Changing a 99

Would anyone know if I could put a 90-97 triple clamp with the stock brake reservoirs onto a 99 and then change the linked braking system to a normal one and potentially put the nice golden calipers on the 99, thanks for the info.

 

Ah, the famous delink!

Many here have done it. All you really need is some fork leg lowers off a VTR1000F, and swap these for the VFR800 bits. Then you can fit some 4-piston callipers (my faves are the CBR954/SP2 items) and matching master. You need to cobble up an adapter to fit the fender to the fork legs but that is not too much to do. At the back I joined both stock brake hoses to a master off a CBR600 or similar to get all pistons working with the right hydraulic ratio.

 

I was hoping to swap the whole system off a 3rd or 4th Gen complete with calipers, shows you my mechanical knowledge

 

It all depends what you want to do. If you just want gold callipers, paint the ones you have!

If the linked brakes are the problem, there are ways to deactivate that, HEL brakes sell these IIRC.

 

wwjd? He would de-link with VTR lowers as god intended, and lose an unholy amount of evil unsprung weight and blasphemous complexity.

 

Sounds like I’m going to hope the stock system is reliable and leave it. Was looking all over for another 3rd Gen bike but after finding and buying this I like it slightly better in all respects except some of the finishing touches. Oh well …

 

And yet...on my ST1300, 6th gen and second 5th gen, I have kept the brakes 100% stock. I actually like the engineering behind the CBS system, and the bikes do stop amazingly well. As MD says, they don't tolerate a lack of maintenance, but as an over-maintainer, that suits me fine.

 

Yeah, there's no "hoping" it is fine, or stays fine.

When the system works, it works great. I've ridden plenty of examples over the years. The extra complexity, weight and failure points is just not worth it to me. My brain seems to do a pretty good job managing which brakes I want engaged. But as you can see from my username, I am rather old school

Cheers!

 

On my VFR1200 they have at least abandoned the SMC (which seems to be the main source of linked brake woe) so no front to rear connection this time, but the rear brake is still connected to the front left upper piston(s). Certainly feels like another fine stopping Honda to me.

I did a rider training course recently (because you never stop learning) and my 09 VTEC out-stopped all of the newer bikes and made it pretty easy for me to look like I knew what I was doing.

 

There is a physical hose connection from the rear MC to the front left upper pistons, with the usual delay valve and proportion control valve in the line.


The front callipers have 6 opposed pistons, and each has 4 pads, a conventional looking pair for the lower two pistons, and a standalone single piston set for the upper pistons. Because Honda, the right calliper has one diameter of piston, and the left side has two different diameters (and different to the right).



The rear calliper is a comparatively simple two piston sliding arrangement.

I understand these are also not forgiving of maintenance and like to seize in their bores, so that is fun.