1999 Zx7r Brakes.... | GTAMotorcycle.com

1999 Zx7r Brakes....

636ninjadude

636ninjadude

Well-known member
Hi there, I just bought an older zx7r for track use and I like it very much. The front brakes are shoddy to say the least on this particular bike, and I was wondering, if you guys think galfer braided steel lines and ebc double h sintered pads would be a good cheap upgrade. I just plan on riding with it at tmp a few times this season. Figured it was better then bringing my brand new road bike to trackdays. Ok thanks for your help in advance and any added advice...
 
A radial master cylinder would help too.

Either a simple upgrade to an OEM unit off a newer sport bike, or a bigger upgrade to an Accosato or Brembo unit.
 
Any new pads and braided lines will do just fine. I raced my first couple seasons on new OEM pads.
We raced our Fireblade to 4 endurance race wins on OEM rubber brake hoses.

A good bleed will do miracles for your braking.
On a ZX7, a key to much more powerful braking is to loosen the bar clamp that holds the master cyl in place, and slide it as far towards the centre of the bike as you can. then tighten it up. Now when you grab the brakes, you will be using the end of the lever, giving you much greater leverage. This was the single biggest positive braking change I made on my 94 ZX7
 
Ok thanks! how much does a quality radial master cylinder cost. I don't mind spending the money I'm just curious. Other then that I think it will be a really enjoyable bike to do trackdays on. Would you recommend an aftermarket rear shock, or can I just raise the stock one and get a little quicker turn in response? doesn't seam a bad handler at all as it is now. I have read people on Kawasaki forums say its heavy and really lazy but I thought it was fine, just requires a little bit of practice and commitment. Seams nicely planted.
 
If you are just starting out, as long as the stock shock is in good working condition, I wouldn't sweat that yet, but as soon as you get faster, susupension would be a really good place to start throwing $ at the bike.

A base model Accosato or Brembo will run you $250-$300ish.

The ZX& isn't what most riders would call nimble, as it requires committed inputs and effort to ride hard, however, it is rock solid stable, and unflappable. They shrug of bumps and irregularities that tie many bikes in knots, and while their seating position makes for a torture rack of a street bike, the bike shines when ridden in anger. They are simple, reliable, and crash well.
 
omnivore said:
If you are just starting out, as long as the stock shock is in good working condition, I wouldn't sweat that yet, but as soon as you get faster, susupension would be a really good place to start throwing $ at the bike.

A base model Accosato or Brembo will run you $250-$300ish.

The ZX& isn't what most riders would call nimble, as it requires committed inputs and effort to ride hard, however, it is rock solid stable, and unflappable. They shrug of bumps and irregularities that tie many bikes in knots, and while their seating position makes for a torture rack of a street bike, the bike shines when ridden in anger. They are simple, reliable, and crash well.
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Ah that's not too bad really. Thanks, appreciate it. Maybe I will just do the lines and pads and then add the cylinder later on. Kind of went out of my way to get the bike as is hahaha, but its a smart investment. It would cost me more to repair my 636 then to replace a zx7r, and it will be a fun project for me.
 
Check out http://www.redmonkey.com/7r and http://www.zxforums.com. The former is a dedicated UK based ZX-7 owner's club forum and the latter has a excellent ZX7 section. Both contain highly knowledgeable folks that can give you tips specifically about your bike.

So now onto your brakes.

The 6 pot tokicos are actually very good brakes but don't last long. I have never seen a ZX-7 where all 6 pistons in the caliper were working properly. To get the most out of the brakes, buy a caliper rebuild kit and replace all the worn seals and clean the gunk out of the pistons.

Another alternative that a lot of 7r racers go for is to use 4 piston Suzuki Bandit calipers. They're cheap and readily available but depending on the mileage, might need a rebuild as well.

Steel lines will help, pads will help and making sure your rotors are still within service specs will help.
 
sixstring said:
Check out http://www.redmonkey.com/7r and http://www.zxforums.com. The former is a dedicated UK based ZX-7 owner's club forum and the latter has a excellent ZX7 section. Both contain highly knowledgeable folks that can give you tips specifically about your bike.

So now onto your brakes.

The 6 pot tokicos are actually very good brakes but don't last long. I have never seen a ZX-7 where all 6 pistons in the caliper were working properly. To get the most out of the brakes, buy a caliper rebuild kit and replace all the worn seals and clean the gunk out of the pistons.

Another alternative that a lot of 7r racers go for is to use 4 piston Suzuki Bandit calipers. They're cheap and readily available but depending on the mileage, might need a rebuild as well.

Steel lines will help, pads will help and making sure your rotors are still within service specs will help.
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Sweet, I checked out those links and pretty awesome stuff on there. I found a link to www.zx7r.co.uk that had a video explaining the breaks a bit I found really helpful and interesting. I liked your blog BTW.
 
