Tobers
New Member
I bought some 2" Rox risers from Adventure Bike Shop here in the UK (http://www.adventurebikeshop.co.uk/brand-manufacturer/roxspeed/1R-P2PP) and tried fitting with the standard lines. Now I've got different handlebars, Renthal Twinwall 922, which are less swept and a bit higher (really nice bars by the way, much more sensible wrist angle). The upshot is that the clutch and brake lines were far too tight. Even with standard bars on I don't think I'd have tolerated that level of stress on them at full lock - you never know when you might pull the line out of the fittings or something.
So, I ordered some long lines from Jaxon at Ride On Adv (http://www.rideonadv.com/Ride_On_Adv/Home.html) and asked for them to be an extra inch longer than the already extended length to accommodate the extra rise on my Renthal bars.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and the lines arrive by mail and I went about fitting them. Having read the stories about the existing lines being a nightmare to get at and remove, I was a bit worried about doing the swap and I contemplated paying a mechanic to do it for me.
However, it turned out to be fairly simple. I did the lines before fitting the risers. I didn't need to remove any bodywork, tank or anything else.
I started with the clutch line. Working from the top of the bike, it's quite tight down the left side of the bike so the first thing I did was undo the bolt holding the "P clamp" to the left side of the frame just behind the steering column. It's a 10mm bolt that is hidden from normal view just under the line connection so you need to feel for it - I undid the cable tie holding all the other cables to the same clamp first so I could get at it more easily.
With that P clamp removed, I could get better access to the clutch line union as I could move the line out by an inch or two. That was enough to comfortably get two spanners in, one being the recommended 10mm flare nut spanner which ensures a good grip on the connector nut. Yes, the connection was tight but no more so than I'd expect. With correctly fitting spanners there wasn't a problem - just ensure you have the spanners properly located on the nuts.
Note that I left the top on the master cylinder so all the fluid wouldn't run out of the disconnected hose. With no air getting into the master cylinder, the fluid stays in the hose even though it is disconnected.
With a rag to catch any drips, I then removed the clutch master cylinder end of the hose which is easy enough using an allen key. Installation of the new clutch line was simple enough. Put the master cylinder end on first ensuring you use the two supplied new crush washers, and then run the cable down and connect the other end. If you do the other end first, you can end up with the master cylinder end being turned at an odd angle which puts strain on the banjo bolt connection. Tighten and check everything, then reinstall the P clip and put the other cables back into the cable tie.
Then the brake line. Similar process but a little more awkward as you need to attack it from below. The brake line goes into a curious square metal connector which is bolted to the frame. Unbolt this to get decent access to the hose nut to the rear. I used the 10mm flare spanner (seriously, get one of these for this job to get a good grip on the nuts) and an adjustable spanner to hold the square metal connector. Again, it was tight but came off OK. If it wasn't tight I'd be very worried!!!
With the lower connector undone, the master cylinder connector is easy enough to remove. Again, with rags to catch the drips, and the master cylinder lid still in place, there is little spillage. The cable is threaded through a wire loop on the bars and pulls through that easy enough.
Fitting the replacement line is the reverse of the process. Don't forget to thread it through the aforementioned metal loop like I did. Check all is tight, with a little additional "snerk" with the spanners to ensure all is well. The additional P-clamp in the kit from Jaxon is used to fix this cable to the frame. It replaces the odd square metal connector from the old brake line. I had to get a shorter bolt from my collection of "might be useful one day" bolts, or you could just cut down the one you removed. The clamp fits over the connector union and bolts to the frame (bit fiddly to get the bolt in the hole).
So that's the fitting done. I then put the risers on, got them all sorted and in position, and then bled the clutch and brakes.
Bleeding was the normal bleed procedure that I've used for years, and as described in the instructions with the lines. I did the clutch first which was easy, but watch the master cylinder level as the capacity is quite small and goes down fast. Also watch out as you get spurts of fluid coming out of the cylinder if you leave the lid off when squeezing the lever. I just left the lid off and squeezed very slowly for the first bit of travel until the piston had cleared the second hole in the master cylinder (you'll see what I mean).
The brake bleeding was simple enough but took longer (longer lines). I did the front left, then front right, then rear, then repeated. Nothing unusual, it just took some time.
Obviously I then checked and double checked everything, took it for a short test ride to check again, then checked for leaks and drips when I returned.
