I'm pretty much an average/maybe a lil above average stunter... no sponsors, no biased opinions. Although I am a pretty big fan of dual caliper setups for a couple different reasons that I'll skip for now... I'm super excited to try this new pretty toy out and tell everybody how it stacks up to the dualy that I'm used to.

Got it today and bled it in about a half hour.... if you know how to bleed, this thing is pretty darn easy.... although slightly more complicated than a dual caliper setup. But whatever.

If you suck at bleeding, Bill has some pretty good instructions included that will help you out.

I got the thing feeling great in the shop w/ minimal waste fluid... I pretty much did the same method that Bill outlines in the instructs... BUT, I did it off the bike completely, w/ the caliper zip tied to my garage rafters and a vaccuum bleeder attatched to the speed bleeder in my rear caliper (all the while moving the FTI master in different positions to get trapped air out)... so you could say I cheated a bit.

Overall I'm super impressed w/ Bills products and customer service (no big suprise there)... and SO FAR it is living up to expectations. :YEAH

The ASV lever he's including now are the pimpest ******* things I've seen in a while and no doubt will be very easy to fit on my bars WITHOUT EVEN REMOVING MY BREMBO 16/18! Which I'm very pumped about. (i'll probably have to rotate it under to get the asv positioned but real nice that I can just move it back if I want).

I'm removing my entire footbrake master and caliper, and replacing it w/ the FTI and one of my spare calipers that is all bled and ready. (zipping lines on the outside frame just for the test run).

Tomorrow is the big day.... it's gonna be a sweaty 45 degrees up here and sunny... and I blew down the spot today w/ the 16 horse lil wonder push blower. So we have clean dry pavement to play on for a real good day session. (hit it today for a good 3-4hrs on fresh rubber) :YEAH Was even rockin some short endos.

I plan on using it side by side w/ the brembo setup... most likely long term too. Just to see the difference in feeling from the cable actuated master, on all 4 different settings. See which one I like to use more.

I've gotten it bled pretty good so that even a **** hair of movement on the FTI master gives a noticable piston movement.... definetly 99.9% of the air has been purged at this point. But I still plan on bleeding once again tomorrow at the spot after a couple hours of riding.

So far I plan on comparing the ease of control and modulation (power and feel compared with lever travel and effort) on ss/combo circles and otp coasters...

I figure those 2 things will be pretty decisive tests to give real world comparison between the 2 systems.

Any other suggestions or questions? I can't ******* wait... I haven't been this excited to try a different product in a LONG TIME!! :YEAH :YEAH

THANKS BILL!

 

:YEAH cant wait 2 see results :YEAH

 

KJ , pm me where ur riding at. i ll see u there.

 

i will be expecting a phone call with the findings mr kj......
after ridding ezecs old FLI set up i am quit leary about this thing..... hope it turns out well it would be nice to have a cheeper alternative to the daul caliper

 

worth the $$$ :YEAH want to know how touchy it is for coasters! might have to get that system!

 

Subscribing to this one.

 

Mannn who is this clown KJ, this foo prolly don't even need a HB. SS/Combo circles... son you can't do that ****! who you kiddin, just another non credible/worthless FTI HB thread! ****!







































HAHAHAHA Just messing with you. Finally is right! Can't wait to hear the results from someone that can actually use a HB. I don't need one (obviously) but i'm just curious cause of all the hype.

 

you always have thorough, well thought out opinions ... subscribing

 

Subscribing....

 

well thank you.... and you my friend have unbelievable death defying rev-limiter-coaster-gone-bad-superhuman-recovery abilities!

 

he he, you've seen the video...:YEAH

 

subscribed

 

subscribed! so, are you tryin to say teach aint an average joe...

i know, i know! he's sponsored. look forward to reading your review.

 

OK....

I have alot to say here and will try to make it as brief as possible, but if you really want to know the scoop then please try to read everything.

Keep in mind, I'm not paid/sponsored/compensated for saying ANYTHING about ANY company out there... I just ride to have fun. And being "not gifted" w/ the ability to rock any old HB and kill it, I actually NEED to have a kick-*** HB setup that's got plenty of power/feel and is pretty easy to maintain and setup.




I really almost hate posting this up here... but as I said, I'd give an honest no punches pulled review/comparison.... So Bill, please don't take any of this personal, I enjoyed doing business w/ you and our conversations as well. I'm sure I'll be talking w/ you more in the future. (And I'm also happy to put some $$ into companies such as yours that come up w/ all these cool little toys for us to play with!)


HAVING SAID THAT......


My 1st impression after about an hour or so of use...... I didn't like it... at all. And for a couple of reasons. Which I will list in no particular order.

I started the day w/ a couple hours of warm up w/ my current system (a dual single piston caliper setup w/ a magura 16 billet master), then proceeded to swap my rear caliper, right rearset, and resi w/ the new FTI master already attached.

I ALSO TOOK OUT MY FOOTBRAKE PADS AND PUT THEM INTO THE TRANSPLANTED CALIPER TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T HAVE TO BED IN A SET OF PADS THAT WEREN'T WORN TO MY ROTOR.....

I was under the impression that the new FTI design would allow use of both the foot brake and HB at the same time.... Definetly not. It does the same thing as the old one did... use one and the other will fight it.

This is not a very big deal if you are used to the old design... but for me, that was one of the very reasons that led me to buy a dual caliper.... I never actually use both at the same time in a wheelie, but I do like to slow up w/ foot brake, then clutch right up to hb... most of the time squeezin it just b4 clutch up. And also for sitdown to ss combos ect (you get the idea).

