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H.E.L Performance Brake Hoses? H.E.L Performance Brake Hoses?
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Equipping the Bike - what's the best gear? Anything to do with the bikes equipment, saddlebags, etc. Questions on repairs and maintenance of the bike itself belong in the Brand Specific Tech Forums.
Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
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Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #1  
Old 19 Jun 2008
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H.E.L Performance Brake Hoses?
I have just ordered a twin set of Brake hoses from a company called HEL. My mate told me that this company produce good quality hoses for two thirds the price of Goodridge hoses. I have opted for plain stainless steel with a clear plastic coating. They should do the job nicely...

HEL Brake Lines - Stainless Steel Motorcycle Performance Brake Line And Brake Hose Kits

I have noticed the brake performance of my XT6 going downhill gradually. I changed the brake fluid twice without any noticeable improvement. I am told these new hoses should sort the problem out or at least improve the situation. I appreciate that the single front disk brake on the XT6 isn't exactly powerful.

The set of 2 hoses cost me only £54 including all required parts (banjo's etc...). I understand that Goodridge would have wanted £65 for their product.

Has anyone else had any dealings with this company or their products? If so, were they any good?

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  #2  
Old 19 Jun 2008
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I've used HEL, motrax and goodridge hoses. Goodridge are definitely better but whether its enough to justify the price I am not sure. The cheaper ones tend to have slightly narrower hoses and 'build your own' end sets. The goodridge ones I have used have been 'properly' built, so less seals to leak (might be the difference). Whatever you use as long as they are put on right will be a lot better than rubber hoses as they won't start to expand as the pressure goes up. On exactly the same model bike one with braided generic b-y-o lines and one with single piece goodridge the latter broke better, less spongy under heavy braking and better feel, but only just. Both were a MASSIVE improvement on the then stock Ducati rubbish

I am saving up for the kit to thread, press etc my own hoses so should be able to build hoses for a fraction of the cost of either, watch this space and buy me drinks for cheap hoses!

On a brake line side-note can anyone confirm whether or not you need seperate lines to each front caliper for race scrutinering? I was told this and have built my FZR lines accordingly, but all the current superbikes seem to have a different arrangement?
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Old 19 Jun 2008
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HEL lines
Race bikes use one line to each calliper, as I always did when I was racing 1999-2003. Less metal joins/weight, less complexity, easier to bleed them? The rumour about damage to one line with redundancy in the 2nd doesn't make sense (racing wives tale - one master cylinder!) except that 1into2 lines are often fixed to the mudguard and when that get's knocked-off you really will have no brakes. I could hazard that two individual lines gives you more fluid in the system which could be an advantage (higher fluid velocity in the upper line before the split into 2 rather than pushing all the fluid through two individual bores?).
As an ex-aeronautical engineer I should really be able to work out the answer

I raced with HEL for 2 years and found them more than adequate and a friends races the TT supported by HEL.

The lines certainly aren't as cheap as Buster's "specials" but you guys are talking about brake systems (trailies etc.) that, whilst benefiting enormously, are not as sensitive or mission critical as a race bike.

Scrutes will be more than happy with 1 line per calliper.
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Last edited by edteamslr; 19 Jun 2008 at 23:15.
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Old 20 Jun 2008
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I bought HEL lines for my Dommie. They were fine. Nicely finished inblack, inoccuous, plastic. Good kit...IMHO
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Old 21 Jun 2008
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If you're making hoses yourself then make sure you allow for the Full extension of the front forks when measuring the length

A friend of mine made some up for his KLX650 Supermotard,and promptly ripped it off on his first wheelie!

Oh,how we all laughed!

Andy
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Old 21 Jun 2008
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I put Hel hoses on the front of my XTZ660 and they made a improvement, taking most of the spongy feel and long lever travel out
The product looks well made and fit perfectly, and was about a third of other prices.

But I find the front brake on the xtz vertually non-existant compaired to my K1200S roadbike, (to be expected really) so I ordered some sintered pads from M&P over 3 weeks ago, to hopefully improve them more but I am still waiting for them, ' will advise if that helps when I know
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Old 23 Jun 2008
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sintered pads
i put sintered pads in my AT the other day and personally i found a difference for the better with them. i dont have braided hoses so could'nt coment. ps britch, M&P have gone crap nowadays.
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Old 24 Jun 2008
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the stock front brake setup on the AT is pretty good from what I remember, complete the solution on my Elefant 750 is a bit pricey (400 quid!!) and am saving at the mo'. The essential problem is a single disc rather than double, which is the same as the xt/xtz I think (?). If so it might be that a larger disc with a floating caliper and new caliper mount and better fork brace could be the solution.

Do a lot of people have a problem with the front brake on the xt? If so there may be an upgrade kit out there, if not I am sure one of us could knock up a kit (existing rotor off another bike, rotor mount, caliper mount and hose)...
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Old 24 Jun 2008
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I've used HEL for a number of years on my GS. After 2 years I had a problem with one of the hoses - a phone call to HEL resulted is a no questions asked free replacement hose . they didn't even want to see the damaged one back. Excellent product - excellent service
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