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2019 KTM SMC-R front brake upgrades

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7K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  Kwota2.0  
#1 ·
Hi, im riding on a tight small go cart track. My front brake is getting to warm and fades. So i am going to upgrade some parts. Anyone else done that?
So far I have bought this front disc pictured under, but I will also change to another brake fluid. Should I go for DOT 4 racing or DOT 5.1 anyone that really knows?
I also want to change brake pads suggestions are welcome (Brembo, SBS or others). I drive mostly on the road but track days are Mondays. So i think pure race pads is a no go on the road?
Anyone change for a better brake line? or is that taking it to far?
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#2 · (Edited)
Hi, im riding on a tight small go cart track. My front brake is getting to warm and fades. So i am going to upgrade some parts. Anyone else done that?
So far I have bought this front disc pictured under, but I will also change to another brake fluid. Should I go for DOT 4 racing or DOT 5.1 anyone that really knows?
I also want to change brake pads suggestions are welcome (Brembo, SBS or others). I drive mostly on the road but track days are Mondays. So i think pure race pads is a no go on the road?
Anyone change for a better brake line? or is that taking it to far?
The brake lines probably don't need replacement. The factory units are steel braided (just not exposed braiding like aftermarket), so unless the factory lines are damaged or time expired, just leave them alone.

I recommend running Motul RBF600 fluid for street/track, and RBF660 for serious track day usage/light street duties.

Pads, well that's where you'll see the biggest gain. Consider going to either a HH sintered pad, or a ceramic sintered pad. Those should provide good brake fade resistance, and not be overly aggressive on the new rotor, yet still be very street-able. Don't install the disk until you've got the new pads because you don't want to contaminate the rotor surface with your old pad material.

Other options is a master cylinder upgrade, or possibly a caliper upgrade. But those start getting expensive and choosing the right components to work with each other is not the same for everyone. Every rider likes their brakes to feel a certain way; what one rider loves, the next rider hates.

On my '20 SMC-R I'm swapping out the master first to one of my race spare RCS brembo units. After running that to see if I like the brake feel (piston ratio) that the factory caliper provides; will dictate which route I go for a caliper upgrade (either M4 or M50) so I can run the same race pads I run on my FS450. I'm VERY particular (read sensitive) to the feel of my brakes and I want both bikes to feel the same (modulation, power, initial bite, and fade resistance).
 
#3 ·
Take a look here, I wrote down a BMW part number for actual brembo pads that fit