I was getting ready to buy some steel braided lines when i thought about changing the master brake cylinder to a radial. the calipers shouldnt be affected, but was thinking about switchen them out to 6 piston any maybe checking out some wave rotors. serious pain in the neck? or will i be very happy with a huge increase in braking performance?

 

To change to radial you'll need different lower legs -- talking lots of $$. Go with the SS lines and see how ya like it first.

 

also, no need for the gixxer 6 piston calipers...they are actually smaller pistons than the F4is..so in all, you're going to get super duper similar braking...and maybe even a bit added weight.

 

Are there any relatively inexpensive rotors that can be swapped out to drop weight and provide as good or better than stock braking?

 

There are 3 things to consider when you're thinking brakes. First, stopping power. If you can squeeze the crap outta your lever at speed and the front wheel locks up or you go flying over the clip-ons then you've got as much stopping power as you need. Which brings us to #2 -- heat dissipation. Even if you can manage the lifting of the rear by squeezing the brake lever it doesn't mean you can do it all day. The forces creating all that stopping power creates mondo heat -- and heat build up will eventually decrease your stopping power. This is why most bikes have 2 front rotors. One would be enough to stop the bike efficiently but the heat build up after a couple hard applications would boil the fluid quick. So we end up with big chunks of round steel with holes drilled in 'em. Will the galfer wave rotors with the trellis looking pattern stop you quicker -- I don't think so but they will stay cooler with all that surface area that can give up heat. And last but not least is brake feel. The SS lines will not expand like the stock rubber hoses. This will give you a great feel for what your brakes are doing. It'll also make them feel more responsive and you'll get more stopping power with less lever pull. Will it stop you quicker -- probably not but you will get a better idea of what your brakes are doing with the SS lines. Also, if you have slightly warped rotor the rubber lines can insulate some of the pulses when you're stopping. With the SS lines you'll feel everything.

So if you're not actually racing on a closed course then SS lines and HH pads are probably more than you'll ever need. If you feel later that you need more heat dissipating surface area then you can always add a wave rotor later on.

And the quick answer is "no". There aren't any relatively inexpensive rotors that I know of

 

buhahahha that's right...there are no inexpensive rotors that will help shave weight...or maybe you can drill your stock with more holes and shave weight that way, but i don't think you'll get the stopping power you're looking for