Master Cylinder

[Bytown Bandit]

Looking for a recommendation of an aftermarket front brake master cylinder.

Stock calipers with braided steel brake lines and it need to fit a 1 inch bar.

I believe 14 mm bore is to small and it should be at least 16mm.

Thank you in advance for your help.

[gltriker]

Hi. I have no answer for you.

Scroll all the way down this page to Similar Topics. A great way to find the information that might be useful.

[pidjones]

ANY Chinabay master should be disassembled, cleaned, and properly reassembled using clean brake fluid to lubricate the parts. All that I have tried worked, but were nasty and some incorrectly assembled. BTW, is this for a big V-twin? Those are the only ones that I've known to use 1" bars.

[Bytown Bandit]

I won’t be buying anything from China. Especially a front brake master cylinder.

[Figor]

Might stop by the local Harley dealer. Lotsa guys swapping out black stock mc’s for chrome plated.

When I was a tech at a Harley dealer 25 years ago we used to keep the stock parts when we swapped stuff like that over. Only time we didn’t is if they asked for them back. They rarely did. Had boxes of oem stuff like that. Might get lucky. It’ll be one inch but you might have to mess with some fittings to get the lines hooked up.

Fwitw I was hesitant to buy a Chinese mc but caved. I got a 17 mm bore mc and clutch lever for $27. So far I’m impressed.

Btw. I just sold my S1000RR last spring and have been eyeballing the XR. How do you like it?

[Shadowjack]

I've just been messing, in a very literal way, with the front MC on my bikes. Trying to find one out of my parts piles that gives proper feel. Some are Chinese, some are various stockers. I haven't have any trouble with the Chinese ones, and they're cheap enough.

Can't recommend anything specific, but maybe some extra info on choosing a bore size. Don't some of the last 1200 bikes have 1" bars? Almost all are 7/8", so choices are probably more limited.

Basically, there are only about 4 common sizes of MC available: 1/2" (12/13mm), 9/16" (14mm), 5/8" (15/16mm), and 11/16" (17mm). I saw a 19mm radial MC on Randakk's site, but $250 was too much to try it out when I wasn't sure it would be what I need. Some MCs have the size marked on them, many don't. Doesn't matter whether it was a stock piece or Chines, it seems.

Early dual-caliper bikes had like 11/16", which was much too large a bore for the calipers, because the idea was that if it was too easy, you'd lock the front. Which turned out to be wrong. Most bikes now seem to use a 14mm or a 5/8 bore. 1/2" is for small bikes.

I have a '77 1000 with original brakes (11/16 MC), which feels like wood. I changed it to a 5/8, which is better, but I think a 14mm would be best. Still to come. Have to make sure it moves enough fluid, though.

I also have a '75 with forks from a CB900C. The original CB900C calipers have 25mm pistons, but I swapped them out for 32mm calipers from a GL1200. Since the linked system on a 1200 is 25mm on one side of the front wheel and 32mm on the other, I used a stock 32mm front and one from the 1200 rear wheel as the other front. They're also 32mm, and slightly different, but they bolt up to the carrier, and the bleeder is correct.

So with the extra caliper on there, and both larger to boot, I needed a larger MC. The original was a 5/8", which was too small, since it was only for a single front caliper. Feels like it has air in it, but it actually has to move too far to move enough fluid. I wound up using the original 1000 11/6" MC for this. Feels good, and stops good.

[Sidecar Bob]

FWIW, I've had a China/eBay master cylinder on my 'Wing for about 6 years now and it is fine.
I've had a similar one on the winter machine for about a year more and the only problem with it was that the sight glass started to go soft after 4 years (I'm keeping an eye on the one on the 'Wing).
I found replacements on eBay for under $1 each if I bought 4 and they are easy to change so so I plan to replace the sight glass whenever I change the brake fluid.

[Bytown Bandit]

Thank you for all the information.

I have ordered a Drag Specialists front Master Cylinder with an 11/16 bore and 1-inch bar mount.

I will let you know how it works once installed.

[Bytown Bandit]

Btw. I just sold my S1000RR last spring and have been eyeballing the XR. How do you like it?

I love my S1000XR. Very comfortable, and handles well, and has all the options you would want on a bike.
Had a few issues with the front brake calipers, but that has been taken care of with a new set of Brembo calipers. (warranty)

[Figor]

Yeh I rode one and loved it. That was at the dealer I bought my S1000RR from. I told them to come up with the low version and I’d buy it. Haven’t heard from them since. Business must be good.

Great looking bike you have there!

[resenok]

Hello,

I recommend BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER REPAIR KIT (FRONT) from TOURMAX MSB-109 its fitment for:

Honda CB 750 F Supersport 1977
Honda GL 1000 K Goldwing 1978
Honda GL 1000 Z Goldwing 1979

Tourmax made of high quality materials, Original equipment quality, Made in Japan.

Greetings from Poland
Pawel