Hello guys, I just recently picked up a MC18 project bike. Gotta say, Im pumped about working on this thing and eventually riding it. Working my way around and finding things that need to be replace/fixed. The front rotors have seen better days. They are fairly worn and have some pitting/oxidation damage. I plan on doing track days with this bike when I have it ready so Im trying to find new rotors. Has anyone here tried what seems to be the mass produced option? (Picture attached below). Or anyone know where I can get OEM ones to a decent name brand rotor? Im trying to not have to buy braking stuff and pay $400 a rotor. Thanks for any help, Im new to this specific model and dont know all the secret places to find parts.
In fairness, you need to go a long way to top the standard stoppers! The "problem" with the NSR is the discs are only 276mm, a size not used on a great deal of bikes, however any MC18, MC21, or MC28 set is suitable*, so when looking for OEM replacements, you have a date range of 1988~1997.
There are Chinese replacements available now, but personally I wouldn't go near them. I'd rather put my life in the hands of a set of 20 year old Honda discs. EBC make good discs, but they are pricey, at the same kind of money as Braking. I've used EBC in the past, and was happy with the performance.
My recommendation would be to source some good genuine Honda discs, fit original Nissin/Honda pads, and a CBR1000RR radial master cylinder. Put a "wanted" advert in the Classifieds for discs, or look on Yahoo! Auctions in Japan. Nissin pads can be ordered through any Honda dealer, and are common to several models. A CBR1000RR master cylinder shouldn't be hard to source cheaply, as they're commonly [needlessly] replaced with Brembos or similar. That should give you a really capable setup, with plenty of feel.
Note: MC28 discs are handed. _________________ Andy.
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Don't forget, MC28 are good too. That gives a wide scope to hunt for. So you can look for anything, other than 1987 MC16. _________________ Andy.
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I know this is kind of veering off topic but...does anyone on here know of someone in Japan that can get and ship parts? Or have a trusted vendor there? I'm iffy on this Yahoo Japan Auctions thing but there are people/companies on there that look to be parting out complete beautiful NSRs. I just have no experience or knowledge in dealing with this site.
I generally use the buyee proxy bidding service which is linked to the Japan Yahoo Auctions site. If you find a part on Japan Yahoo Auctions that you want there will be a link for international buyers. Click the link and you then automatically bid through Buyee. They charge a bit of a premium but are reliable in my experience. Their postage set up is strange as well - if you buy multiple items, it is actually cheaper to have the items posted separately rather than in one package. They charge an extra fee for "package consolidation". Strange but true. You have to be careful purchasing certain parts as well. They won't, for instance post engine parts internationally so you can be caught out purchasing parts which they then refuse to mail. I did on one occasion manage to convince them to mail me an oil pump which I think was an exception to the rule. I've had no issues at all with various other parts such as carb parts, carb rebuild kits, master cylinder rebuild kits etc.
JohnnyAfrica wrote:
Don't the CBR 250 rotors match up on the front...I am in need of Front Rotors as well.
Cheers
The CBR250RR MC22 fronts are the same size (276mm) as the 88~97 NSR250. I don't know if the offset is the same, and wouldn't want to just assume it is, although the offset is common on many Hondas of the period. (NC30, RC30, RVF400, NF5, VTR1000F etc.)
You should be specific about the model, as some [like the NSR and NF5] change through the model range over the years. _________________ Andy.
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JohnnyAfrica wrote:
From my research my 91 NSR should match up to CBR250....the rear disc does not.
This is my point with being model specific:
NSR250 MC21 front discs are a match for the CBR250RR MC22, but the rear disc is not... however, the rear disc IS a match for the CBR250R MC17 and MC19!
Fs, Rs, RRs, and MC/NC/RCx etc. all make a difference when cross-referencing or interchanging. _________________ Andy.
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I am wanting to run 40mm Brembos up front but I cant find the mounts anywhere. Tried the Jamie guy but most of the things on his site I guess he cant get anymore. Only MC21 units. What exactly is the difference? Per this thread, rotors are the same, calipers are the same, etc. So is it something to do with the offset or mounting location on the forks?
You will need to have bespoke adaptors made, depending on the calipers you want to run. Personally, I think the brackets look cumbersome and ugly. I'm not the only one who thinks it, but probably the only one who will say it! LOL
To be perfectly honest, if they aren't "special" race Brembo calipers, you're just throwing good money after bad. I wouldn't rate production Brembos (off a Ducati or Aprilia, for example) any better than the stock Nissins. Your best gain, by far, will be the CBR1000RR master cylinder, and a good set of pads!
If you just want gold calipers though, go for it! Each to their own. Saying that, if gold calipers are what you are after, why not source a set of MC28 fork bottoms, and build the MC18 internals into them. Then you can fit later Fireblade [gold] Nissins if you want, and keep it all looking as clean as Honda intended!
MC28 forks are, of course, directly interchangeable [as they are 41mm, the same as the MC18], however they are a different length. You might be able to pick up a set of MC28SE adjustable forks for reasonable money, and I doubt some nice Fireblade calipers are that expensive.
_________________ Andy.
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Ive mainly just been trying to work with parts I can get in the US( like the brembo calipers). Ive found most sellers in Asia and even the UK are sometimes a hassle to deal with on shipping and other issues. In the US I can just click, pay online and done. Ill keep dealing with this guy on ebay in the UK on some MC18 calipers and see if I cant get them shipped before the years out. I figured the Brembos would preform better but I trust your opinion Andy and Ill save myself some headaches Im sure and go with the Nissins and the 1000RR master you told me about. Thanks for all the help and info guys, this is a great site.
There's certainly nothing wrong with the mass produced Brembos, I just wouldn't look to them as a better solution to the Nissins. The Nissins are actually a very good caliper.
Try looking for 2004 CBR600RR calipers. They come in gold, and even a matching rear caliper that has almost the same casting as an MC18/MC21!
Radial master cylinders offer far more feel than axial ones... even someone as rubbish as I could feel the difference, but other than that, I am sure you will find that there's very little wrong with the NSRs brakes if they're in tip-top condition. _________________ Andy.
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Saying that, if gold calipers are what you are after, why not source a set of MC28 fork bottoms, and build the MC18 internals into them. Then you can fit later Fireblade [gold] Nissins if you want, and keep it all looking as clean as Honda intended! 