An upgrade that I have been longing for so long finally came to fruition around 30 hours ago.



Finally upgraded the brakes!

My quest for better brakes began just a few days after I bought the bike. After the euphoria of a new bike died down, the reality check was that the stock brakes were way too spongy. Tried changing pads, fluid, but nothing really helped.

Ray of hope was @SunnyBoi, who suggested a hose + caliper change as he had done on his Karizma. I toyed around with the idea a little bit. Sunny suggested a Pulsar Master Cylinder with the P220 brake hose, as he had done on his ZMA. But I had experience with the old Pulsar brake, the ones from ETS, they were supremely sharp. But I hated them. Why? You could never modulate them. They were, as Sunny put it, the "on" and "off" variety.

I had always appreciated the brakes of the Yamahas. So I went about enquiring about the costs of the Master Cylinders for the 2 main contenders. The FZ and the R15. After hearing the costs, it was an easy decision. Rs. 1200 vs Rs. 4000.

This Monday, I'd gone to Khivraj Bajaj, Kasturba Road and bought the Pulsar 220 Steel Brake Hose. Then on Tuesday(Yesterday), bought the FZ Master Cylinder, which didn't have the lever attached to it nor the brake light switch. Bought the other 2 separately along with the Banjo Bolt from Perfect Riders, Lalbagh Road, Bangalore.


Post which, I headed straight for Sunny's place. He had offered to help me make the swap. And to be fair, I didn't help. He did all the work himself and also made sure it was a thorough job.

I tip my hat to you, @SunnyBoi "Saar"!

He first drained the old DOT3 fluid and flushed it with DOT4 fluid with the old Master Cylinder itself. Then we proceeded to removing the old Master Cylinder and the Brake hose and replaced them with the new ones. Fairly straightforward.

Problems faced were not too many. But one main concern was the length of the hose. It just fits. And you can't route it through the inside of the headlamp assembly. It had to be done from the outside, by the side of the right forks. But not really a concern. This is why I needed a zip-tie. To secure the hose. Also, the FZ Master Cylinder didn't come with the Master Cylinder Kit(or atleast part of it). The assembly did not have the rubber cup like thing, the pushrod and the spring that connects the Lever to the Master Cylinder. Luckily, the ones from the stock Master Cylinder were a direct fit! So that was another another minor headache averted.

Also, the brake light switch of the FZ uses the same kind of connector clips, but they were complicated. The switch was connected to a pin that would end right after the Master Cylinder and there was a extension cable with make clips inside a plastic connector, which wouldn't be able to house the stock brake light switch clips. Removing the extension cable was an option, but the stock wires were too short to reach the clips directly. So Sunny did a stop-gap arrangement to ride away in safety for the day.

The moment of truth was the ride I took soon after. I didn't feel very happy at first, but a few 100m into the ride and a big smile was plastered across my face. The brakes were beautiful. Super sharp! And the feedback was outstanding. I knew exactly when the tyres were going to lock.

Come next day, I wanted to get the brake light switch connections fixed. The exposed wiring stuck out like a sore thumb. I felt that the best option would be to cut short the extension cable and then fit compatible connector clips to the end. I went to Gowri Automobiles, RV Road, Bangalore and asked them for "Horn Connector Clips", just as @shoeb2015 had told me to. The gave the clips. But there was a problem, they were too big. Searched JC Road, SP Road, but didn't get the right size.

Came home and cut the clips using a plier. After some trial and error, got the size right and made the fit. So everything is perfect now!

This is the cost breakdown:

1) Yamaha FZ Master Cylinder - Rs. 1155
2) FZ Brake Lever - Rs. 95
3) FZ Banjo Bolt - Rs. 9
4) FZ Front Brake Light Switch - Rs. 80
5) Pulsar 220 Steel Brake Hose - Rs. 1110
6) FZ Master Cylinder Kit - Rs. 190
7) Zip Tie + Connectors - Rs. 10

Total - Rs. 2649

Some pictures:

A big, big thank you to Sunnyboi, without whom, none of this would've been possible. Be it the idea or the execution!

Now how is the braking

So pulsar 220 front has steel bladed brake lines :O and you got these stuff from Bajaj & Yamaha's service center or from local shop?

And finally what oil you poured DOT3 or DOT4? How older (kms) your brake pads are?

@ashwin.terminator.. Price gap this huge, the product can't be genuine.
Get Rynox Rampage. There were my first gloves also. Best for city use.

Price difference is huge, though Chinese can do anything take it as a bet....Let us know if you order, we also would like to get them...

@ashwin.terminator.. Price gap this huge, the product can't be genuine.
Get Rynox Rampage. There were my first gloves also. Best for city use.

What's the stock afr setting on a hunk? Thinking about reverting to it to rule out tuning issue.

I remember reading that it was something around 1.6 or 1.7 turns.

This is also where I get the highest rpm and mileage is still bloody 35. This bike is frustrating me to no end. On the plus side,I did manage to get a feeler gauge. It does not have the .12mm blade though. Can I combine the .04mm and .08mm blades to measure the clearance?

Guys, how many of you have problem of Gear Slipping from 5th to 4th randomly after an upward shift?
Its been 3 years, and I'm used to it on my bike, but still it makes me feel bad. Three service centres where I've taken the bike told me that its a manufacturing defect for a batch of bikes, and it can not be rectified under warranty. Its not a big deal as it happens once in 7 or 10 times only now, but certainly it won't be good if I don't want to have a new bike soon.

Guys, how many of you have problem of Gear Slipping from 5th to 4th randomly after an upward shift?
Its been 3 years, and I'm used to it on my bike, but still it makes me feel bad. Three service centres where I've taken the bike told me that its a manufacturing defect for a batch of bikes, and it can not be rectified under warranty. Its not a big deal as it happens once in 7 or 10 times only now, but certainly it won't be good if I don't want to have a new bike soon.

I remember reading that it was something around 1.6 or 1.7 turns.

But from where to start those turn?

Adjusted my tappets now the bike wont start. Also the kick lever feels really loose now. It is really easy to push. Help please.