GS500 Brake on GS450?

[pete]

Hi all, anyone tried to fit a GS500 front brake onto a GS450 front end?

My master cyliner is shagged, I'd like to put a braided steel line on the front, and the caliper needs a real good clean up as well.

So, I figured it might be easier to find a brake off a later model GS500 and it might also stop a bit better.

Wasn't too bad when it was working, but I'd like a little more stoppage.

Any thoughts at all?

[spots25]

I don't know about the GS500 brake, but I guarantee a GS550 brake will fit, because I have one on my GS400

[pete]

Cool, thanks for that!

I'll have to start looking around for one.

Is the 550 an upgrade compared to the 400's?

[spots25]

I couldn't comment on that, as I had a factory front DRUM brake on before swapping wheels. I don't think its an issue though, because you could easily lock the front brake drum or disk....

[pete]

Aaah I see! I couldn't imagine locking the front brake up at all the way it was, far too soft for that, but still a lot better than before I flushed and bled it initially.

I'll have to see what I can find from the wreckers, whether it's easier to get a new master cylinder for the 450 or if it's just easier to get a 550 setup.

[gspaul]

Hi Pete
As long as the bore in the master cylinder is not scored you can get a rebuild kit for it,that's what I did with mine.
And s/s line's make a big diff,if you have the hose it first came with ,it's had it's day(you can't see it but the hose baloon's)
Just my thought's,If your disc is still ok it may save you some money.

[pete]

Thanks Paul.

Unfortunately, the master cylinder might be ok yet, but the reservoir I don't trust and I've previously had to drill out the screws to get the lid off to flush the fluid due to the screws being severly corroded in place.

The base the reservoir sits on is also badly corroded, so I just want to ditch the whole lever and cylinder and start from scratch with it.

When I pushed the bike into the garage to start the tear down, the front brake had gone from so so to nothing whatsoever, lever straight to the bar with no pressure, so I think the cylinder has gone as well anyway.

I'm assuming the hose is the original one, as everything else on the bike appears to be original, including the now totally dead exhausts (my web page will have pic's of the sad demise of the exhausts in the next day or two). The braided steel line has always been my thought on an upgrade as I've heard of their merits many times, and I reckon they look good as a bonus

[gspaul]

Ok! any brake cylinder will work,if you have one disk I believe you can use either a twin or single disk set up.
A twin disc must have the twin disc capacity.
The thing you may consider is if the mirror screw's in to it (as with my bike)
Just another prob you may want to think about.

[bgmart450]

Yep, I have a twin disc resv-MC-brake lever assembly from a GS550 or so... I am not 100% of the donor, on my 450E. It would appear they didn't make those plastic resv to withstand sitting in the TX heat and sun.

[pete]

Ok cool, lots of options!

At the moment, my mirrors screw into the the clutch and brake levers, but I want to change to bar end mirrors anyway, so I'm not worried about that at all.

At this stage, I think I'll take the simplest option (whatever that ends up being) as with a braided steel line, I think I'll have the improvement I'm looking for.

It's just a matter now of scouring the wreckers and finding a suitable one.