Original Brake Lines

[2cycle]

I own a rd400 and a 350lc with original rubber brake lines, should I be concerned of a brake line failure ? Has anyone ever ruptured a brake line before?

[two-stroke-brit]

i haven't heard of a failure but the braided lines are cheap and make a noticeable improvement to the breaking.
and after all it is the brakes .(kinda important).
its the first upgrade i do.
mark

[dinamos]

"Brake line failure", not a lot, but I think the service manual recommends a five year limit, and your bikes are how old? Replace the rubber with "SS" lines and you will see an improvement.

You might also think about rebuilding your front and rear Master Cylinders. They're getting kinda old too.

roger

[nzminis]

One of my Rd400 has the original lines , stamped 6/76

gets all the looks overtaking many a ninja 300 on the twistie hills

just depends how worried you are about the whole deal . if they are perfect condition on the outside they should be fine , but things happen

[dinamos]

just depends how worried you are about the whole deal . if they are perfect condition on the outside they should be fine , but things happen

That's your best advice? "No worries".

roger

[nzminis]

Everything has its day to fail , no matter how old it is .

I know the answer you are wanting , which is everything MUST be replaced , just one persons opinion vs the next .

[justind97]

If you're asking, it's because you are uneasy about them. To quell your mind, just change them

[evan_calgary]

Braided lines are totally worth it! The stock setup is like a pool noodle.

[LC Cnd]

I had mine (apparently original) tested and one set of lines blew a bubble. Because I wanted the bike original stock, I went with the rubber replacements. However, the hybrid build ( time permitting) is going black braided steel- no doubt about it.

[tacky1]

I replaced mine with black Galfer lines, They look like rubber lines from a distance

[Bare]

Actually.. in real life there is No functional difference between New OEM style rubber lines and ones with a braided covering /sheath.
Differences become noticeable when the Rubber lines age.... become prone to expansion under pressure.. Several years on in their lives.

[JonW]

you can buy new versions that look like OEM now...

[ghezzi]

I had a line on a 7 year old car blow out. Last day I owned it, I was on the way to collect my new vehicle.
Just reversed up a very steep driveway, "bang" and pedal to the floor.
I would have landed in a deep gully, except the auto was still in reverse.
A bit of throttle saved the day.

[waltmil]

What car did you own that did not have a dual master cylinder? They have been mandatory in the US for 40 plus years. But seriously folks, if you are thinking about your brake lines, just replace them with the best quality you can afford. New OEM would be better than original.

[JonW]

OEM not available anymore AFAIK... but plenty aftermarkets.