Full caliper overhaul VS brake upgrade: Discuss

[Cammo]

The money it costs to overhaul the 30 calipers can be quite cheaper than an SP1 / Fireblade etc setup.

It depends what state the calipers are in. If you need 8 new pistons and all selas it will end up costing quite a bit.

[fastdruid]

I said this quite a while ago that the NC30 brakes with Standard Nissin pads are more than enough for the bike, I love the feel of them with the OE pads..I think druid was in agreement. Anyone that says otherwise probably has worn calipers / crappy pads etc.

Yep, Admittedly on the NC35 but std calipers (admittedly with braided lines) with OE pads are enough to outbrake everyone every lap into park. :-)
I didn't like EBC's on the SV, needed to warm up before they worked properly (although they were great when they were warm), the OE ones work consistently in every condition and while aftermarket pads _may_ offer some improvement at the extremes the OE ones IMO are the best for everything except full on race use.

The trouble with brake pads is everyone swaps worn out pads for aftermarket and go "WOW, these are great, so much better than the originals", what they don't consider is that *any* new brake pads[1] would be an improvement. No one swaps brand new OE pads for aftermarket to compare.

The other thing with Honda pads is that they're not the same pads that were around when the bike came out but they have moved on with time, the current OEM pads for my 1989 VFR750FJ for example are NISSIN branded ceramic backed sintered pads, I'm pretty sure they weren't that in 1986! Disks btw are originals and only just coming up on the wear limit at (IIRC) 77k.

Druid

[1] Well nearly, I had some cheap ones once on the VFR that were lethal, lost all braking when hot, only one of two sets of (road) pads I've taken off before they wore out (and the other set was on the back of the SV and rusted to hell after 26k!)

[force-v4]

good morning people, just thought i'd stick my bit in too.

ive gone from: 2 year old over-hauled standard nc30 calipers with ebc hh pads, goodridge lines & high temp fluid.
to my new untested set up (its winter!) of: rc51 / sp1 calipers (came from a genuine 5000 mile bike) with new ebc hh pads, new cobra braided race lines, a used but rebuilt fireblade rrt 5/8 master cylinder & new high temp fluid.

all the new stuff has cost me a grand total of £170.00 inc the Rick Oliver caliper mounting brackets.
i would easily spend that + more having my nc30 calipers stripped, blasted & painted, new seals & pistons, new pads & rebuilding the master cylinder + nipples & fluid etc.
but in fairness, i have seen fully rebuilt nc30 calipers on ebay for £110 & £175 a pair.

but surely my new set up it better, it has to be!

[viper_biker]

I ran Brembo's on Rick O brackets and I can assure you that they are a million times better than the standard set-up, both on the road and the track. Royster and myself did a trackday a few years ago and I'd say that rider-to-rider we both have our strengths but put in the same lap times. He did try and brake with me and follow me into the hairpin at Kirkistown only to find himself overshooting the corner and I made it around fine. The only main difference in this instance was the brakes. I'm sure that a decent set of stock calipers that have everything replaced are a great set-up, but the Brembos or a Duc/Aprilia or Nissins of an SP1/Fireblade are much, much better

[CMSMJ1]

I run both...

Have the large Nissins on my race bike with a 5/8 blade m/c and braided lines. Running EBC HH and Stealth wavy discs...they are awesome brakes.

I also currently run a set of cleaned and rebuilt std brakes on no9 with braided lines std discs and ebc HH pads - they are good and I am not lacking anything from them in the real world..but they are not as good as the racebike setup.

I have bought some new brackets and am going to buy another set of big Nissins to replace the o/e.

It is a matter of relativity - std rebuilt ones are bloody good..but I think the larger ones are better

[Sligeach]

Interesting to hear POV on the topic. like i said in the earlier post, a full day long brake overhaul job, giving them a serious scrub



TO THIS



of course the only people who are fit to comment on this is people who have tired both an overhauled pair and a set of 600rr/sp1. i have not so can't possible comment, but my 2c are that overhauled ones (done correctly) with OEM honda pads offer me (personally) better feel that 6pot tokios, albeit on a heavier bike

[fastdruid]

I'm sure that a decent set of stock calipers that have everything replaced are a great set-up, but the Brembos or a Duc/Aprilia or Nissins of an SP1/Fireblade are much, much better

Oh undoubtably, we have a stock NC35 and a track NC35 with CBR600RR calipers (OE pads) and the brakes are *much* better on the track bike.

There is nothing wrong with the stock ones when properly setup, they are IMO quite stonking brakes but you can still improve on them.

Druid

[fastdruid]

Interesting to hear POV on the topic. like i said in the earlier post, a full day long brake overhaul job, giving them a serious scrub

Eaugh, they make mine look good!

of course the only people who are fit to comment on this is people who have tired both an overhauled pair and a set of 600rr/sp1. i have not so can't possible comment, but my 2c are that overhauled ones (done correctly) with OEM honda pads offer me (personally) better feel that 6pot tokios, albeit on a heavier bike

My 6pot tokicos are on my SV700 track bike which is lighter than the NC35, it has 320mm discs and GSXR USD's


I prefer the NC35 brakes (and the 600RR ones are an improvement on them).

Druid

[Neosophist]

I'm sure that a decent set of stock calipers that have everything replaced are a great set-up, but the Brembos or a Duc/Aprilia or Nissins of an SP1/Fireblade are much, much better

Oh undoubtably, we have a stock NC35 and a track NC35 with CBR600RR calipers (OE pads) and the brakes are *much* better on the track bike.

There is nothing wrong with the stock ones when properly setup, they are IMO quite stonking brakes but you can still improve on them.

Druid

Arn't the RR brakes Radial? My old mans 600RR has radial brakes (it's a 58 plate though!)

I wonder what a larger MC would be like with the STD brakes?

As for my original post, I think many people just upgrade their brakes without even looking to see what they need to do to get their orignal calipers back in shape, often it can just be seals that are needed, this would then most times work out cheaper than a set of new calipers etc :)

Heavy track use the std calipers hold up find but 600rr's as said may help you to brake that little bit later, which would be money well spent!

Street wise if it's cheaper to fix the std calipers i'd rather do that and put the extra money into petrol (seeing as it's £1.10 a litre!!) as there more than enough for the bike :D there well matched, not too fierce, and not too light.

[fastdruid]

Arn't the RR brakes Radial? My old mans 600RR has radial brakes (it's a 58 plate though!)

No not these ones, straight swap identical but lighter and stronger. The newer ones may be though (as are the ones I'm fitting to the SV, off a GSXR600K8 )

As for my original post, I think many people just upgrade their brakes without even looking to see what they need to do to get their orignal calipers back in shape, often it can just be seals that are needed, this would then most times work out cheaper than a set of new calipers etc :)

Yep, as per my point of replacing worn out OE with aftermarket then raving about how much better they are.

Street wise if it's cheaper to fix the std calipers i'd rather do that and put the extra money into petrol (seeing as it's £1.10 a litre!!) as there more than enough for the bike :D there well matched, not too fierce, and not too light.

In my case the track bike had no calipers and it was no pricier to get CBR600RR than NC35! For a track only bike I would do it again, for a road/track bike I wouldn't bother, the std calipers are spot on.

Druid