Today's Diet Tip

I was going to buy one of those pretty anodized Zeta front brake line clamps to get rid of the stock hunk of steel when I thought, wait a minute, I don't need that. My YZ250 just had two plastic tabs integral to the fork guard. Here's my latest weight saver. Two plastic hose brackets and three extra small zip ties. Total weight = zip!

I'll compensate my urge to farkle with red axle spacers.

Simple thinking. I like it.

Bringing this one back up.

I was using zip ties until today.

One zip tie broke and departed at some unknown time, and with only one tie still in place the line slid down.





It resulted in an instant and total loss of the front brake. I had JUST got back to the bottom of the twisty mountain road I was riding. Had this happened a few turns earlier I literally would have eaten shit. I was coming up on a stop sign and started slowing early enough that when I went for the brake and there was NOTHING I was able to downshift and use the rear brake. Nursed her home and there she will sit.

Yup, sorry but the original hunk of metal is there for a reason. Not smart to change that, as you found out. Just glad you didn't die because you tried to save a few ounces, or dollars.

Ouch! Yah, that could be dangerous indeed.

The original piece should clamp the line snugly, preventing it from sliding down into the rotor.

I'd type a longer reply but I'm on my way out to the garage to look at my zip ties.

pbnut - I just checked mine and all is fine. Each hose clamp has a separate zip tie and a third loops both clamps on my setup. Also, with the wire guide that mounts on the caliper it seems almost impossible for your failure to happen. Note I said "almost". Also, if you're running an X like your avitar your rotor is bigger than the R and I don't know if the X has the hard wire keeper off the caliper.

Question... Did you buy your zip ties from Harbor Freight. I tried some and found they are made from pressed Cheez-Whiz and snap if you look at them funny.

Glad you didn't die.

I have an X & can confirm that the X also has a wire bracket on the caliper to keep the brake hose away from the rotor.

Gnarly rough ride today. Afterwards noticed that one of my hose clamps had cracked. I'll be ordering a Zeta.

I'll get a Zeta as well.

I think my ties were a walmart purchase. Also, I removed the hose guide off the caliper as well, if it was ever there. I don't recall anymore. It was a while ago.

Not that it makes much of a difference, but I'm also running the white R fork guards which mounts the hose just a little higher.