Brake hose questions

[Eydugstr]

Do the XII Voyagers benefit from going to stainless steel brake hoses from the stock rubber hoses?

[triton28]

I did notice a more solid feel to the brake levers and somewhat of a reduced amount of required pressure to achieve the braking I had become accustomed to.
It felt, to me at least, as though the new brake lines were no longer expanding outward to absorb the pressure, a more solid feel so to speak.
Others may have noticed different results.
Dave

[Jimvoyager01]

Our voyagers are getting older,,,new brake lines are a good safety item..

[cushman eagle]

I agree 100% with triton28 I use less pedal and lever travel to get the brake application I use.
I recommend that upgrade.

[Eydugstr]

Ok, I'm sold...On the fronts brakes, have you guys gone with the 2 line setups, or is sticking with the three lines the preferred route? Are there any routing or bleeding issues if you do away with the brake line junction on XII's?

Thanks again for the responses & opinions.

[triton28]

3 line, stock arrangement here.

[Eydugstr]

3 line, stock arrangement here.

Did you go through the North cal. Voyagers to get the three line arrangement? Or did you have a shop make them up for you?

Galfer sells them but only show a 2-line front arrangement.

[triton28]

There was a company here in Canada who made mine.
Dave

[HMB Don]

NorCal Voyagers has them in stock. These are a simple bolt on, the kits includes all of the washers, new banjo bolts, plus the five stainless steel lines. Cost is still $210.00 plus shipping $7.20.

Our brake line kits are only made for NorCal Voyagers, so this kit can't be ordered from Galfer. I think our three line front brake lines look a lot better then the two line kit. This is just me speaking.

If you're going to the AVA International Rally I'll have some kit there, plus Galfer brake pads for both the Voyager 1200 and the Voyager 1700, both front and rear for the 1700. The brake pads are top of the line Galfer brake pads.

[ghostler]

I got mine, Galfers from an Amazon.com seller. Mine was the 2 line set up, which eliminates the 1 to 2 tee.

Dual banjo bolt that came with kit pressurizes both lines to left and right calipers:

Tee removed, universal strap material to hold lines in place:

Section of split fuel line with nylon ties each end act as spacer in mount for narrower lines:

[HMB Don]

That looks good, nice installation job. This two line system simplifies everything, but for me I didn't like having that long banjo bolt at the master cylinder.

What NorCal sells is a kit that looks stock. It also uses all of the stock mounting points.

[Mr Jensee]

Don will you be at the Kerrville rally? I may purchase some while there.

[ghostler]

That looks good, nice installation job. This two line system simplifies everything, but for me I didn't like having that long banjo bolt at the master cylinder. What NorCal sells is a kit that looks stock. It also uses all of the stock mounting points.

Don, thanks.

This is the nice thing about the motorcycling community, individuality. No doubt what NorCal sells are quality items. Reason why I bought what I did was apparently someone was clearing out their NOS stock, and so I got the Galfer kit at an irresistible price. Banjo set up may seem unsightly, but after I installed it, really don't notice it, neither has anyone else I've been around commented on it.

Used the same philosophy on my 1971 Honda CB100. I replaced the failed selenium bridge rectifier, 1940's - 1960's technology, with a modern 25 Amp 50 PIV (peak inverse voltage) silicon bridge back in 1980, cost me under $5 at Radio Shack, still have the bike and rectifier. The genuine Honda part was $30 and I was a poor college student who knew how to use a soldering iron, so I substituted. Also later replaced the cheap looking unreliable factory glass tube master fuse holder with a modern auto in-line mini-blade fuse holder with dust cover. Both improved the electrics although I deviated from historical stock. Plus, I replaced the back shocks with non-stock chromed aftermarket springs. The OEM ones were shot a long time ago. But then I have it as a rider versus museum item.

Anyway, to each their own.

[Eydugstr]

TY for everyone's responses. Went ahead and replaced the front and back brake hoses with a set from Spiegler, going with the 3 line arrangment. At the same time went ahead and replaced the rotors front and back with new ones from EBC. Found out the rear pad (the outer one with the ears) had less than 1mm of pad material left on it! Wound up having to drill out and use an extractor on one of the caliper bolts, though, to get everything apart.

Do have one last question...Do you guys normally use semi-metallic pads on these bikes, as opposed to organics? Right now I have organics on them and while I can tell the function of the brakes overall is much much smoother with the new lines & rotors, it's like they don't seem to have quite the "bite" the previous pads did.

[cranky]

... I've always ran semi-metalic..... the organic scare the !)$*$)% outta me!
I like 'um to bite a tad... JM2C

[ghostler]

Do have one last question...Do you guys normally use semi-metallic pads on these bikes, as opposed to organics? Right now I have organics on them and while I can tell the function of the brakes overall is much much smoother with the new lines & rotors, it's like they don't seem to have quite the "bite" the previous pads did.

I'm happy with the Kevlar based brake pads I got. I think you need to break them in, see how they brake after wearing them in. You got new pads and disks, both need to be broken in.

[voyager55]

I agree with you on the the looks. 2 line kit looks weird

NorCal Voyagers has them in stock. These are a simple bolt on, the kits includes all of the washers, new banjo bolts, plus the five stainless steel lines. Cost is still $210.00 plus shipping $7.20.

Our brake line kits are only made for NorCal Voyagers, so this kit can't be ordered from Galfer. I think our three line front brake lines look a lot better then the two line kit. This is just me speaking.

If you're going to the AVA International Rally I'll have some kit there, plus Galfer brake pads for both the Voyager 1200 and the Voyager 1700, both front and rear for the 1700. The brake pads are top of the line Galfer brake pads.

[HMB Don]

Yes, I'll be at Kerrville and the AVA International Rally. I'll have brake lines and brake pads on hand. I'll have brake pads for both the 1200 and 1700.

The brake pads I like to use are the HH pads. I use them because I use a lot of front brake and very little rear brake. I changed my stock front rotors at 100,000 miles and have used only the HH pads and the rotors now have 120,000 miles of use and still in good shape. The HH pads are the sintered pads.

On the rear I use only the semi metallic pads, the HH bite to hard, making the rear tire lock up to easy in wet weather.

[Eydugstr]

TY for everyone's responses. Will go ahead and switch the fronts to the HH pads at some point but for now will be patient with the organics. Took the bike out for another small ride and this time around they seemed to do a bit better.

HMB Don - Thanks so much for making the video on the rear tire removal. Can the Northcal Voyagers sell just the clutch line?

[HMB Don]

No, I only buy the lines as a 5 line kit. When I worked with Galfer getting this kit made up it took a whole year to get the lines correct. As you know a set of stock front brake lines cost almost $250.00. So NorCal sells the 5 line kit for $210.00.