Now this is not the main issue I had w/ both fb and hb together...... With the old system I realize that when going straight from foot to hand that the initial pull on the HB lever would use some of the fluid to fully compress the FB piston... resulting in a half to one pump lag (most people have had this... some have not, whatever). I know some people had air issues... which this was not.... again, whatever.

The thing I experienced is that going from FB to hand is just the opposite of the old design.... the lever actually feels VERY stiff untill you pull it a couple of times then it softens up a bit. Maybe this is some sort of air issue? IDK... but I really DO NOT think so. I bled it very well and I know what air in a brake line feels like.... spongy, not hard.

Next issue..... mounting the box on a full fairing bike is just a plain ole MAJOR bitch.... I actually ended up just zip tieing it to my other clip on, because I had wasted so much time tryin to snake the cable around other controls. I just wanted to try the thing out and it was getting dark. And I couldn't find a spot that the cable/lever area ON THE MASTER wouldn't be obstructed while turning the bars from lock to lock.

If the cable was the length of a normal clutch cable, and I could mount somewhere in the bike, then maybe this problem wouldn't have been as severe. I believe I did have the longer cable thats available, as I told Bill that I had wide turned out clipons w/ a bit of rise.

Which leads me to the next problem... I found that unless you have a pretty straight shot to the master, the clutch cable will become harder and harder to pull and retract (just as with a regular clutch cable)... again, this is why I just zipped it straight across by my front brake master (to get as easy a pull as possible).

I started off w/ the #3 hole..... power was slightly less then the 16 Magura that I had been using 30 minutes before... so I switched up to the #4 hole, which actually felt pretty nice.... VERY VERY similar in both power and feel to my brembo and magura...

The #3 was fine for combo circles, but one time during some ss coasters I came back to the bar when I DID NOT WANT TO!! Luckily i was able to control the slide and stop.

I actually could live w/ the #4 setting.... if there weren't the other issues.... as the FOOTBRAKE feel/action felt exactly the same as before.

SO.... I used it for about an hour or so, then got very frustrated and popped my magura back on... which btw I couldn't fit on the bars w/ the ASV... I had to zip tie it to the airbox area (No big deal... at least I didn't have to take it off and re-bleed).

Which leads me to my final problem..... which is basically the root (i think) of most of my other problems.... the HB clutch cable.

Once I got it in a decent position w/ my clutch (clutch on top, hb below), the HB cable shot straight out into my ignition area.... where I couldn't really do much w/ it as far as mounting options. I like the HB a little low, so it's really comfy in a SS... I would have liked to rotate it lower, but the cable would have gone straight into the clip-on clamp (it was right up against it as it was).

Where as w/ a master on the bar... you have the line comming out of either the top or bottom, and the ability to use an angled banjo if the line did get in the way of other controls..... w/ the clutch cable it's just straight out the end.... which for me ended up being a problem.

SO.... AT THE END OF THE DAY:

Bleeding is a lil more difficult (having so much brake line and 2 masters to fill), but I'd think this would only be an issue w/ the bleeding novice.

Mounting is waaaay more difficult, especially w/ full fairings. As w/ anything else, I'd expect it to be easier on a fightered bike.

Comming from the dual cal/16mm setup... I would not even waste my time w/ anything besides setting #4.

For those wondering about the feeling of "cable" or hydrolic.... aside from the FB/HB hard/soft issues, I really couldn't feel a very noticable difference on the #4 setting. It did actually feel pretty good. If you pull it all the way back to the bar it will flex a bit though. And once I mounted my Magura back up it did feel "stiffer"....


SO... in terms of power/feel comparison (#4 cable position).... more lever travel to get the same power is fair to say w/ the clutch cable master.... but again, at the same time, it was a bit easier to be real smooth in circles due to the "decreased sensitivity" factor.

IDK... I am going to give it some more seat time just to be sure, but comming from a dual setup... it's just not as user friendly and solid feeling.... IN MY PERSONAL OPINION... so take it for what it's worth.

 

Have I seen the video????

That thing is running continously in my trucks dvd player... and I have a copy in my PC.... I watch it ALL THE TIME!!

Can't wait for the next one.

 

???????

 

dual caliper wins again hohey for life

 

Well, this is a cost issue product as well. Apples VS Apples as it may be

Full throttle universal master:
300.00 and you're done, and can swap it on any bike.

Hohey with a magura like his setup:
300.00 or more (master) + 249.00(hohey) + 50 (caliper) = 599.00
Only the master will transfer to a new bike.

Some people may think that half the price is worth the hassle of mounting and the potential to have somewhat of a pump. BOTH are great items. BOTH do a fantastic job. But they're completely different price points. Also the adaptability to a new motorcycle should be noted. I may say I'll never want to ride anything but an 03/04 636 but my mind was changed before. In my mind, be it the same nature of product, it's hard to not bring that up as a major point in any argument.

And great write up, doing the stunt community a favor THANKS!

 

Bill's system is now $400.

 

as I said... it's only my personal preference... many others may feel different, and that's cool. I'm only tryin to help others out in explaining what I found has worked well through trial and error.

I just wanted to give a "average" rider experience as i titled the thread...

My only interest in this thread was to give an honest, Unbiased opinion based upon what I have tried in the past and what has worked for me and my preferences. NOT to step on any toes... hurt any feelings... offend anyone... or get anybody ticked off at me.

Hope it helps some people.... if anything, it should make things even better in the long run.