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I would like to fix my MacGyver front brake



It's a KX 250 fork + KDX master cylinder, caliper and brake line. The KDX brake line is too long to go behind the fork tube and too short to go below like the 97' KX. So the brake line is floating and it's not very safe.

I can bought KX 97' master cylinder, caliper and brake line. But KX brakes before 2003 are know to be very mushy. A common upgrade is to install CRF brake (with 'CR' style routing). CRF brakes are now more common and pretty cheap on eBay. I suppose that fork guards need to be remplaced by KXF one to get the top clamp.

What do you think ? Go for old KX 97 brake or find something newer ?

If cost doesn't matter I'd go for the newer set up

Or buy a new Galfer braided stainless line for a 2005 or 2006 KDX. Cheaper, shorter "CR" routing and better performance than standard brake line.

G22inSC wrote:Or buy a new Galfer braided stainless line for a 2005 or 2006 KDX. Cheaper, shorter "CR" routing and better performance than standard brake line.

KDX ? You mean KX ?

I investigated the CRF parts. The caliper is the same between 2004 and 2015. The master cylinder is the same between 1996-2006 (CR and XR too), 2007-2014 and since 2015. So a complete brake assembly from 2007 should do the trick.
Btw I base my opinion on what I read on kxriders.com, the guys said that a CRF front brake is a huge upgrade from every KX brake before 2003.

KDX cable to go with the current KDX master cylinder and caliper. I know at least the 05s and later had the "CR" routing. I'm sure the entire Honda assembly is better but I'm not sure if the gain is worth the extra cost when compared to a braided brake line with what you have now.

2004 KX125, KX250 and KX250F had the "CR style". Honda had a patent that ran out.

edit add on: which is what was on the 1986 KDX (just not USD)

A quick question from the uninformed...
What did Kawasaki change on the '05-up KDX (or is it KX?), and what exactly is "CR" hose routing? I'm not following along well here.

I did notice that my '97 220 front is mushy, I blamed it on original expanding rubber hose. I've ridden some street/track bikes with killer 2 finger braking abilities before... even with stock rubber lines... and this bike doesn't approach it.

My son's '99 CR has crispy front binders in comparison, stock, with cheapo sintered pads.
Must have crispy binders!!!

Honda patented the "CR" hose routing which runs down the left fork leg and then inside the leg to the top of the brake caliper. All older bikes other than Hondas had the brake cable routed down the left fork leg , under the bottom of the fork leg and then back up to the caliper. When the patent date expired, other manufacturers began using the better/shorter "CR" routing, such as what you find in the last few years of the KDXs.

I'm really thinking that an 05 KX125/250 brake line would do right what you wanted, along with the same year fork guards to have the top mount. That's on my 05 KX125 hybrid and everything works nicely:

Makes you wonder how Honda could patent the routing of a hose ?

I am not sure how, but they did. Look at any MX bike from 2003 and older with USD forks. I know at least one company offered CR style guards and hoses back in the day.

They probably patented the process, processes are patent-able. That is pretty crazy though lol I had no idea either.

It seems that they can patent everything

https://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm ... ko+Gogo%22

On my hybrid I used 2001 KX250 fork, KDX220 caliper, KDX master cylinder, KDX hose, KDX rotor and KDX routing with no problems in the last 4 years of riding it. No mush on stock hose/galfer pads, does stoppies just fine with 2 finger pull