Motorcycle Brake Lines

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HEL Brake Line Kits

Replace your rubber lines with a braided stainless steel motorcycle brake line kit

Motorcycle Brake Lines and Motorcycle Brake Line Kits

What do you want in a motorcycle brake line?

You want safety first. Better brakes are safer! Better brakes increase your braking power and decrease your stopping distance. Better motorcycle brake lines will increase the firmness of the brake lever feel over stock rubber hoses as well as improve braking performance.

You will also want your brake lines to keep looking good over time. Aftermarket stainless steel motorcycle brake lines come with a covering to protect both the motorcycle and the lines themselves from abrasion. Different manufacturers use a variety of materials and processes for these protective covers but they all serve the same purpose.

Braided Stainless Steel Brake Line

Why replace your OEM motorcycle brake lines?

Changing your stock rubber brake lines to braided stainless steel brake lines will greatly improve your braking efficiency as braided lines eliminate expansion under pressure and require less force to operate the calipers. Rubber hose can bulge under pressure or become brittle over time causing pressure loss in the line and decreasing stopping power. Manufacturers recommend replacement of rubber hoses every two to four years. Degraded rubber hoses can also allow brake fluid to absorb water vapor from the atmosphere. Replacing rubber lines with steel braided brake lines mitigates these issues as steel does not break down.

Most brake lines have too much expansion to provide optimal breaking. While the rubber OEM brake lines that come on most new motorcycles are fiber reinforced, they do not adequately control expansion. Rubber becomes soft when it gets hot allowing even more expansion, further reducing breaking efficiency. With too much expansion of the hose, you lose braking power and feel. Alternately, if the line has too little expansion (as in a solid steel tube) your brakes will be too sensitive.

Race routed dual line kits or OEM style?

Traditional 3 line kits are an exact OEM replacement. Most aftermarket manufacturers offer a 2 line kit as an alternative. The 2 line kit eliminates the stock splitter. Instead, both lines are bolted to the master cylinder and are routed directly to the calipers on each side. The switch to a 2 line kit provides a stiffer feel at the lever, makes for cleaner routing, and is preferred by racers.

Click here to see brake line kits for sport bikes, cruisers, ATVs and MX.

Why use stainless steel or titanium fittings?

HEL Performance asserts that aluminum fittings are dangerous and should never be used on a braking system or stainless steel hose.

"When an aluminum fitting is placed on a stainless steel hose and the two parts are contaminated by salt water a reaction takes place between the metals which corrodes the aluminum fitting."

Steel fittings are much stronger than aluminum and are less prone to vibration and stress fatigue failure. In addition, steel fittings are almost impossible to kink or break in a crash and they will not deform if accidentally over-tightened.

Electrolytic Corrosion Of An Aluminum Fitting "This image shows the results of electrolytic corrosion of an aluminum fitting when connected to stainless steel hose. Corrosion has resulted in half of the fitting breaking away - if this line had been left on the vehicle the results could have been fatal."
Source: www.h-e-l.co.uk/info/aluminium-fittings.htm

Titanium Fittings and Banjo Bolts

Titanium is 50% lighter than steel
Titanium is twice as strong as aluminum
Titanium has excellent corrosion resistance, erosion resistance and resistance to water

Should you buy Kevlar motorcycle brake lines?

Kevlar is basically a woven cloth with excellent applications in bulletproof vests. While Kevlar is very light, it does not adequately control brake line expansion under hydraulic pressure. Kevlar lines use an extra thick inner Teflon sleeve to compensate but Teflon does not control expansion under pressure very well either.

Other reported drawbacks of Kevlar® include:

poor UV resistance - must have a PVC cover
rapid loss of strength with flexing
must be replaced regularly
prone to developing leaks where the fittings are crimped on
can pull out of their fittings in a crash

Teflon inner and stainless steel outer braid with chrome fittings

Click here to see available brakes.