Re: Aftermarket Disc brakes for pulsar 180

Topic Approved.

Normally, disc should not ask for replacement unless there's uneven wear and tear. Disc pads can be changed to regain the lost 'bite', if they're worn out.

I'm not sure about Pulsar 180 UG4, but if it comes with rubber-made brake-oil lines, then you can probably replace them with steel ones from Pulsar 220 UG2. This will eliminate the brake fade, due to temperature change.
But if you still feel you need more braking power, try EBC brake pads, the ones that fit your bike, with your mechanic's suggestion.


Please note that it would be a waste of money to go for extensive modifications to braking setup, as if you increase braking power significantly, you may also need to increase your tyres' grip, for safety reasons.

Re: Aftermarket Disc brakes for pulsar 180

just replace your master cylinder along with brake oil

Re: Aftermarket Disc brakes for pulsar 180

I don't understand the exact issue, is it lack of bite or fading?

Regardless, there is NO NEED TO CHANGE any major parts like master cylinder, caliper assembly or disc rotor. These parts are made to last and needs replacement only if they have major defect. You MAY CHANGE the movable parts like disc pads, caliper piston seals and hydraulic hose.

I have changed the above mentioned parts in my 14 years old pulsar 180 and the brakes are now better than most stock bikes! You can't understand the difference between rubber hydraulic hose and steel braided hose UNLESS you drive a motorcycle with steel braided hose yourself, the bite and feedback is just heavenly, you don't have to squeeze the brake lever with 3 fingers ever.

Suggested steps for you:
1. Replace disc pads with AUTHENTIC bajaj parts.
2. Buy caliper piston seals. I think it comes in a set, called caliper minor kit or something like that. Replace all the components of this kit with the old ones.
3. Buy steel braided hydraulic hose. I bought one from Amazon online. It is a generic brand, but performs as well as expected. You may also buy one from bajaj parts, I guess they have one in pulsar 200ns or other higher end models.
4. Get the caliper assembly opened thoroughly, clean the pistons from inside and outside, replace caliper seals and other parts, connect steel braided hose at both end fill the caliper assembly with dot4 brake fluid, assemble all parts and then perform REVERSE BLEEDING. Check online how to perform reverse bleeding, buy a 50ml IV injection from medical store and a transparent rubber pipe from any auto parts store. I don't remember the exact diameter, tell them that the pipe needs to fit on the disc brake bleeding valve, they will understand and give you the right pipe.

Re: Aftermarket Disc brakes for pulsar 180

Just FYI the brake rotor *is* considered a wear part. They do get thin over time, and eventually need to be replaced. There should be a stamp near the center of the rotor that has the minimum thickness measurement. If your rotor is near or at that minimum number, then it's time to replace. If not, then there's no need. Pads on the other hand always wear, and quickly, so replace those first, and have the brake system flushed and bled. This is important because over time, moisture can build up in the brake fluid, which compromises performance. You should probably replace the brake line also, since the rubber has certainly degraded. Rubber hoses can cause some brake sponginess, but it's unlikely that this is a problem on something as small and slow (comparatively) as a Pulsar 180. That said, old, cracked and UV-degraded rubber brake lines are a different matter, and there may be as much as a 30-50% diameter expansion of the line under braking, which will be a problem.

So, to sum up:

Have the brake rotor thickness measured, and check against the wear limit. If you are still ok there, then no need to replace the rotor.

Replace the pads, no question. EBC is nice, but don't get carried away and get expensive ceramic pads. Your bike doesn't generate the kind of braking temperatures that require ceramics. Just regular street-compound pads will be more than adequate, and will be friendlier to your wallet.

Have the brake fluid flushed, and the brake system bled (should be bled anyway if they replace the fluid). At 5 years plus, you're probably past time for this service anyway. Make sure to use the correct fluid. You almost certainly will use DOT4 fluid. DOT5 is *not* better. It's a different formulation used only in a few brake systems, and is uncommon nowadays anyway. Unlike DOT4 which rejects moisture, DOT5 actively absorbs moisture, and most brake systems are not engineered to deal with that.

Consider replacing your brake lines. At 5 years' age in India's climate, they are probably getting severely degraded. Even replacing them with OEM rubber lines will probably result in better performance, but if (as noted upthread) there is a steel braided line that will fit, that's an easy upgrade. With the line upgrade, just keep in mind that it might be a different length than the stock line, which can affect turning the forks side to side, and may change the fluid capacity of the brake system.


Edited to add: I am not contradicting myself by saying that your brake system might have moisture in it, and yet DOT4 fluid rejects moisture. By "rejects moisture" I merely mean that the fluid itself will not absorb the moisture, but it's still present in the brake system, usually trapped in little pockets in joints or in the caliper piston cup. When the brake fluid heats up, the moisture can boil and turn to steam, which in turn creates compressibility in the braking system resulting in that spongy feeling.