The bars are now in a much better position and I'm jolly happy. I've got plenty of slack in the lines so am reassured that I'm not causing any fatigue or stretch anywhere that could suddenly fail.
All in all, a two hour job going very slowly and carefully. If I did it again it'd probably take an hour.
So, I ordered some long lines from Jaxon at Ride On Adv (http://www.rideonadv.com/Ride_On_Adv/Home.html) and asked for them to be an extra inch longer than the already extended length to accommodate the extra rise on my Renthal bars.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and the lines arrive by mail and I went about fitting them. Having read the stories about the existing lines being a nightmare to get at and remove, I was a bit worried about doing the swap and I contemplated paying a mechanic to do it for me.
However, it turned out to be fairly simple. I did the lines before fitting the risers. I didn't need to remove any bodywork, tank or anything else.
I started with the clutch line. Working from the top of the bike, it's quite tight down the left side of the bike so the first thing I did was undo the bolt holding the "P clamp" to the left side of the frame just behind the steering column. It's a 10mm bolt that is hidden from normal view just under the line connection so you need to feel for it - I undid the cable tie holding all the other cables to the same clamp first so I could get at it more easily.
With that P clamp removed, I could get better access to the clutch line union as I could move the line out by an inch or two. That was enough to comfortably get two spanners in, one being the recommended 10mm flare nut spanner which ensures a good grip on the connector nut. Yes, the connection was tight but no more so than I'd expect. With correctly fitting spanners there wasn't a problem - just ensure you have the spanners properly located on the nuts.
Note that I left the top on the master cylinder so all the fluid wouldn't run out of the disconnected hose. With no air getting into the master cylinder, the fluid stays in the hose even though it is disconnected.
With a rag to catch any drips, I then removed the clutch master cylinder end of the hose which is easy enough using an allen key. Installation of the new clutch line was simple enough. Put the master cylinder end on first ensuring you use the two supplied new crush washers, and then run the cable down and connect the other end. If you do the other end first, you can end up with the master cylinder end being turned at an odd angle which puts strain on the banjo bolt connection. Tighten and check everything, then reinstall the P clip and put the other cables back into the cable tie.
Then the brake line. Similar process but a little more awkward as you need to attack it from below. The brake line goes into a curious square metal connector which is bolted to the frame. Unbolt this to get decent access to the hose nut to the rear. I used the 10mm flare spanner (seriously, get one of these for this job to get a good grip on the nuts) and an adjustable spanner to hold the square metal connector. Again, it was tight but came off OK. If it wasn't tight I'd be very worried!!!
With the lower connector undone, the master cylinder connector is easy enough to remove. Again, with rags to catch the drips, and the master cylinder lid still in place, there is little spillage. The cable is threaded through a wire loop on the bars and pulls through that easy enough.
Fitting the replacement line is the reverse of the process. Don't forget to thread it through the aforementioned metal loop like I did. Check all is tight, with a little additional "snerk" with the spanners to ensure all is well. The additional P-clamp in the kit from Jaxon is used to fix this cable to the frame. It replaces the odd square metal connector from the old brake line. I had to get a shorter bolt from my collection of "might be useful one day" bolts, or you could just cut down the one you removed. The clamp fits over the connector union and bolts to the frame (bit fiddly to get the bolt in the hole).
So that's the fitting done. I then put the risers on, got them all sorted and in position, and then bled the clutch and brakes.
Bleeding was the normal bleed procedure that I've used for years, and as described in the instructions with the lines. I did the clutch first which was easy, but watch the master cylinder level as the capacity is quite small and goes down fast. Also watch out as you get spurts of fluid coming out of the cylinder if you leave the lid off when squeezing the lever. I just left the lid off and squeezed very slowly for the first bit of travel until the piston had cleared the second hole in the master cylinder (you'll see what I mean).
The brake bleeding was simple enough but took longer (longer lines). I did the front left, then front right, then rear, then repeated. Nothing unusual, it just took some time.
Obviously I then checked and double checked everything, took it for a short test ride to check again, then checked for leaks and drips when I returned.
The bars are now in a much better position and I'm jolly happy. I've got plenty of slack in the lines so am reassured that I'm not causing any fatigue or stretch anywhere that could suddenly fail.
All in all, a two hour job going very slowly and carefully. If I did it again it'd probably take an hour.
