a Braking issue

[JohnBoy]

after an awesome first VMCC round i have a few probs.. firstly my bike is a bit bent (crashed at higgins 2X now ) but thats another story, but secondary i keep getting brake fade .

i have had many suggestions like

X chanaging the fluid, i am running Motul 5.1 and maybe change to dot 4?
X Changing the pads, i am running race spec EBC pads
X Braided lines.

its not really a problem now as the first couple of rounds are only 6 laps, but later on in the season we are doing like 30min or 15 lappers and i dont fancy them taking that amount of punishment.

i dont have an unlimited budget but i will spend extra if i can see the benefits as i am aiming to be around early 1:20's (short track, Manfield) by the end of the season and i can see that this will be one of the things i need to change to get there.

i am looking at changing the fluid and maybe getting braided lines but i thought that i would put it to the KB's first before commiting money (as i have a tendancy to spend too much on this kinda stuff)

any help/ ideas would be most appreciated

[bugjuice]

in my experiance, DOT 5 is going to be better than DOT 4 for brake fade (I've been meaning to do my bike after getting fade at Taupo), and braided lines won't completely solve fade either, but they will look cool and improve brake feel.
Are the discs stock ones? May be that's your next option. Get high spec discs on the front, perhaps see what newer models of bike would fit yours.

The problem is the heat, that causes the fade, so you need something that's up to the job of high temps. I'm sure the racers here can give you some tips too. Not sure why I'm still typing..

[Motu]

So what's the problem really? - the pads fading,the fluid boiling,or the hoses expanding?? Find the problem first...then solve it.

[JohnBoy]

would be really cool to change the rotors... will have to look into it as i wouldn't think that they would be cheap.

i don't think its the pads or the fluid as they are only about 2 months old, only done 2 track days (KB taupo, VMCC R1) and about 2500k's.
lines are standard and are over 12 years old, so they could be the issue.

[Motu]

You're guessing...stop guessing and find the problem!

[sAsLEX]

from what i have heard ie take with a grain of salt. DOT 5.1 is some funny mix of fluids that is pretty much replacing dot 4 stuff (told by dude in honda shop)

So why not try proper race/ high temperature brake fluid, only a couple of bucks to try it so no harm if that doesn fix the problem,

[Motu]

DOT 3 has a higher boiling point than DOT 4,but is more hydroscopic,that means it will absorb water faster...change it after every race.Water is absorbed through the rubber hoses,a full metal system will practicaly not absorb water - good stainless hoses should not let as much H2O through,it's the water boiling that makes the lever go soft.It's the resins evaporating out of overheated pads that cause the pads to ''fade'',they just aren't in contact with the rotors.So check your pads,if they are glazed then the resins have come to the surface and cooked,they are stuffed now,replace them.

[JohnBoy]

Thank you Motu, thats the kinda information i was after.