looking for advice on new master cylinders

[goldFiSh]

So I'm looking to upgrade my M800 from the coffins.

Should I be just simply looking for goldline masters, perhaps multistrada masters, or even radial masters from an S4Rs or similar?
Reason for upgrade is to get better feel and braking response, but also to be less restrictive to changes in bars / clipons..

Anyone got some first hand experience to share?

Thanks

[ducpainter]

I finally put goldlines on my 96 after I ruined the clutch master in a crash.

I don't feel any difference, and the reservoirs are ugly IMO.

I actually liked the coffins better.

As always YMMV.

[goldFiSh]

thanks Nate, I tend to agree that the pill bottles are ugly. i kinda liked what stew and spidey did with the M1000ss, which looks to be either 749/999 radial masters with the triangular reservoirs.

I wonder if the radials will make that much of a difference without swapping the calipers as well?

[rockaduc]

You probably won't feel much difference if you only switch the masters.  If you also upgrade the calipers (which also might necessitate upgrading the rotors), you will feel a HUGE difference, I know I did.

BTW, which calipers do you have on there now?

[ducpainter]

I actually think that better pads, properly bedded, make the biggest difference. The M800 has goldline calipers already if I'm not mistaken.

A good friend went to a radial master with goldline calipers on his 916 for better feel and likes it.

He used a remote reservoir model which looks fine on a fully faired bike.

The 749/999 design would eliminate the hassle of mounting reservoirs keeping everything low. I don't know if they present any clearance issues like coffins with clipons on a monster.

[junior varsity]

Brake: Brembo 19x18 Forged "GP" Radial master
Clutch: Brembo 16x18 Billet "GP" Radial master

Both Samsonite and I are running the same set up on our bikes - Mine a M900 with goldline calipers, and his a track 900SS with goldline calipers.

The clutch isn't that much different (but it kind of matches. except in color, cuz one is billet and one is forged).

Brake: Awesome feel. I now know what is going on down there, and love the improvement.

This series has been all but replaced with the RCS system, which is kind of cool - has a pivot so you can adjust how it works at the lever.

I have also upgraded the pads front and rear, and the lines are all Spiegler - I think that's a must after the bike has a few years on it. Next up is iron rotors. Then 6-pot calipers (after lottery is won).

[goldFiSh]

BTW, which calipers do you have on there now?

! have the gold line 4 pots, so the only upgrade as far as calipers will go will be to change to a radial setup, which is big pita, and in all reality, probably not warranted.

Let me say that I don't feel the bike is underbraked, far from it, but I've ridden an s4Rs and there a massive difference between that and my setup - I guess I'm looking for something of a middle ground, so it would seem that some radial masters, new rotors and pads might get me there.

Thanks for the input, I really appreciate it.

[junior varsity]

Iron rotors, good pads, and a radial master.


Going to a billet caliper would help, even over a cast radial mount caliper. Harrison billet (mr. billet as they call themselves - http://www.billet.co.uk/) makes a 6-pot caliper for Ducatis with axial mount calipers - supposed to be one of the tops out there. Same with ISR (http://www.isr-brakes.se/)

[Ducatl]

I swapped in a Nissin radial unit from an 06 gsxr 1000 when I recently completed my fork swap, the nice thing? I got the master and calipers for something ridiculous like $55 total on eBay.  The bike(99 750) previously ran a single goldline which I found to work well in just about all of my riding situations.  That said, the completed brake swap feels massively more powerful and controllable than the older setup and I've yet to break out really nice pads and lines for it.  Reservoirs are ugly but it runs fine on a 15cc cup which is rather small, it's also a much cheaper option than shelling out $300+ for a single master.  In 07 the gsxr 1000's started coming with hydraulically operated clutches as well so you can score matching radial clutch masters from later years.

[rockaduc]

! have the gold line 4 pots, so the only upgrade as far as calipers will go will be to change to a radial setup, which is big pita, and in all reality, probably not warranted.

Let me say that I don't feel the bike is underbraked, far from it, but I've ridden an s4Rs and there a massive difference between that and my setup - I guess I'm looking for something of a middle ground, so it would seem that some radial masters, new rotors and pads might get me there.

Thanks for the input, I really appreciate it.

You can probably score a set of radial masters from Feebay for not too much $$$.  AS has been stated already, not much diffeerence clutch side, but I really did notice a big increase in feel when I did the swap.

[junior varsity]

Note on reservoirs.

You don't "need" two. You can get away with one big one, some hose, a t-junction, and hose to each master. The whole purpose of that reservoir is to provide a place for excess fluid when it expands in the heat, or provide excess when you 'lose' some, somehow (like when its cooler at the beginning, or you manage to boil some off).

Here's the Bimota "how-to", which is applicable to all bikes, and gives an idea if you are going for a different "look".

http://www.mad-ducati.com/images/ChrisEdwards/DB2FrontReservoir/FBR.html

I said, hell, we'll get two matching rizoma silvery ones.

[booger]

I finally put goldlines on my 96 after I ruined the clutch master in a crash.

I don't feel any difference, and the reservoirs are ugly IMO.

I actually liked the coffins better.

As always YMMV.

+1
If I were to do a brake upgrade from coffins I would go to the 999 radials with coffins, but they're rarely seen for sale used and very expensive new.

[Speeddog]

I upgraded from 2-pad 4-pot to the 4-pad Brembo calipers.

Definitely more power.
Not that I really needed it....