Stainless steel caliper pistons

[marp68]

I'm thinking of buying stainless steel caliper pistons instead of traditional ones. The store is reliable, sells rd parts and normally sells them to yamaha rd owners, but has also sold these to xs owners.

What's your opinion on stainless vs ordinary steel like those sold at i.e mikesxs or other traditional xs shops? Could stainless be bad for some reason? The only other difference is that the rim is 2,7 mm instead of 4.

Thanks

 

[toomuchstuff]

I've used these on a few calipers to date. Quality part that assembles well. The only potential downside I see would be electrolysis damage to the caliper housing if you let water accumulate in your brake fluid. Regular brake fluid flushes should keep ahead of this.

 

[marp68]

Thanks, toomuchstuff.

I've placed an order, so I will hopefully get them at the end of next week. Yes, I read about that electrolysis thing. But many seems to use stainless, so I thought I'd give it a try. And regulary brake fluid change is never wrong. Made a special arrangement to get a better shipping rate as well. That's the downside living in Sweden and have this bike. Order heavy things from abroad cost.

 

[vr3506]

I am using (home made) stainless pistons in the calipers of my 75B and in our XS2 for over 15 years now, no problems seen, i have cleaned the calipers twice in over this period.

 

[marp68]

Cool, thanks for letting me know. Nice bike, BTW.

 

[fredintoon]

- - - What's your opinion on stainless vs ordinary steel like those sold at i.e mikesxs or other traditional xs shops? - - -

Hi marp,
the "ordinary steel" pistons are hard chromed anyway and stainless has chromium in it.
I'd have thought that national pride alone would have biased you towards stainless steel as it was invented in Sweden.

 

[marp68]

Are you sure... According to wiki it was a British invention. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Brearley
You're not thinking about the invention of the dynamite, which was invented by the Swede Alfred Nobel? He actually did his experiments close where I live. Now his factory is a café and recreational area. And that is the new (but yet old) one, the first one he blew up in an experiment. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel

And my national pride should have made me buy a Husqvarna instead of Yamaha. What about this cool guy and his 500 cc racer...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Husqvarna_Motorcycles

 

[fredintoon]

Hi marp,
well, that's what I was told in tech school but I won't argue with Wiki except to say that wider reading suggests that everyone had a hand in it and then stole each other's formulas and methodology.
Although Sweden has a claim to stainless steel's first practical use, making stainless steel gun barrels, which brings us right back to Husqvarna.

 

[vr3506]

i thought Husqqvarnas were sewing machines ;-)

 

[XSLeo]

Chain saws too.
Leo

 

[marp68]

What have they not been into... According to Swedish wiki they hired a staff manager in the 40ies that seemed to have been called the "mystical man" and they also seemed to have listened much to suggestions and ideas from the staff. Even had a staff magasin called "Insight". They seemed to have been rather ahead of the times...