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Three piston caliper revisited

122K views 290 replies 57 participants last post by  Dazzzz88 
#1 ·
Well the pads are well run in and had a good ride on the weekend through some great roads north of melbourne where all the bush fires were the other year. I am totally rapped with the improvement the EBC HH pads are great as they never seem not to alter hot, cold they react the same.
The caliper allows really good feel i suppose the force at the lever is reduced due to the pressure acting over a 50% increase in area. I have wanted to improve the braking but have been loathe to spend the big bucks of some of the alternatives. The riding i do is generally fairly hard on the brakes so the two additions work well. To anyone who doesnt want to go the whole hog have a think about the EBC HH pads, sure there are plenty who have noticed the improvement.
These are the photos of the finished guard. The allen bolts are the same as the ones in the top of the guard/brace and used to fit the grab rail etc just shortened a bit. I put a black rubber washer underneath to stop the paint getting scratched.


The piece of rubber you can see attached is not a permanent fixture i just hook it on to the sump guard to stop all the gravel sparying on to the engine, i dump it in the bushes when i get to the bitumen.
I did think about painting the caliper black but was to busy fitting and trialing not much of a job to remove and paint. That means it will stay as it is!
So all that is needed is:
1/caliper (may well need a clean), i didnt replace the piston seals.
2/ Bottle of DOT 4 Fluid
3/tube to bleed.
4/set of new pads.
If you have a bonnie and want to keep your guard and want to do the method i chose:
1/drill bit the size of the original holes
2/2 allen bolts
 
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#3 ·
Hey Askari. Nice mod. Well done. No need to change master cylinder due to the increased surface area that the brake fluid is acting on? I would have guessed that a bigger cylinder would be required. Also, I see you still have original brake lines on. Not worth going to braided?
Cheers mate
Russell
 
#4 ·
Original line is braided, I noticed when I changed mine for an aftermarket braided one.
If a larger m/cylinder is needed an early Rocket III is a straight swop. I think a Speedmaster with twin discs is also larger and a straight swop.
 
#5 ·
Master cylinder

There seems no issue with the master cylinder vol wise i believe that bleeding would maybe be quicker and easier with a larger one and of course cooling, thats if you do track days maybe.
With the bleeding Ventura suggested to bleed pre bolting up, that way you can lift the caliper, twist whatever to get rid of air. I just bolted up and did insitu.
The only thing i would suggest is that you manually slide the caliper into contact after fitting. Otherwise you sart bleeding and finally get some resistance and you hear a small bang as the caliper slides over and then you are back to bleeding to find that resistance.
The cables are braided not sure if there is anything to be had in changing to an oem one other than nice colours?
Also dont be tempted to try using the original pads being in a hurry i did and they were badly worn and not worn even so they tended to bind a bit, new ones no such issue.
Pretty sure there are some on e.bay not sure which country and nothing to do with me!:D
 
#6 ·
Nice job Askari!

Regarding the master cylinder, the OEM 11mm performs just fine with the 3-pot caliper.
Ive used both the stock item and also an ex Speed Triple 14mm m/c with these and the 11mm does the job perfectly.
No need at all to go bigger.

New braided lines just look a bit better than the OEM braided lines.
No need to change, other than for the 'bling' factor! :)

Like this maybe!!...............





V.
 
#7 ·
Doh!

Only just got around to having a closer look at my brake lines and, bugger me, you lot are right. They are already braided. I feel like such a knob now. So my next question, at the risk of looking even sillier, is what is the caliper off? I've obviously missed something in an earlier thread.
Cheers
Russell
 
#8 ·
Caliper

Hi hurrypants you wont be the last to think they are mot braided. I actually got this from europe through a friend. I believe it was from a honda, the actual model i am not sure if i remember right it was not a Aus model, however there are some Aus delivered bikes with the 3 piston caliper. Just not real sure what they were now. I did ph lots of wreckers but to no avail. Think the AUS market is a bit small. If you do a search on the site there are some models listed.
I actually PM'd you the other week as i live close, should you want to have a look/go let me know.
 
#11 ·
Hi hurrypants you wont be the last to think they are mot braided. I actually got this from europe through a friend. I believe it was from a honda, the actual model i am not sure if i remember right it was not a Aus model, however there are some Aus delivered bikes with the 3 piston caliper. Just not real sure what they were now. I did ph lots of wreckers but to no avail. Think the AUS market is a bit small. If you do a search on the site there are some models listed.
I actually PM'd you the other week as i live close, should you want to have a look/go let me know.
Thanks mate. I'm thinking of this mod for next winter. Too much to do now that the sun is out. Most of my rides are two up with the missus and this is when I tend to notice the desire for better brakes. Solo not such an issue for my woosie riding.
Never received your PM though?? Wouldn't mind having a sticky at some stage though if thats ok.
Cheers
Russell
 
#13 ·
#14 ·
No, not the correct one!!

You need to be looking at calipers with the same mounting bracket as the OEM one.
Also the werent fitted to the Hondas until post-2007.
Dont look at anything before that.











V.
 
#16 ·
There seems to be a lot of interest in this conversion (me too) but I'm confused as to what calipers will fit (and it seems I'm not alone) all I know up to Venturas last post was that it was a 3 piston off an Honda (I now know it has to be post 2007) but it would be really good to know which models. At the moment when searching e-bay I get either everything or nothing. Also does the caliper mount onto the Triumph mounting bracket or do you need the one from the Honda?
 
