Hi all
My XL bike has had a very tight rear brake hose layout from the start. It's been so short that the hose had a very sharp kink just above the connection on the Shimano BR-MT520 caliber, close to 90 degrees (not healthy). There was no slack at all. And attempt to slack it by pulling the hose from the front of the bike made safe free movement of the handlebar impossible.
So I left as it was and I'm just impressed it hold up to massive abuse over the years. But now it's leaking at the kinked area with oil all over the caliper and pads. Had the hose been longer I could have made a fresh connection - but alas. So I need a fresh hose.
Anyway - I tried to measure the needed hose length with a piece of string attached to old one. It's not super precise since I had to try to mimic the path along the engine and behind the battery connection pole and a battery holder area plus I had to incorporate a healthy hose curve at caliper. I came up with around 1900 mm! With respect for errors it's still above the maximum length of the standard 1800 mm Shimano hoses. Lets say my measurements are 50 mm off - that's 1850 hose length. The last 50 mm is what I would like to use for a healthy curvature to remove the stress from the connection point on the caliper. (ZEE and XT will be much better as they have the nice banjo connector that gonna fit well with the general direction on the brake hose).
So I guess the original hose (SM-BH90-SS 1800 mm) was uncut and the strain on the hose was a compromise. (no pictures - sorry).
Shimano brake hose ain't cheap so I'm not gonna fool around here.
Have any of you - who rides an XL - had the same challenges and how did you solve it ?
For your info the handlebars are the original riserbar (20 mm ?)and I haven't removed any spacers. Could easily ride with a 40 mm riserbar and that's gonna increase the needed hose length.
Magura makes 2000 mm hoses and longer, so that might be a solution. Have seen folks on the internet mix and match brake levers and calipers, so guess that the connecting bolt, olives and connector inserts is a common size.
Thanks in advance.
Lui
My XL bike has had a very tight rear brake hose layout from the start. It's been so short that the hose had a very sharp kink just above the connection on the Shimano BR-MT520 caliber, close to 90 degrees (not healthy). There was no slack at all. And attempt to slack it by pulling the hose from the front of the bike made safe free movement of the handlebar impossible.
So I left as it was and I'm just impressed it hold up to massive abuse over the years. But now it's leaking at the kinked area with oil all over the caliper and pads. Had the hose been longer I could have made a fresh connection - but alas. So I need a fresh hose.
Anyway - I tried to measure the needed hose length with a piece of string attached to old one. It's not super precise since I had to try to mimic the path along the engine and behind the battery connection pole and a battery holder area plus I had to incorporate a healthy hose curve at caliper. I came up with around 1900 mm! With respect for errors it's still above the maximum length of the standard 1800 mm Shimano hoses. Lets say my measurements are 50 mm off - that's 1850 hose length. The last 50 mm is what I would like to use for a healthy curvature to remove the stress from the connection point on the caliper. (ZEE and XT will be much better as they have the nice banjo connector that gonna fit well with the general direction on the brake hose).
So I guess the original hose (SM-BH90-SS 1800 mm) was uncut and the strain on the hose was a compromise. (no pictures - sorry).
Shimano brake hose ain't cheap so I'm not gonna fool around here.
Have any of you - who rides an XL - had the same challenges and how did you solve it ?
For your info the handlebars are the original riserbar (20 mm ?)and I haven't removed any spacers. Could easily ride with a 40 mm riserbar and that's gonna increase the needed hose length.
Magura makes 2000 mm hoses and longer, so that might be a solution. Have seen folks on the internet mix and match brake levers and calipers, so guess that the connecting bolt, olives and connector inserts is a common size.
Thanks in advance.
Lui
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