Total Motorcycle Community Forums

i encountered my first panic stop last week.
(cagers don't need to use turn signals before slamming on the brakes!! NO, NOT AT ALL!!!!)
i had previously felt secure with the firmness of the front brake lever, but i noticed that when stopping under durress the front brake felt a bit squeemish.

i mean it almost felt like they needed bled, but i know that;s not the case.
so the question this leads me to is; does high pressure braking normally feel like oatmeal when you really get on it?

should i invest in braided S/S brake lines? and if so, should this be a standard mod for the safety conscious, and how much does it affect stopping distance?

thx

Well, I don't have experience with bikes specifically, so maybe some other folks might be more useful, but brake feel and line pressures don't necessarily improve stopping distances. It has a lot to do with friction properties of the various components like the tires and the pads in addition to wieght transfer and fade charateristics- brakes create friction. Friction heats up brake components. When brake components get hot, they change shape and other things. Their ability to dispatch heat has much more to do with stopping distances than line pressures.

If it makes you feel better, it's worth it. May not have any real effect on stopping distances or "safety". You've got an old bike (I checked your other thread) and spongy lever feel may just be part of the game from that era or that particular bike. A better approach would be to take it as a learning experience and adjust following distances and awareness accordingly.

From what I understand, the SS brake lines hold up much better under duress. I am planning on replacing the lines to my Seca since the wife now would like to ride pillion - they already make me nervous. But I think that you will have to ride a little bit to get used to the new lines. After mashing the lever for a while you will not be used to the much better response - enough to lock up your front if you're not careful.

They will help reduce some of the mushyness or vague feeling at the lever. S.S. lines don't expand under pressure like stock rubber ones do. That expansion uses up some of the hydraulic pressure of the system, but not in a controled manner, leading to spongyness.... Some bike will always have better feeling/performing brakes than others, no matter what, due to designs, ect....

f8aw8su wrote:
i mean it almost felt like they needed bled, but i know that;s not the case.
so the question this leads me to is; does high pressure braking normally feel like oatmeal when you really get on it?

You didn't say whether your bike has fresh brake fluid in the lines, so I'll suggest that replacing the old stuff might give some improvement. Sometimes moisture will find its way in through the rubber lines and reduce your braking power.
Braided lines do give a more solid feel to the brakes, but they may give them a "touchy" quality so keep that in mind if you decide to upgrade.