http://rubberchickenracinggarage.com/brakes.html

[lostboy]

Most new BMWs and Triumphs have braided lines on them from the factory. All NASCAR cars have them.

I have seen numerous faillures of OEM rubber lines in the last few years-mostly on K1200LTs. The only braided ones I've ever seen fail were the wrong length or routed badly.

The DOT whip test is a ridiculous way to test a hose: one end is held in a fixture, and as you might assume, the hose is "whipped" at a specified speed. The only way this could happen in a vehicle is if one end came off.

Braided hoses don't have a rubber liner, as Snobum notes. This may be their greatest feature; the teflon liner in a braided hose is inert to every chemical you'll find in a brake system. Rubber is not.

When I (foolishly) parted out my hot rod R100 twenty years ago, the braided hoses on it, which had covered 100,000+ miles, went on another bike. They're still on there, providing a firm lever and looking good.