Front Upper Brake Line

crumppa · Full Member Joined: Jan 17, 2007 Posts: 32

I've got an 83 Heritage Special that I finally got running smooth, so I decided to ditch the factory cow horn bars for some with much less rise and pull back. Now the stock upper front brake line is way to long.

I went to Mikes XS for help and he has been out of the part for a while. His web site claims the same part off a 77 standard will work so I ordered one from my local motorcycle dealer. They said one week. Well, 4 weeks later and they have no idea when it will come in. Needless to say, not only does it suck riding with only a rear brake but it is unsafe so no riding for me.

Does anyone know where I can get this part or does anyone have one that they are willing to part with?

Paul

5twins · Full Member Joined: Aug 05, 2006 Posts: 1616

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ttmaniac · Full Member Joined: Dec 22, 2006 Posts: 468

I had excellent braking power with spiegler lines except for the fact they became corroded in just over a years time....then I dumped the front brake entirely.....sure, its not as safe on the street, but I think riding with only a rear brake makes one a safer and better...especially when you put the front brake on after running one brake for 6 months!

Cafe_Shop · Posted: January 24, 2007, 11:16 pm Post subject: Re: Front Upper Brake Line

ttmaniac wrote:

I had excellent braking power with spiegler lines except for the fact they became corroded in just over a years time....then I dumped the front brake entirely.....sure, its not as safe on the street, but I think riding with only a rear brake makes one a safer and better...especially when you put the front brake on after running one brake for 6 months!

Safer? Or more cautious? I don't see how losing 90% of your braking ability could be safer. It might make you ride cautiously but definitely not safer!

ttmaniac · Full Member Joined: Dec 22, 2006 Posts: 468

When you grab a handful of front brake, watch out.....I've always been a firm believer in the "oh sh#t" lever but sometimes choose not to run one....when my spiegler began to corrode I tossed the whole works in a box......don't worry...I still have a back brake!

kingwj · Posted: January 25, 2007, 8:35 am Post subject: Re: Front Upper Brake Line

If you don't use your front brake properly you shouldn't be allowed to ride a motorcycle.

ttmaniac · Full Member Joined: Dec 22, 2006 Posts: 468

Tell that to a flattracker.

Cafe_Shop · Posted: January 25, 2007, 10:06 am Post subject: Re: Front Upper Brake Line

Since when do oval racers use brakes anyways? If you want to stop fast you have to use your front brake. Period.
TT - it sounds like you should take some of that luck that's been keeping you alive and use it to learn some hand control. Do you slam the clutch in and out too?

ttmaniac · Full Member Joined: Dec 22, 2006 Posts: 468

You can insult me Mr. Cafe but I am still alive and as an American I have every right to ride with one brake....look at all those Youtube geniuses running front brakes.....go try a stoppie sometime and tell me what you see....yes, a front brake helps in heavy traffic but so does a cool head!

Cooltouch · Posted: January 25, 2007, 11:59 am Post subject: Re: Front Upper Brake Line

crumppa wrote:

I've got an 83 Heritage Special that I finally got running smooth, so I decided to ditch the factory cow horn bars for some with much less rise and pull back. Now the stock upper front brake line is way to long.

When I bought my '81 SH seven years ago, almost immediately I replaced the bars and ran into the same situation. But I just left the "too long" brake line in place. It's been hanging in there just fine. It looked a bit strange at first, but I've gotten used to it, and nobody else seems to notice. One of these days I'll replace it with a braided line, but until then, the too-long one will work.

Best,

ichael

ttmaniac · Full Member Joined: Dec 22, 2006 Posts: 468

If it ain't broke don't fix it....having stainless brake lines is nice...definitely improves the feel but they always corrode...I've found that the xs discs like to lock up pretty easily....but I have stopped pretty quickly using both brakes in an emergency situation....things could be worse...like having no brakes...always double check your caliper bolts periodically is all I can say!

kingwj · Posted: January 25, 2007, 12:34 pm Post subject: Re: Front Upper Brake Line

Stainless brake lines are actually teflon hoses with a braided cover. I guarantee nothing in the brake fluid is corroding the teflon. I'm curious to hear a bit more about your problems? Do you change your fluid? Is the stainless corroding? You say the brakes lock up, do you attribute that to the lines. I see you are in FL, could you issues be salt air?

ttmaniac · Full Member Joined: Dec 22, 2006 Posts: 468

Yes, it's probably salt air even though the spiegler lines are clear coated..yeah, the stainless is rusted..so much for "stainless lines"....yes I change fluid yearly...my complaint of locking up isn't extreme just that the xs brakes don't have a very good "feel" as compared to modern setups....it's tough to feel just when the front brake is gonna lock up....I'm not goin for a stoppie, just safe riding but I'm not putting corroded lines on my machine...what I'm saying is next time I'll try another brand rather than spiegler...good performance, poor hold-upability

5twins · Full Member Joined: Aug 05, 2006 Posts: 1616

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ttmaniac · Full Member Joined: Dec 22, 2006 Posts: 468

That looks like a spiegler line....how long have you had it?...is the finish holding up ok?

yamaguy · Posted: January 26, 2007, 10:58 am Post subject: Re: Front Upper Brake Line

I put lower "Daytona" style bars from MikesXS on mine and took off the tank and just cleverly re-routed the cables and brake line trying not to put too much bind in them. As far as the front, I was able to slightly double the line and tuck it by the steering head behind the headlight. It's not a permanent solution, but works for now until I get a custom braided one made.

