Anyone try a non-linked rear caliper on a linked brake bike?

I read some threads about de-linking the brakes. Easy for the front if you do the F4 legs, but in the rear I viewed the old caliper with a hose linking the separate chambers of the caliper together. Anyone try a 3rd/4th-gen rear caliper on a 6th-gen bike, to eliminate that?

 

Good question, I'm interested in this as well.

 

I may be a little naive here but why would you do that? I have had many bike over the years and honestly I have found the linked brakes a non issue when braking. The two bikes I currently have a 2008 ST1300 and a 2008 VFR800 both have linked brakes although the VFR does have ABS as well. They work great and are very easy to control and use once you understand how they work.

I will say that brake maintenance is a little different especially when bleeding, but again what is the advantage of braking the brakes?

 

I have delinked my 2007. I have a swapped front end. On the rear I am still running the factory rear master and caliper, but I did run a small couple inch loop in order to use all 3 pistons. Only running 2 pistons and the factory master, the ratio was terrible and standing on the rear brake didn't do much. After looping in the 3rd cylinder, the ratio is decent now. Standing on the rear brake will now lock the rear brake, so I am not too concerned with doing any more work to the rear brakes. I have thought about running an f4i rear master and a custom ss line through the swing arm and a custom ss loop, but in reality I don't care too much about the rear brake, beyond just making sure it slows the bike down when I apply pressure to the lever. Eventually what I would really like to do is run a forged 1098 rear wheel and all associated hardware in the factory sixth gen swing arm, for weight reduction.

 

Why would Honda get rid of such a perfect brake system on the newest 8th-gen VFR800? If it was so great, I'd imagine they'd keep it. Not like they charged a cheap price for the newest 8th-gen to compensate for not having the linked system on there.

How do your questions help me out on my original question?

 

PM mello dude. He has done a lot of research on delinking the brakes.

 

Gotcha. Thanks!

 

I think after doing some research there is more to de-coupling Linked brakes than just removing and reconnection lines. I think the proportioning control valve and the secondary master cylinder would need to be dealt with as they are key components of the linked brake system. The SMC also interacts with the anti-dive, one more thing to deal with. I tried to attach a article (.pdf) file) I sagged from the ST-Owners forum about the Pitfalls of brake maintenance but couldn't figure out how to attach it. If I provide a link I think you would need to be a member. I attached just a couple of paragraphs that explain the linked brake interaction.

If you proceed down this path of de-coupling the linked brakes make sure it is reversible and do much testing before that emergency situation arises. best of luck.

 

What I plan is to do a full-on rebuilt front end from Daugherty and do the CBR600F4 lower forks with the corresponding 4-pots and do away with the whole mess of hoses and extra master and make it like every other motorcycle that's out there, including the new VFR800's (minus the ABS, as this bike doesn't have it). Then, I just need to figure out if I want to use the hose bridge on the rear caliper or ??? Looks as if the hose bridge trick will work. I just wondered if there was something else out there that someone had done. This board doesn't have too many tinkerers and very little traffic, so I have found out that answers might not be out there for what I am looking for, or may be slow in coming.

I have two good, well-stocked shops here at home and have skills, so I'll accomplish what I set out to do. I have a whole winter to get it done. lol...

 

I'm with bt on this one. I've looked here and there and haven't found a direct answer other than those that have done a total rear wheel swap + and even with some of those they stuck with the factory rear caliber. My take on the linked system was two fold, one to aid in( like it was really needed ) was a part of the anti dive property's, two, help those that don't know how to trail brake. For those that knew how to use brakes, this was just another Honda weighty wanted to do it gadgetry thing, it wasn't needed. Proof is, yea it's not on the new vfr is it. . so I too am looking at options to have it brought to what is more the norm. this is a case of less is more.

 

Why cbr lowers on vfr uppers? Why not just the entire CBR600f4i front end with custom valve and spring? Are you going to be able to make that hybrid fully adjustable with cbr600f4i rebound adjustable fork caps and retain the lower compression adjustments?


If it were me, I would pull all of the linked brake stuff. Swap on a revalved/sprung f4i front end. Keep the vfr rear caliper. Run the caliper loop. Swap on an f4i rear master cylinder. That's a proven, solid performer and the best bang for the buck/effort.

 

That's just what Jamie Daugherty told me in an email-

"Sure, I would be glad to help you out with that. Just in case you don't already know, in order for the F4 forks to work I would need to swap over some parts from your VFR forks (stanchion tubes and cartridge tubes). There are a few other details that need to be attended to as well. I've done quite a few of these swaps so luckily I've already figured out what is needed. If you send both sets I'll take care of the everything for you, no problem."

I am just going by what he told me. Either way, it'll work out to be the front end the bike needs.

 

The F4i forks are shorter than the VFR's. If you use the VFR uppers mated to f4i lower the length difference is negligible. This is what I had JD do for me, I couldn't be happier with the results - fully adjustable forks. :smug:

 

Not just fully adjustable, but set up to be right for the rider and type of riding, so that adjustments made will net positive results, when using JD to build them.

 

How much shorter are the f4i forks?

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

 

I don't know, but I bet it's considerable, since the CBR600 has no stanchion tube above the top clamp and the bars are clamped below, and the VFR is quite opposite of that with plenty of tube above for the bars to clamp to. I would guess a couple of inches.

I'll be buying the parts needed for the build in the next month, so I'll know more when I have some in my hands.

 

Rhetorical question.

It's not a perfect brake system.

 

Honda is notorious for making over-complicated bikes. My 3rd-gen was a very good bike and easy to work on and with. This 6th gen I just bought is better in a few ways, but much more complicated and not better in many other ways.