ok so my yz's brakes suck... i can pull the lever all the way to the bar and it hardly slows me down. I've already come to the conclusion that I'm going to switch to a honda MC. But I also remember reading somewhere that you can just use a rebuild kit for a honda in my yami MC? should I just go with the honda MC, and if so what year is best?

I'm sure you did but if not make sure there's no air in the line and that the pads aren't worn out. You shouldn't be able to bottom out the lever against the handlebar.

te4250, on 04 February 2012 - 02:14 PM, said:

pads are good... ive done everything to get any air possible out of the line, ( gravity bleed, reverse bleed, i tied the lever to the bar for like 3 days and tapped on the line every 2 hour...) theres no air. just replaced the rotor last week. I'm pretty sure its just a bad MC. I've heard people say that yamaha's MCs usually are terrible

alexzhere, on 04 February 2012 - 05:11 PM, said:

The reason that the Honda is so good is because of the cable routing (basically allowed for a shorter cable). You can just get a MC rebuild kit and that will get you back to where it was.

Try a braided brake line also.

j-bo, on 06 February 2012 - 09:47 AM, said:

That the routing is not why they are better. Actually they are not really better but they do stop better. The reason is because the port is further out so it begins to build up pressure sooner. I don't think you could use a rebuild kit from a Honda on your yami. But you could get a yami rebuild kit and get it back to where it should be. I converted to the CRF 450 MC and brake pads on my 2007 YZ250. It made a huge difference in braking. I replaced the pads with CRF pads first because I was waiting on a CRF brake lever for my new CRF MC. I didn't know that the lever was different than my YZ so it took a while to get all the parts in. Anyway, just changing to OEM CRF pads made a big difference too. I bought the new MC the same year as my bike.

Mark6299, on 07 February 2012 - 06:45 PM, said:

how would I go about switching to the honda pads? would I need to buy a new caliper?

alexzhere, on 07 February 2012 - 08:40 PM, said:

[font=Arial][size=2]No. They are the same except for the material. Just make sure you get the OEM because I don't know if EBC makes the material per Honda specs. Take yours into the dealer and compare them just for your piece of mind. Others here will confirm that the fit as well. That’s all I did as far as the pads are concerned, and they fit exactly perfect and stopped a whole lot better than Yamaha pads. In your case, I think you also need to address the MC rebuild kit. [/size][/font]

Then if you want more braking power consider the CRF450 switch too. I can pull stoppies now when before I could not. Stoppies are when you lift the rear wheel off the ground by applying the rear brake firmly.

Mark6299, on 08 February 2012 - 09:51 AM, said:

wow the front brake is so good you can lift the rear wheel by using the rear brake? damn thats some power but yeah I know what you meant. I think I'm going to get the honda pads and just rebuild my yamaha MC

alexzhere, on 08 February 2012 - 10:03 AM, said:

Yeh that's right. Good catch. Front brake.

Mark6299, on 07 February 2012 - 06:45 PM, said:

The reason Yamaha went to the Honda routing (clamping hose directly to caliper) was to eliminate the loop in Yamahas brake line and it allows for a shorter brake line. Honda held and may still hold ( I don't know) the patent on that design but Yammy has used it on their bikes ever since 05 I think.

Adding a braided line is also beneficial as it expands less than normal hoses do. Some think they are great, some don't think they do squat.

To the OP.....IMO...your best bet is to rebuild your Yammy MC...get a braided line and clamp kit from Ride Engineering and be done. Part numbers are for the line: BL-00012-CL and the required clamp: MX-BLC00-RA OR MX-BLC00-BA

Might be other manuf.'s that have the clamp/lines too. Not sure.

I have a 2006 YZ125 and it's time to replace the pads front and rear. I was wondering what brand to buy and found this thread. It sounds like you guys are saying that Honda OEM pads are the best choice.

Just wanted to make sure I understand this correctly. Would these Honda OEM pads be a drop-in replacement for my stock Yamaha calipers?

If so, what year and model Honda pads should I buy?

Thanks,
Rich