Venhill braided brake hose

Fitting braided brake lines is a common modification amongst motorcyclists looking to improve the performance of their braking system.

What exactly are braided brake lines and what are the main benefits? Do they actually increase braking performance and are there any other reasons to fit them?

To answer this question, we should probably start by talking more broadly about brake hoses, including early generations of hose made from rubber.

What are rubber hoses and why do they fail?

Rubber brake hoses need replacing

Most motorcycles come from the factory with rubber brake lines fitted. Fairly simple in makeup and often reinforced by an internal fibre weave, they consist of a section of rubber hosing with ‘banjo’ connectors crimped onto each end. The banjos attach to the master or slave cylinder at one end and the brake calliper at the other. 

When the rider applies the brake lever or pedal, the fluid inside the braking system is pushed, at high pressure, through the hoses to the brake callipers. When that pressure reaches the pistons inside the calliper, it pushes the pads against the brake disc.

When brand new, rubber hoses perform this function perfectly well, but over time and with repeated use, the rubber weakens, and can balloon or stretch when that pressure is applied. 

This means less pressure reaches the callipers and the motorcycle’s brakes can feel soft and spongy and they won’t respond as quickly or sharply.

So, what are the main benefits of braided hoses?

The main benefit of braided brake lines is that they significantly reduce the issue of ballooning. 

Braided lines - as the name suggests - come with metal braiding wrapped tightly around the outside of the tubing, preventing it from expanding and ensuring all the pressure applied to the lever or pedal is transferred to the callipers. Unlike the fibre strands of rubber hoses, the stainless steel strands of braided hose cannot be pushed out of position and so hold firm around the hose core.

Upgrading your front and rear motorcycle hydraulic brake lines can have a dramatic effect on your braking performance, as well as improving feel and feedback, so you have better control. 

My bike already has braided lines fitted as standard, do I need to replace those?

Even braided hoses need replacing eventually

Some higher performance machines will come fitted with braided hoses; a win-win you might think. However, in an effort to keep costs to a minimum, OE hoses will usually be made a basic specification.

Often OE lines - and cheaper aftermarket alternatives – use zinc plated mild steel banjo bolts, which can quickly corrode. The banjos are crimped onto each end of the hose, fixing them in one set position and making mounting difficult, so it's almost impossible without twisting the hose out of its correct alignment. 

The braiding is often also made of a lower grade steel, leaving it susceptible to corrosion. 

Instead of rubber, OE and aftermarket braided hoses generally come with a simple Nylon liner for the fluid to flow through. As the braking system heats up during use, this liner will soften and expand - and in extreme cases can even melt. 

Why is it better to fit high quality braided hoses? 

Quite simply, they have a higher specification, and therefore will perform better and last longer. 

Unlike OE and many aftermarket performance braided brake hoses, Venhill Powerhose Plus braided brake lines feature a DuPont® Teflon® core, which offers much greater heat resistance compared to budget Nylon lined versions. 

The Teflon® (PTFE) core not only resists softening, expansion and loss of shape, but is also constructed with a consistent internal diameter and a smooth bore, to offer more efficient fluid flow with little to no turbulence introduced. 

All Venhill braided hoses use a marine grade stainless steel braid, which is more resistant to corrosion than the typical grade used on other brands, further prolonging the life of the hose. 

The braid is then covered with an extruded PVC jacket to help prevent wear and deterioration due to sunlight, chemicals and movement. It is bonded to the braid to prevent the ingress of water, road salt and debris. 

Venhill hoses also use threaded stainless steel swivel fittings, so the hose can be poisoned with zero twist. Many other lines offer no banjo adjustment at all, or require removal and the use of a special tool to rotate the banjo before re-installation. Venhill machine their own banjo fittings and dome-headed banjo bolts to ensure proper fitment and a consistent, quality finish. 

For further peace of mind, every hose that leaves the Venhill factory is pressure tested to 1500 psi, and every 30 days random hoses are pressure tested up to 10,000psi; a stress test of Venhill’s own manufacturing quality. 

Venhill braided brake lines on BMW bobber

How easy is it to fit braided brake hoses to a motorcycle?

Providing you have the right tools and equipment, and you are confident in your ability, fitting braided brake lines to a motorcycle is something that can be done at home. Venhill Braided Brake Hose Kits are model-specific and are made to be direct replacements for the originals - no modifications required. 

Read our Ultimate Guide to Replacing a Motorcycle Brake Hose to find out how to check if your motorcycle brake hoses need replacing and how to do it. Remember, always follow the instructions supplied with the product, as well as consulting the owner’s manual for your particular bike. And if you’re not completely confident, we’d advise consulting your local motorcycle dealer or a qualified motorcycle mechanic.

Use our Part Finder to find Powerhose Plus Braided Hoses for your motorcycle. 

If your bike isn’t listed, or you have specific requirements, our Line Builder Tool enables you to ‘build up’ your lines, adding the fittings you need ready for us to manufacture for you.