Radial Brake Conversion

cafetbird · #1 (**permalink**) 04-11-2008

I have a friend that races a T595 on the track, and he indicated that replacing / upgrading the brake master cylinder made all the difference in front brake performance. Problem is, the racing system costs $$$. Has anyone upgraded their front brake master cylinder on a Trirumph Sprint or other 955 bike? What radial brake MC will fit the 99-04 Sprint? I imagine most Nissin units would work, but which one will do the trick?

cafetbird · #2 (**permalink**) 4 Weeks Ago

Hmm... I guess everyone just deals with the limitations of the stock brakes here....

BigAl8295 · #3 (**permalink**) 4 Weeks Ago

Originally Posted by cafetbird

Hmm... I guess everyone just deals with the limitations of the stock brakes here....

Your American friends are just waking up, give them some time.

KitNYC · #4 (**permalink**) 4 Weeks Ago

I swapped my stock MC for a 5/8" unit from an '07 Kawasaki 600. I also put the 6-piston calipers from the Kawi onto my Sprint. I love it!

I highly recommend the 5/8" MC & 6-pot mod, but I have no clue what radial MC would be right for a Sprint. I would imagine that pretty much all of them fit, but you want to match the cylinder to the calipers you're using. BTW, I paid well under $100 for the whole setup on eBay, & the HH-rated pads were brand new.

Cheers, HTH,
-Kit

cafetbird · #5 (**permalink**) 4 Weeks Ago

Originally Posted by KitNYC

I swapped my stock MC for a 5/8" unit from an '07 Kawasaki 600. I also put the 6-piston calipers from the Kawi onto my Sprint. I love it!

Cheers, HTH,
-Kit

Kit: Direct swap, or did it require an adapter plate?

Thanks,

Scot

KitNYC · #6 (**permalink**) 4 Weeks Ago

So direct I can't even think where an adapter plate would have gone. I think I did have to swap a couple banjo bolts around, & I bought a bunch of fresh crush washers, but it was an incredibly straightforward job. Bleeding the brakes after the swap was the hardest part.

Cheers, HTH,
-Kit

trojan7horse · #7 (**permalink**) 4 Weeks Ago

Replaced mine with a radial mc from a GSXR1000, '03 I think. It's awesome and no more air in the brake system. Also went with HH pads, and fabbed some new stainless lines with Earl's Performance Parts components. Very easy to do, and my brakes are now fantastic.

13 · #8 (**permalink**) 2 Weeks Ago

When I first got my S3, it braked brilliantly. Over time, it degraded to want of a performance upgrade. You'll likely see performance increase from HH pads alone because they're more abrasive on discs than organic. Just be prepared to change discs more often as they go out of tolerance sooner (I use organic EBC's or SBS's and change frequently to get more life out of discs). Release brakes once stopped to help avoid accumulation of HOT pad material becoming embedded into discs (i.e., don't sit at stop lights with brakes engaged). Some race teams use high pressure water to remove this pad accumulation from discs (this embedded pad material is often confused with warped discs because of the uneven disc surface it creates). Removing pads, pushing caliper pistons out then spraying with brake cleaner (don't get brake cleaner on rims or paint)> cleaning disks with degreaser or brake cleaner> changing brake fluid & bleeding> replacing pads and seating properly> lubing brake cables all could make huge difference as well (just don't get chain spray on brakes). Hope this helps!