Braided brake lines, Hel or Goodridge

[The Novice]

Firstly, do braided lines really make a difference i will notice, i am cleaning all my calipers, replacing seals and greasing piston etc as necessary, so the calipers will be good again v soon.

is that enough to do? with standard hoses it will be an awful lot better than it was anyway, are braided hoses still recommended.

Assuming the answer is yes - which are best, Hel or Goodridge. There are goodridge sets on fleabay for 3 lines with zinc fittings for £55. Hel are about £80 but are stainless fittings. Zinc, stainless, does it matter?

ps its a triarm rrj.

[PARUS]

Consider that bike was 15 years old on the monent it come to me I have changed them due to the age. Don't like to get surprice on the road. I don't think you feel the difference, but it will be more secure and it worth the money.

[CMSMJ1]

I reckon you'll fell the difference as the old lines will be fecked/

doesn't matter which lines, depends on your pocket and how long yopu want them to look good.

zinc ends can go a bit scrubby in a few years..

I use goodridge sets off the bay...they work, fit and are a bargain.

If you are going to all the effort of sorting the brakes, then do the lines. Saves you bleeding them again when you get sick of spongy brakes..

[lloydspencer]

I would definitely recommend replacing them.

I have always used goodridge and been very happy.

[Jinx]

You should be replacing the lines every I think it was four years anyway. If yours are older than that then why replace them with stock lines when you can get ones that are better than stock?

I've got Hel lines on mine and am happy with them. Braking felt more responsive, but I did the same as you and cleaned up my gear before installing, so I couldn't tell you if it was the lines that did it. Either way you're on the right track.

Doubt I would notice the difference between them and goodrige though. Both good kit. Get what you like the look of or is priced right.

[thunderace]

Try WezMoto lines. I've had a few sets from our Wez in the past and they are much better than Goodridge at about 2/3 the cost. He's got an eBay shop http://stores.ebay.co.uk/wezmoto-eu I think he uses Venhill stuff but I'm not sure.

[The Novice]

Thanks, just dropped them an email for a price. Otherwise I will just go for the goodridge ones as they are cheaper, but are zinc

[Mikiboy]

I Use Hel . Decent pads make an overall difference. I prefer Carbon Lorraine, if I can get them. I have SBS on my R6 race bike and they are the best yet. I use EBC if I cant get hold of Carbon Lorraine, though will consider SBS next time.
Thing is, I dont use the brakes much on the 400, so I probably get less than average use but when I do use them I expect to be able to stoppie if need be.

[amorti]

Thanks, just dropped them an email for a price. Otherwise I will just go for the goodridge ones as they are cheaper, but are zinc

Think of brake lines as like a clutch cable. Over time it will stretch, and the performance will decrease. Not by a lot, but it will. Eventually both will fail completely, usually due to rubbing on the outside, but this is a long time of "eventually". Anyway, as noted above the service schedule suggests replacing OE hoses every 5 years or thereabouts. Whether the change in performance is enough to notice for the average rider is debatable, but I say yes, particularly when compared with 20 year old OE hoses.

The main differences are:
Looks. Get clear wrap and stainless fittings and they will look brand new forever, and just finish off a nice bike.
Ease of fitting. Get two full length lines and it will be far easier to get your brakes bled well. This likely accounts for most of the difference in performance that most users would report. Always use two full-length "race configuration" lines.

It is 100% worth getting the stainless fittings as zinc plated will look rough after one winter, stainless will look brand new forever.

Try to get a set with twist/swivel ends, as otherwise stainless hoses can be a little awkward to install and limit the movement of calipers e.g. when you take them off for a swift clean-up or to change the pads. I think Venhill do this, and Earls. Not sure about the others. Swaged ends look better than bolted-on ends, imho. More "finished".

On my CB-1 I always got the best results from OE-spec Nissin pads, they worked great in all weathers and conditions (unlike Armstrong GG or Ferodo HH) and did not scour discs (like EBC HH).

Here's a piccie of an OE triumph hose, with Zinc ends.