INSTALL A BREMBO MASTER CYLINDER ON AN OLD MOTORCYCLE TO MAKE BRAKING UNBEATABLE

3/16/2017

 We took a Kawasaki produced several years ago and restored its braking with Brembo products

​You own a motorcycle that is almost 10 years old and you've resigned yourself to yielding to the latest generation bikes when braking.

It may seem like there is no solution to this problem, especially if you don't want to spend huge sums of money, but we at Brembo have something that is right up your alley. To prove it to you, we took a 2009 Kawasaki Z750 and made a few modifications.

 
 

The owner of this naked bike is an Italian woman named Nicole who isn't satisfied with the performance of the standard braking system on her bike comprising twin-piston calipers that operate on a double 300mm disc in front and a single 200mm disc in the rear with a single-piston caliper.

As often happens when a bike travels thousands of kilometres and the years pass, the braking system has fallen apart. Nicole complains about the bike's brake performance on steeper grades: “I often go riding with two friends who have an Aprilia Tuono V4 and a Ducati Streetfighter.

I manage to keep up with them when going uphill or on flat ground, but I suffer a blow going downhill because I can't brake like they can."

 
 
 

And if that isn't enough, from what Nicole tells us, the brake pads seem to have lost their initial bite, meaning when the lever is pulled, the response isn't immediate like it is on other naked bikes whose braking systems are in good condition.

Added to this, after a series of very aggressive braking, the discs and pads heat up rapidly and are less efficient.

So, to sum it up, the system on this Z750 lacks power and modularity.

But it's not unusual, it is a problem that bikes like this typically experience after a few years.

It is even more common when the owner, or subsequent owners, neglect to maintain the brakes.

And this is no small error because, as many of you have surely experimented, even a braking system in perfect condition may run into trouble in potentially dangerous situations.

 

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Since the discs on this Z750 are still in good condition, we don't 't think they need to be changed.

But the brake fluid definitely needs to be replaced because it's showing signs of ageing and has absorbed quite a bit of humidity.

The fluid should be changed every 2-3 years, even when the minimum number of kilometres hasn't been travelled, so that the operation of the entire system isn't compromised.

We have replaced this fluid with Brembo LCF600 brake fluid, which is suitable for street bikes but is also used in racing.

 

To replace the almost totally consumed pads we went to the extensive Brembo catalogue to find a replacement that is ideal for this bike and best meets Nicole's requirements.

We decided on the SC Pads , which are distinguished by being efficient when cold and by having a good friction coefficient when hot.

What this means is that the SC pads are perfect for those who look for performance in competitive riding but don't want to give up versatility in daily use.

 
 
 

The true leap of quality is guaranteed however by a change in the brake master cylinder. The standard one on Nicole's Z750 is a fairly economic component that doesn't ensure race-replica performance. To make her riding experience more satisfying, we have installed a Brembo 15RCS master cylinder on the bike.

RCS stands for Ratio Click System and points to a family of radial master cylinders characterised by the possibility of quickly alternating inter-axles (18 and 20 mm). The first case favours modularity and the second is ideal for obtaining maximum braking power while applying minimum force on the lever.

Since Nicole's Z750 is equipped with two twin-piston floating calipers in the front, the best solution is the master cylinder model that has 15mm pistons. When all of these operations were done, we gave the Z750 back to Nicole. After bedding-in the pads, she tested the quality of the new braking system.

This is what she told us after riding it for about a thousand kilometres: “If I didn't recognised a few distinguishing features of my bike, I'd think that my Z750 had been replaced with another and the license plate had been switched to make it look like mine. It's incredible, I never dreamed of an improvement like this, I no longer have an obsolete system."

 

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Nobody makes them like Brembo. We're referring to braking systems designed for bikes, which are the result of decades of experimentation in the laboratory and at the most important races in the world. ​​

 
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Nicole then gave specific details: “I'm impressed with the power and the response of the system.

The lever seemed spongy before. Even the modularity has grown significantly and now each variation in the force on the lever corresponds to a proportional variation in the braking power.

With the old master cylinder, the response of the braking system didn't change with increased force when turn in had begun."

Spending relatively little, Nicole not only revived her braking system, but she also improved its performance under any braking condition.

Similar interventions are possible on other models, regardless of engine size or manufacturer.

Nicole is by no means the only one to have restored her braking system, bringing it back to its original splendour.

 

Many others have decided to improve the performance of their brakes even when their bikes were equipped with quality components that worked perfectly. Some replaced the discs, other substituted the calipers and still others changed the master cylinder.

Some removed the entire original braking system to make space for a higher performing Brembo system. If you belong to one of these categories and you have time, whether or not you pertain to the fairer sex, tell us about how you modified the brakes on your motorcycle with Brembo products.

Don't scrimp on the details and attach photo if possible, sending everything to web@brembo.it . The most interesting and compelling stories will be published on the Brembo website. You could be the next Brembo Ambassador. Yes, you can brake again.