Are you fitting linked calipers to an older non-linked bike? If so, you need to follow the link you posted. Without drilling and marrying all all three pistons, you will need gorilla hands to stop.

Before I de-linked, I could stand on the rear peddle and not lock the rear tire. Now regular pressure is needed. With the SS line, with it's less volume, much lesser pressure is needed and it will lock up. It took some riding time to adjust to it but now it is just fine. Choppy road conditions in turns makes for easy breaking compared to the old slushy mega-rubber lines.

I am short on time but I will get back to any questions you have. My questions is, are you removing or trying to fit LBS?

 

Got a 90 unlinked and a 93 linked ....... prefer unlinked to be honest bike stays down
braking in turns , the linked one drags the rear and always wants the bike to stand up.
Bike can be backed into a corner properly when pushing it hard with unlinked

 

I have 96 model which originally have linked system, but in my case it is like somehow half way de linked. So it acts as not linked but the front end is not good. The caliper is moving when i brake ( it pulls out when i bull bike back and brake, and moves in front when i brake normally) - the linking system is just drained empty - i can guess last owner has done that.

I am pretty sure i will just find some aluminium sheet and make bracket for left front caliper and remove the secondary master cylinder. And when it seems that the other cylinders are ok and not corroded and stuck i will drill hole and make them work also.

But the guestion is when i use all three cylinders on front calipers is master cylinder ok or i need to change it? I read here that you need to pull lever much more for the brakes to start working, but once they work they lock pretty easy?

 

You should complete the de link process. I did mine and love it. I like to lean into the corners and hatred how it would stand if I dragged the rear mid corner. Also I hatred the feeling of the front diving when I used the rear on gravel.

The plates were very easy to make up to replace that master cylinder. I just used done 3mm steel plate, about 40mm wide. 3 jokes and then cut the corners off and cleaned it up with the grinder.

I kept the standard mc, I like it with the increased pull. It feels very soft but damn it pulls up well with very little pressure.

Tim.

 

The answer is yes, use the old MC and lever, works great. It feels about the same but you have better stopping power.

I used some cable stops that I cut with a hacksaw and filed smooth for spacers and drilled out. Then I found some large aluminum washers that I drilled out to take the 8mm bolt and made the brackets from flat stock aluminum from the hardware store. Use an 8mm bolt,washer, locking washer and nut to hold the brackets, spacers and large washers.

Save old hardware to help hold the lines in place. You will need new lines for the front. I ordered 1990 lines as they are not linked. Stack two lines on the MC and run them down to each caliper (bold head-washer-banjo-washer-banjo-washer-MC {washer=soft copper seal washer}).

 

Revisit/thread hijack:
I did the delink as described. While not sorted out completely I wanted to share what I have done.
Front brakes seem as effective as normal LBS. I don't have any lever sensitivity/touchy brake issues, quite the opposite. With the stock front 1/2" M/C, there is more travel and the level seems "soft". 99.9% sure all the air is blead with MightyVac and standard pumpup/bleed. Lever feels like you still have soft old rubber hoses. Also tried a 14mm M/C. Slightly less travel to the lever but still soft and no gain perceived in stopping power.
Rear brakes with stock M/C and all three pistons used required standing on the rear brake lever to get any brake action. The pedal is firm but just no brake power. I rechecked the caliper and all pistons are working. It all seems to be working as it should so I don't get that some have hyper sensitive rear brakes after this mod. Has anyone actually done this mod and had the rear brake be too touchy with the 3 piston setup? Anyone just use the two outer pistons with good results?

 

Anyone with a linked bike know the diameter of the rear master cylinder piston. The M/C is marked on the blind side near the input rod end. Mine looks like 11/16" but I can't be sure as the casting is a little crude. I'd also like to know what other generations might have for alternate parts.

 

I didn't bother drilling out my rear caliper so I am only using the outer 2 pistons and as a result the master/slave sizes are mismatched, and I have the exact feeling you describe, wooden pedal which you have to stand on to have the bike slow down gradually with no feeling what-so-ever.

I was always hoping that if I wanted to fix that, I could just drill out the caliper and fix up the ratio (but I have never bothered as the rear is only for a bit of trail braking anyway).

Did you drill the caliper or just use a hose from the outer pistons to the center one to put all 3 pistons into service? Are you sure the center pin is working?

Tim.

::edit Oh, and I drilled out both front calipers and hooked them up with SS braided lines and while it feels like it has a lot of travel sitting on the garage floor, the brakes are really strong, with 1 and 2 finger stops easy with very little pressure.

 

All pistons are active, front and rear. (all calipers drilled) If the rear M/C is actully 11/16" that would make for a 5.2:1 Ratio. Which is exactly the same as stock, which also feels like a block of wood with near no stopping power when used alone. If anyone has a gen 1 or 2 please let me know what size the rear m/c is.
The needed ratio should be more like 20:1.

 

possibly a dumb question, but if you took the calipers and m/c from a non linked '90 or '91 would you be able to use those and skip drilling the calipers to link all 3 pistons? I'm running a '96 and have never gotten to look at a '90 or '91 to compare caliper size, mounting, ect. Just happen to pop in my head so I figured I'd ask