I took it for a test ride out with the owner who showed me some roads, on his other bike, and then I went to use the front breaks and it went right down to the throttle grip and barely kicked in. I was kinda startled by this obviously. When we got back I asked him and he just told me it takes a little to kick in and the fluid was low. The bike has 58000 km and I picked it up for 2700$ with a spare fresh q2 rear tire. I might have a mechanic I know well check it further for issues. Maybe I could have bought a 7r with less use but there hard to find close to stock or atleast getting harder to find now. I was also offered a 2007 zx6r for 4500 dollars but I really wanted to use a 7r as my bike for track days. Its interesting that the tach needle for some reason has been cut, but you can still see with the nub left where its going, and also just from riding it where the power drop off begins. The valves and carbs were just done so it feels strong, no issues there. seals are solid and not leaking. So yeah good. I wanted to have it out there august 8th but if not oh well as long as I can get it sorted well beforehand is the main thing.
 
636ninjadude said:
I took it for a test ride out with the owner who showed me some roads, on his other bike, and then I went to use the front breaks and it went right down to the throttle grip and barely kicked in. I was kinda startled by this obviously. When we got back I asked him and he just told me it takes a little to kick in and the fluid was low. The bike has 58000 km and I picked it up for 2700$ with a spare fresh q2 rear tire. I might have a mechanic I know well check it further for issues. Maybe I could have bought a 7r with less use but there hard to find close to stock or atleast getting harder to find now. I was also offered a 2007 zx6r for 4500 dollars but I really wanted to use a 7r as my bike for track days. Its interesting that the tach needle for some reason has been cut, but you can still see with the nub left where its going, and also just from riding it where the power drop off begins. The valves and carbs were just done so it feels strong, no issues there. seals are solid and not leaking. So yeah good. I wanted to have it out there august 8th but if not oh well as long as I can get it sorted well beforehand is the main thing.
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Why didn't you get this? It's going to probably cost you more in the long run to get the 7r fit to ride.
 
Benny! said:
Why didn't you get this? It's going to probably cost you more in the long run to get the 7r fit to ride.
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Sadly i'm starting to think that too. this 07 was dumped and needed new fairings but still hmmm yeah I probably jumped the gun. I drove 5 hours from Niagara to get the 7r. I hope it works out for the best. I always liked the 7r when I was a kid so my heart kinda played a part for sure.
 
Don't be discouraged. The 7 makes for a great track weapon once everything is sharpened a bit. They are also among the easiest bikes to work on. Pop the tank off and everything is accessible without scraping knuckles and burning fingers.

Based on your impressions so far, you should be albe to turn the bike into a fairly track capable machine for not too much money. Start with the brakes. Caliper rebuild kits are reasonably affordable ($100) as are master cyliner rebuild kits ($30). Stainless lines help alot if you can afford them ($150). Throw a set of fresh pads in there ($50) to top off the overhaul. Total cost $330, for a totally overhauled braking system that will last another 5-10 years.

To make the bike more nimble, jack up your ride height adjuster by 5-10mm, raise your forks by 1-2mm (free). A 55 section rear tire is optional for even quicker steering. These changes won't diminish the 7R's cornering stability much. Magnesium wheels make the biggest difference in the handling of the 7R BY FAR. Stock 7R wheels are like 20-30 lbs of unsprung and rotating mass!!!! Unfortunately magnesium wheels are also the most expensive add-on you can buy for the bike... anyways something to think about if the bike grows on you.
 
I personally will just bleed them first and see how it goes. <$10 for a bottle of brake fluid which is a very good bet.

That said, judging by the list of 7s sixstring own, I think he has better opinion.

btw, if the ZX7 is in a very good body shape, would it make more sense keep it as street bike and track the 636? ZX7 almost become collector items nowadays, you don't care its slow and heavy on the street, indeed, its retro-cool to see a clean original green/purple/white ZX7 on the road. Beside, 636 is better for track stock form and more parts available. Would make some decent $ selling all the 636 street plastic, and use it to buy a set of sharkskins + handle bar/lever/rearset. Or just keep all the street parts and convert it back when you want to trade bike in the future.
 
caboose483 said:
A radial master cylinder would help too.

Either a simple upgrade to an OEM unit off a newer sport bike, or a bigger upgrade to an Accosato or Brembo unit.
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Do this, I put a 2007 R1 front radial master cylinder on my track 2003 GSXR600 with braided lines and the brakes are amazing now compared to the crap rubber lines with conventional Nissin master cylinder. I have another radial master cylinder from an 06 R1 that I bought off ebay that I was going to put on my street bike, but I'm to busy/lazy to do the change this season.
 
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