Motorcycle Brake Master Cylinders

In the old days when motorcycles were not so fast and were not producing much horsepower, drum brakes and leverage were all a rider needed to stop their bike. However, when bikes became faster and more powerful, reaching up to 249 mph and 310 bhp, there was a need for something much more efficient than already-existing brakes. The solution was the creation of hydraulic disc brakes with a hand- or foot-operated brake master cylinder as one of their main components. The cylinder was designed to convert mechanic force into hydraulic pressure that causes the fluid inside the brake system to move the brake pads towards the disc to create friction.

Motorcycle brake master cylinders can be grouped into two main categories, namely front and rear ones. Front brake master cylinders usually come with a brake hand lever and are mounted directly on the handlebar of a motorcycle. A motorcycle handlebar master cylinder is intended to make front brakes deliver strong and reliable stopping power to let you control the powerful engine of your iron horse. Most front-mounted brake master cylinders are engineered and fabricated to fit a specific make and model, however, you may also find some universal products available for sale.

Rear brake master cylinders operate similar to those found in most cars. Just like a car driver, a bike rider needs to push the brake pedal to engage the rear brakes. The only significant difference is that the brake pedal in a car involves both front and rear brakes, while by pushing a foot-operated brake lever a bike rider can activate only rear wheel brakes. The brake pedal of a motorcycle is mounted directly to the brake master cylinder to ensure immediate brake response. If compare rear brakes to their front counterparts, it should be noted that rear brakes provide less stopping power.

In whole, all motorcycle brake master cylinders, front and rear, have common features in their design. All of them are cylinders with a piston inside that is moved when you engage the brakes. Your handlebar brake lever or brake pedal and piston are connected with a tie rod, so every time you pull the lever or push the pedal you cause it to move the piston that, in turn, presses the fluid inside the system. Thanks to the physical properties of a brake fluid, it is almost impossible to compress, so all the forces it experiences are transferred to brake pads.

The pressure inside a brake master cylinder increases many times when you involve your brakes. To withstand the pressure and prevent fluid leaking, the brake piston is designed to fit tightly inside the cylinder and is properly sealed. However, due to the friction forces created as a result of the contact between the surfaces as well as extreme pressure, the piston bore and piston seal are prone to wear, resulting in brake leaks. Unfortunately, a worn-out motorcycle brake master cylinder is almost impossible to repair, so the only way to fix fluid leaking is to replace the damaged cylinder with a new one.