Nc700s rear brake lines dimensions

[wjvh 999]

Hi, I’m doing a complete brake system overhaul , bike (NC700S ABS, 2012) is nearly 10 yrs and 55k+ miles so it’s due. Before I try and measure my rear brake lines ( I think there are 2), does anyone happen to have these dimensions already? Bit of a long shot, I know … 🤞

[steelhorseuk 1,690]

Hi Will,

 

I do not know the answer as yet but I am doing the same job over the coming winter to my NC700SA 2012 so will be going down the same road.

Are you fitting replacement braided hoses ?

 

 

[wjvh 999]

Hi Mark

Yes, that is the plan. I would be happy to fit standard hoses but seem to only be able to locate steel braided, so that'll do and I am sure the quality will be good.

 

I have found that Venhill sells a pack of the 3 front hoses for about £75 delivered, and Wemoto does a pack of the 2 rear hoses (HEL brand) for £32 (+del? need to check).

So I'm just gonna purchase those. My bike is 10 yrs and 55K miles old now, so needs a mid-life refresh on the brakes. You can also get a 3-Piston + Seals etc complete front refurb kit on that auction site for £84. Rear kits are much cheaper as only 1 piston on the rear, perhaps £30. New pads too (I already have ready to fit). Master cylinders seem OK to me, will know more when I do this job so there is a chance I need to sort those too, but my thoughts are that the master cyls can stay.

Good luck, Will

[wjvh 999]

Correction; the venhill hoses are actually about £90 once VAT and delivery is included. Wemoto also add delivery, so about £35 or so but perhaps is just one hose and the rear brake requires 2.

I think HEL kit HBF2890 is a full F+R hose set, and can be bought for about £145 so I might just do that for convenience.

I have checked the parts diagrams and when it comes to the ABS brake system, the manual and DCT versions of the S have the same system so if you find a listing for the DCT then you're OK for the manual.

[wjvh 999]

Have ordered complete set of 5 brake lines with stainless banjos, in white (to match bike); £100 incl del from Wezmoto direct. By far the best price I could find. 

[steelhorseuk 1,690]

2 hours ago, wjvh said:

Have ordered complete set of 5 brake lines with stainless banjos, in white (to match bike); £100 incl del from Wezmoto direct. By far the best price I could find. 

 Let us know how it goes please. Good luck with the fitting etc

[wjvh 999]

Well I’ve finally got around to cleaning up and ‘upgrading’ the brake system on my NC700S. This involved new stainless hoses (£100, incl banjo bolts & washers), cleaned and rebuilt front caliper (including pistons; £84), fitted a barely used rear caliper which was rebuilt with a new seal kit (£30 for caliper + hanger, + £13 for seal kit), plus new pads F+R (unwanted stock, good quality EBC which I got v cheap, maybe £15 for both). Plus fresh fluid throughout (cheap, DOT4, have in stock already).

This job was overkill for the results and it was right royal PITA. The front caliper needed sorting, so nowt wasted there in terms of expense or time, it had to be done. The rear caliper could have kept going as it was, there was still a fair bit of meat on the pads, and the replacement caliper was like new and didn’t need the clean & refurb it got, but hey-ho, it’s all learning and good practice, right? I can’t tell any gain/improvement with the hoses, this ain’t a performance bike and I’m not a performance rider for sure! The OE hoses weren’t all that bad and didn’t really need replacing, but it’s done now, the new ones do look nicer (colour matched to bike!). The OE hoses had some really nice fittings to slot in neatly and securely on various brackets and the replacement hoses did not have those so perhaps the overall fit and finish is not as good, but they perform OK and there are no oil leaks so I must have got something right. To fit the new hoses is a major PITA and quite an undertaking. A lot of body work needs peeling off to access the various brake pipe/hose junctions, and threading through, etc. Also, on the replacement hoses some of the banjo bolt connections weren’t at the optimum angle so the hoses are under a certain amount of stress, they’re braided stainless steel so they can cope, but not as good as the OE hoses with their precisely angled fittings.

In hindsight this is what I would have done:

1.       Inspect the whole system whilst on the bike to work out what really needs doing and how much work it will entail and if it is worth it. Do not guess or assume what needs to be done, have a good inspection.

2.       Remove F & R calipers for proper inspection before taking apart as you might find it is not necessary on both or either, a good clean & re-lube might be all that is needed.

3.       Do only the work which will really help or is necessary. For me this would have been to clean up but not rebuild the R caliper, to do the F caliper rebuild, to replace F pads, and do a good fluid flush. I would have saved myself the time and expense of a hose change, R caliper swap, rebuild and pads. So perhaps saved about £150 and 1 whole day (at least) in the garage.

I’ll just chalk this off as experience; it is no worse than before but perhaps not much better (with the improvements achievable without all the work as above). I intend to keep the bike for about another 10 years, already had it for 3 and done ~20K which is longer than most folk on here seem to keep their bikes! This work should put it in good stead to see out the final half of its life. Hope that is useful to someone and amusing to everyone else. Cheers, Will

[jeremyr62 2,537]

Not sure these days how much hoses actually degrade. I had an ABS equipped FJR from 2004 and there were loads of hoses connecting everything. No one made a braided hose kit for it (apart from some US outfit called Speigel). So despite wanting to, but not needing to, I never changed the hoses. When I sold the bike 14 years later the brakes were just as good as they had ever been.  As ABS is so common these days maybe the hoses are made to last the design life of the bike.

[steelhorseuk 1,690]

Thanks for the write up on the subject Will. All good to know ........... I will have had my NC700SA for 10 years in 2022!

It will be going on its 3rd European tour next year with me. 

It is great to hear how long you intend to keep yours.