Oh, and TT, I'm kind of suprised to here your opinion on the use of front brakes! Judging by your avatar picture, you've probably been riding for a long time. If your front brake was grabby and and unsafe, maybe you should have tried some different pads and rebuilt the caliper or something. The front brake on my 80 SG isn't grabby at all. I've had to make a few panic stops in my day and couldn't imagine the consequenses if I hadn't had the power of my front brake!

Please reconsider your standing on the matter.

Not trying to razz you. Just concerned about the well-being of a fellow rider.

Take care and BE CAREFUL!!!!!

ttmaniac · Full Member Joined: Dec 22, 2006 Posts: 468

If I actually looked like that avatar I would ride with no brakes! I use the pads from mikesxs...it wasn't grabby untill I put the stainless spiegler line on it..It's not ultra grabby but grabbing a handful of front brake is not my favorite sport...the stock lines are pretty spongy.....I mean it's still tolerable but it's 12-15 pounds of dead weight so sometimes I use it and sometimes I throw it in the box like when the "stainless" gets all rusty and cruddy looking...yes, the front brake (with spiegler lines) saved my ass once but I wouldn't have been tailing quite as close with one brake....it's like the car airbag theory....people drive more dangerously thinking they have extra protection but get hurt more....So what I'm saying is I don't really stand anywhere on the matter....I'll run a front brake if it's on there or I won't...it doesn't make much difference to me personally....I do appreciate your concern for my safety...it seems you and me have the same taste in handlebars as I got some flanders daytona type model on mine too...they work excellent...plenty of leverage...look good low down, upside down, up in a riser, etc.....

yamaguy · Posted: January 26, 2007, 11:42 am Post subject: Re: Front Upper Brake Line

I really like these bars compared to the buckhorns. You just feel more in control and lean you more into the wind instead of hanging on for dear life. It feels very much like my Strom now which I really like. I also put a small handlebar mount shield on. Looks sporty and I can cruise on down the road at 70 in relative comfort. It blocks just enough wind off the head and torso and also helps deflect rocks and debris kicked up from cages and those damn tri-axle dump trucks that spit off rocks and dirt clods when they hit a bump.

As far as the front brake issue...hey, to each his own, but I will share a story with you.

y wife and I were on the 86 Goldwing I had a couple years ago, riding with my brother and my best friend. I was in the lead riding on the outskirts of Bloomington, IN in an unfamaliar part of town. We came over the crest of a road going 40-45 and at the last second noticed it was a 4-way stop! A car was going through the intersection! I grabbed a handfull of front and a footfull of rear as well. It was one of the closest calls I've ever had and scared the s*** out of my wife and I! I don't know what the outcome would have been without that front brake. If I would have only had the rear to rely on, I'm sure we would have slid out or T-boned right into that car. After my brother and friend came up right after witnessing what just happened, you should have seen the looks on there faces!

One of them said, "Man, I can't believe you got that thing hauled down in time!"

A truly scary moment out of a few!

Jay

ttmaniac · Full Member Joined: Dec 22, 2006 Posts: 468

Critics always talk about how much longer it takes for a bike to stop as compared to a car....nonsense I say. You surely did have a front brake moment on that Gold Wing. Thinking about it, my rear master cylinder took a dump on me near the library once...man I was glad for a front brake then...limped it back home oh so carefully and rebuilt my cylinder....the other time I was coming over the causeway back to the island when some rumdumb sh#thead tourist attempted to double lane change in heavy traffic...it happened so fast...locked the rear up followed by the front....man I'll tell you I stopped right NOW..missed a bumper sandwich by about 5 feet...both brakes locked up is an uncomfortable feeling but necessary at times like those...I killed my motor trying to downshift and brake and slide sideways...I cursed, spit and swore but I didn't eat that bumper....this sounds like a testimonial....I just like to live dangerously sometimes...I figure if God's gonna call my # a front brake ain't gonna stop him...when you ride with no front brake you always go on yellow or get REALLY good at locking it up and riding it out...you'd be amazed at how much stopping power can be coerced with good rear brake control...

yamaguy · Posted: January 26, 2007, 12:07 pm Post subject: Re: Front Upper Brake Line

I was glad that I was going in a straight line and there was no gravel or sand! Luckily neither the front or rear locked on me! In that split-second of reaction time that I had, downshifting wasn't EVEN on my mind! Laughing

ttmaniac · Full Member Joined: Dec 22, 2006 Posts: 468

My father in law always welds his shift lever on so he can stomp on it for emergency situations.....I never ride with anybody because I only want to be responsible for killing myself, not anybody else....it seems that every time a guy rides there is a close call around every corner....I've been riding off and on for 15 years and never laid it down, except for the dirt (damn dirt bikes)....sometimes I feel like my turn is coming though...

crumppa · Full Member Joined: Jan 17, 2007 Posts: 32

5twins, thanks for the pictures. Still no joy on the line from the dealer so I'll be creatively routing the old, too long line this weekend.

Pretty lively discussion wrt riding without a front brake. Personally, I don't know how guys ride without the front but to each his own. I locked my front brake a couple of time on my previous CBR. I was fortunate to recognize it, release a little pressure, and get the front well spinning again without ever taking a spill. I think the experience did make me better rider.

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