#17 ·
No confusion really.

Here's a list of what Ive found, either by trawling the internet or first-hand close inspection of various Hondas......

CB1000R 10 >
CBF1000F 07 >
CBF600 08 >
CB600F Hornet 07 >
TransAlp 07 >
DN-01


Of course, with them being from relatively new bikes they dont come up very often.
On Ebay you may not see any for months, then just like busses, three come along at once!

Since getting involved with this modification, and purchasing quite a few for both myself and a few others, I can now recognise the correct ones by sight.
The clearest indication is that they have the same mounting bracket as the OEM calipers.
They are fitted as complete units (caliper AND bracket) one on, one off.

Ten minute job and away you go (and stop of course!!) :)



V.
 
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#20 ·
On the CBF1000 models it's definitely only the ABS model you want. I did this on my Legend (same caliper mount) before getting more radical with a USD fork change & 6 pot Alcon. (Already sold the 3 pot caliper I had, before anyone asks.)

In bang-for-buck, this 3 pot conversion is very worthwhile imo.
 
#23 · (Edited)
#25 ·
#36 ·
You might be lucky!


Just looked in the manual and they do look very similar for the twins. Does yours have the twin disc, sorry not to up on my cruisers. If you can get a bonny or thrux close to have a look you will be able to confirm. If you have the twin disc model there might be easier access to calipers as some sellers dont want to split L & R. You will end up with a awesome stopper, you might want too consider just the pad change though. Have fun either way!:D
 
#29 ·
cylinders

On my caliper all the cylinders/pistons work together. There is just the one bleed nipple. I did notice that the middle piston is slightly different in that the orifice? that you can see and the end that presses on the pad is not as deep as the 2 external pistons. My take on this is maybe to do with balancing the pad application. Whatever she stops good might even try a stopie!!
 
#31 ·
Scratch *ALL* "Dual Braking System" calipers from the list of donor vehicles.
 
#33 ·
I'm not sure they can't be used. Looking at Askari's photo in his first post it looks like his calliper uses the same casting as the CBS one, the material for the bleed & feed galleries to the centre 'pot' is still there, presumably they either drill/tap these for a CBS system OR drill the centre pot deeper or more likely drill from the rear of this into the cross gallery between the 2 outer pots.

So, if you get a CBS calliper you could (probably, and carefully) drill the gallery from the centre pot into the cross gallery and plug the feed/bleed ports with grub screws (so you don't have bolt heads hanging out) and it would not look different to Askari's
 
#35 ·
Well I was just out for a 'quick lap' on my treader and stopped at a local bike shop out in the sticks (you probably know it Ventura, KJM) they just happened to have a CB1000F in, this was a 'Combined ABS, C-ABS' model and it seems that on these (compared to the combined but non ABS system) they have a feed from the rear system to only one calliper on the front and, good for us, it is the RH calliper. I guess with the ABS system with pumps included it has enough power to make do with only one of the front brakes. It also gets rid of the 'torque arm mounted' master cylinders.

Thank for the close up photo Ventura, that's a big help.
 
#37 ·
Here's one I made earlier.... It's from a 2009 CB600 Hornet, and was in pretty good condition (even had the original pads fitted - since replaced with Brembo's).
It was gold, which I didn't fancy too much, so I stripped it down completely and sprayed it black. (800C manifold paint).

 
#39 ·
Preparation was a bloody good de-greasing (read: scrubbing with a stiff brush and washing up liquid! hehehe) and then rinsed off and heated in the oven to dry it off all over. The paint was applied and left to dry for one hour then baked for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 150C / Gas mark 2. Seriously! (I recommend doing this when her-indoors is not, eerrm, indoors)

I had AP Racing pads in the original 2 pot and unfortunately the Spanish importer has gone out of business so I couldn't get those, that's why I got Brembo's. To be honest they are very, very similar although the Brembo's have just a little less initial "grab" - which I liked with the AP's.
 
#40 ·
Cant beat a wire brush!

Mine was pretty gunky so used lots of brake cleaner. Was a bit eager so painting wasnt an option. The EBC pads forget the # are good bite wise as they are the same hot and cold.
Fully comprehend the choice of baking day!
Talking with Ventura did you notice that the middle piston is different? I didnt take it right to bits but the hollow that presses on the pad isnt as deep on the centre piston, any views?:D
 
#41 ·
Question for you guys who've been looking at and running these calipers. Since these are coming off bikes with (2) front calipers, does anyone know if the right side (opposite side) caliper is a mirror image caliper to the left hand side caliper (that we're using on our twins)?

Thanks

Doug
 
#42 ·
#44 ·
Sad that none of the donor Hondas are marketed in the US. Sadder still that none of the UK breakers will ship to the US. If any of you wonderful fellows across the pond are willing to acquire and ship a caliper to a poor former colonist, shoot me a PM and maybe we can work out a deal advantageous to us both.
 
#45 ·
Options



I appreciate your dilema set up your e.bay for alerts world wide for the models you require and you will get an early run. How you do this i have no idea but it can be done. Alternatively PM Ventura who is really in to these calipers. Unfortunately you will get nothing for a while then there will be quite a few.:)
 
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