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I need brake line for my VLX

6K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  tbfoto 
#1 ·
I took a spill on my bike 3 weeks ago and bike has not been ridden since. Although damage is minimal I noticed tonight that I have a small puddle of fluid under my front brake caliper on my garage floor. The brake line is dry except for the last 3-4 inches of it. That tells me that it is not a loose fitting but the hose itself.
My question is.... Do I need to buy a line specific to the VT600 or are all brake lines for our Shadows universal?


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#4 · (Edited)
Brakes are some thing you should never rig. New brake hose for the front is about $60.00. The part number you need is below.


HOSE, FR. BRAKE
45126-MZ8-507
I don't know what 'rig' means in this instance. The universal lines are not rigged. They can be bought by length with the right banjo's attached. Folks who raise their bars do it all the time. The Ops question was "Do I need to buy a line specific to the VT600", and the answer is no you don't have to. The answer to the second part of his question is also no; "Are all brake lines for our Shadows universal". I think he was asking if he can get another Shadow brake line and just use that, and that would be model dependent. Some might work ... others not. Best bet there is to go to a Honda parts site and use your part number (45126-MZ8-507) in the plug-in for 'where used' for a list of models. 60 bucks doesn't sound like a lot of money but it might be for some.
 
#8 ·
Oh my... I am so screwed by my rigged bike! Non OEM parts like brake lines, pads, rotors, fluid, tires, chain, sprockets, oil, radiator fluid, air filter, and on and on. You think Honda makes all their parts in some Honda factory or they buy from manufacturers that sell their parts to different brands and under various other name?

To the OP, reliable makers of brakes lines of the correct length and fittings will work as good and in some cases better than OEM. Buy and use what you are most comfortable with.
 
#6 ·
What if it isn't the hose after all. Do a bit of confirmation. If the hose was yanked badly or bent over something badly with the spill it probably is damaged. But if you clean it off well and put a lot of pressure with the brake lever over and over it will show a leak.If the brake master cylinder is low that is a clue also.
But somebody here showed photos of a fork seal leak and it was going down in that vicinity and maybe that or some other drip from the fall got on the hose . Otherwise you buy a new hose and find the real leak later.
 
#7 ·
Bought a Galfer brake kit for my 2006 Shadow and it was perfect. They are model specific in that the bends of the fittings matched my bike perfectly and it was cut to the exact length for my bike. I've added stainless braided brake lines to every vehicle I own and it's always made a big improvement in pedal feel.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Hey, Mike was not saying that using non OEM parts was a bad thing to do so let's stop bashing someone for offering their help. I heard him saying to make sure I get a quality brake line that works correctly for my bike. He suggested the OEM brake line as it would fit right on without having to change anything. I think that is exactly what I will do. What I do not want to do is order a line from a third party only to find out that it somehow would not be a direct fit.
Do YOU know what size fittings are on your brake line? I don't ... So getting a OEM line will ensure a correct fit without having to change (rig) fittings.
I have looked up other options and believe they could work but they can cost even more than OEM.


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