Bar bend and brake lever pull

[ben300]

so, earlier back in april, i bought fat bars, mx bend for my 400ex. when i put the bars on, i dont feel like im getting full pull on the brake lever, compared to what i was with the stock bars on my EX. i believe this could be do to the bend angle of the stock brake lever not matching the bend of the bars i got.


so what i would like to know, is what bend have you guys got for your quad, and did it effect your brake pull at all? would i be better off if i bought atv hi bend bars?


help needed because the last XC race did, we had soem severe up and down hills and the lack of brake pull had my pucker factor through the roof on some of the down hills, and i'll be racing this same track next tiem adn would like to avoid this from happening again!

[CJM]

I run protaper SE hi-atv bend. I kinda want to switch to a renthal honda/kawi/zuki bend. Less sweep, more straight and a bit lower.

As for the brake lever, I have an adjustable length of pull lever I got off ebay. its very similar to the 450r lever. I like it TONS better than standard or ex levers b/c its shorty and adjustable.

[HondaRacing83]

I have protaper cr hi bend with tusk risers. everything checks out for me very racey bend.

[dxcody]

I run the Contour ATV MID, and they are good and everything, but i want to run the universal low, or maybe the ATV LOW, because i like my bars very low.

The only thing im not that comfortable about, is the width, i feel like mine are very wide.

But on the pro taper website, they give specs for bend, hieght, rise, clamp area, sweep, and control area.

I think i want some bars, with a little less height and a little more sweep.

I have never had any trouble with my brakes though.

I run a motion Pro lever, its got the little adjuster on it, and it made my brakes feel more like i had dual piston calipers. (Like 450r's or something)

The bend of the stock lever, is terrible IMO. It makes the brakes feel funny, and its not as comfortable as 450 levers, or aftermarket ones IMO.

[ben300]

thanks for teh responses guys....im still clueless though as to which bend would be closest to the stock honda bend..


i think i may need a new master cylinder though. when i changed teh bars, i changed my brake pads up front adn i htink i may have ruptured the master cylinder when i went to push the brake pistons back in..... i had to bleed lots of air bubbles out of the brakes. also whne i start riding, i probably have only 25-30% of the pre-changed braking power. they do get better as i ride, probaby go to 50-60% of original, but i really want them to be close as possible to 100%. i check the frotn brakes on all my buddies quads, and they're all significanlty better than mine.

so maybe i just need to forget the bars and add get a new mastercylinder or a rebuild kit?

also, dxcody, if you want a lower bend, the mx bend bars aer alot lower, which i like a lot! however, they feel alot wider wihich i also like a lot, but there also isnt much sweep back in the bend, which you might not like then.

[quad2xtreme]

I can't see any bar bend having an negative on your brakes. It definitely sounds like an issue with your braking system.

You might try reverse bleeding them. You pump them up the best you can and then use a strap to keep the brake lever held in. Loosen the reservoir cap so it is just sitting on top. Let it sit overnight. Then, do it again. If this doesn't work, then you likely have a bad master cylinder.

If you need to replace it, I definitely get one and lever for a 450r.

[Zakradu398]

Originally posted by HondaRacing83
I have protaper cr hi bend with tusk risers. everything checks out for me very racey bend.

I also run the cr high bend. Love them and brake is fine for me.

[HondaRacing83]

Brakes fine for me too. Dxcody it sounds like Cr hi bend would fit you perfect! they are lower bars but not as wide because they are dirtbike bars

[Stickman400]

I think you should get a new lever and see if that helps. I have an ASV an it is WAY better than stock. You can get lots of others that are adjustable or shorty style. I think that would help you alot.

[ben300]

Originally posted by quad2xtreme
I can't see any bar bend having an negative on your brakes. It definitely sounds like an issue with your braking system.

You might try reverse bleeding them. You pump them up the best you can and then use a strap to keep the brake lever held in. Loosen the reservoir cap so it is just sitting on top. Let it sit overnight. Then, do it again. If this doesn't work, then you likely have a bad master cylinder.

If you need to replace it, I definitely get one and lever for a 450r.

i've tried this on two separate occasions, both over a 24 hour period. both tries faild to work. the only thing that has made my brakes any better is to actually physically bleed them the old fashioned way. this is what has lead me to believe that their may be an issue with the master cylinder. i have no leaks in any lines, and i can physically see the brake calipers clamping onto the rotors, so my innitial assumption would be that their is nothing wrong with the calipers themselves, and that the master cylinder is not producing enough pressure to properly clamp the pads onto the rotors.

i will eventually try to and get an adjustable lever, but for now, im going to purchase a new/slightly used master cylinder and see what happens.

does anyone konw if a 450 master cylinder/lever combo will work with the lines on the 400, or do i need to get the whole kit and kaboodle?

thanks

[CJM]

The R lever and master should bolt right up.

Before you give in the towel, get a vacuum bleeder and try it that way. its the only way I have ever gotten my brakes to feel good. I can smash the lever and fly off if Im not careful.

[ben300]

Originally posted by CJM
The R lever and master should bolt right up.

Before you give in the towel, get a vacuum bleeder and try it that way. its the only way I have ever gotten my brakes to feel good. I can smash the lever and fly off if Im not careful.

ill give that a shot, but when i pull in the brake, air bubles come up from that bladder/seal/gasket thing in the bowl of the master cylinder

[CJM]

Originally posted by ben300
ill give that a shot, but when i pull in the brake, air bubles come up from that bladder/seal/gasket thing in the bowl of the master cylinder

Does sound like the masters sucking air. worth a shot tho to try my method.

[Stickman400]

Maybe it's sucking the air in from the copper washers on the line where it comes out of the master? Maybe try replacing those crush washers?