ZX9R F - Better brake options?

[Mitch]

Hi all

I have had the 9R out a couple of times and things have gone really well. The only thing that I would like to improve on is the braking as I jump on the picks and even though she does pull up I am consistently wondering if she actually will.

I am not looking for anything major but just something to give a little more confidence. I already have braided lines, HH pads, and 5.1 fluid but the rest is standard.

Anybody got any suggestions without going OTT?

[Kwakked Up]

Just fitted radial master cylinder to my zx7 and it feels nicer. Not sure I am pulling up any quicker but it doesn't feel as wooden.

It is a brembo master made for yahama r1.

[paulsj]

I fitted a radial master of a gsxr1000 which initially made it terrible but turned out I only had about 2 out of 6 pistons working on each caliper. They were well and truly gunned up and siezed the pistons. Put a seal kit through them and now there awesome stopping power regularly waving the rear wheel around in the air under hard braking......time for some fork revalving now.

While reading up about the 6 pot tockikos gumming up if the pistons was a common cause. Yearly cleaning of the pistons by removing pads putting a piece of wood in and carefully pumping pistons out more than where the pads and disk kept them then spray with brake cleaner and scrub with a stiff bristle brush seemed pretty common to keep them working well in the uk after winter due to road grime etc. seal kits are pretty affordable if your happy to tackle a freshen up yourself. Just use lots of brake cleaner to scrub them up nicely in the bores pistons and passages and would be my tip for improved braking if you havnt already done it within the last 5 years.

[Mitch]

Calipers are in good shape (all four pots moving out and retracting nicely). Looks like I will be shopping around for a radial MC.

I can't afford a new 19mm Brembo so I guess I will be looking for a std one off a newish wreck. Are any better/worse than another?

[z900/zx9]

Maybe obvious but how worn are the rotors ??.

[Mitch]

Both front wheels have rotors on them that are just under 5mm (4.9ish). I gave one set a good clean up with some wet/dry and some cleaning alcohol after I splilled brake fluid on them when changing it.

Result: same feel.

Don't get me wrong the 9R pulls up like I threw an anchor out the back but it is just lacking that 'feel of confidence' when pushing the nose into the tarmac.

Laidback did a great job of setting the suspension up too, just look at the even wear on that back tyre

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[Gosling1]

Mitch - I used a 19mm radial m/c from a gixxer 600 - was told that these m/c are the same between 600/750/1000 ? Pretty cheap on ebay, I think mine was less than $100 posted. This m/c is till fitted to the MFP12.

Best modification to the brakes ever. Changed to 1-finger braking around town and 2-fingers only needed for emergency. Stopped all the fade I used to get on fast downhill runs (eg Hotham) - easy to do, I also had braided lines, HH pads etc - but the 19mm radial was the icing on the cake.

[Mitch]

ok, i have followed the advice of the wise sages of KSRC as it has never let me down before and acquired a radial master cylinder from a CBR1000. I was about to buy one from a GSX-R but i thought i would see a mate who owns a bike shop first. He told me to stay away from the GSX-R units due to a recall about faulty seals allowing air in to the system???

CBR1000 MC

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trouble with the CBR MC is that it is too wide (from the bar mount to the leading edge of the lever and made contact with the fairing support bracket reducing the left hand turn considerably and slamming on the brake just to let you know about it.

MC hitting Bracket

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So i had my mate Cameron (Fitter/Turner, Boilermaker, Mechanic, General Awesome guy) mod the bracket so it would fit. What Cameron did was to remove the inside of the tube to create a void that the MC could move into. Then he reinforced the bracket by inserting a curved piece of metal and tig welding it into place.

Bracket 1

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ZX9R Bracket.jpg (18.47 KiB) Viewed 6917 times

Fits nice now

ZX9R Bracket 3.jpg (17.46 KiB) Viewed 6917 times

So now I have a radial MC on my ZX9R. Just need a bit of decent weather and a track day to see if it money well spent.

[Mitch]

Well I have been out to Morgan Park for a ride day and have given the new MC a throughout testing. What a difference the radial MC makes. From memory it is only a fraction bigger than the stock unit but I was able to pull on the lever confidently all day without issue. I had the rear wheel in the air a number of times stopping on the downhill approach to turn 4 and that freaked me out a couple of times, but was used to it by the end of the day.

thank for the advice everyone.

[Nelso]

Laidback did a great job of setting the suspension up too, just look at the even wear on that back tyre

image.jpg

Which bike is it that you got off him?

[Mitch]

Laidback did a great job of setting the suspension up too, just look at the even wear on that back tyre

The attachment image.jpg is no longer available

Which bike is it that you got off him?

this one

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