Zongshen Sierra 200 front brake lines routing & replacement.

[ChillRider]

After about 9 months of riding, I finally replaced my Zong's front brake lines. Under all probability those were still the original factory-installed lines, so 13 years old. They were cracked on the outside on several places (with the outer layer of rubber mostly gone), and they were also rubbing against the forks due to being routed through the plastic fork protectors. I initially reinforced the rubbing points with some duct tape, but eventually the cracks appeared throughout the entire length of the line. There were no leaks or lack of braking power, but I decided I had enough and decided to replace it.

I ended up buying a complete front brake system from China Parts Ltd. (one of the few places in Europe that stock parts for China bikes) since I figured I better replace everything anyway, master cylinder and all, since that looked pretty battered too. Strangely, it's not possible to purchase just a replacement brake line

However, the new front brake assembly has a different master cylider configuration: the original one that came with my Zong had a rearward-facing spy glass, and the banjo fitting was forward-facing (both quite common on other motorcycles). The new one has a forward-facing spy-glass and a left-facing banjo fitting, which required changing the line routing on the steering stem somewhat. Yet, in the manual, the "new" one appears to be the standard.

Also, it is not very clear from pics of other ZS200-GY2s/Sierras, exactly what was the factory-intended way of routing the brake line. I've seen pics of Zongs having it just loosely flapping in the breeze, others had a fitting/stalk fixed halfway through the fork that pinched those rubber guides, while mine was loosely routed through the fork protector, bending awkwardly and rubbing all over the place To its merit, it did last 13 years under those conditions... My mechanic fastened the new line in several places on the outside of the fork zip ties. Not very elegant, but surely better than before.


I was also perplexed when I was told that I cannot just go out and buy any "generic" brake line and expect it to fit (or at least no mechanic I tried said it could be done). A new line would have to match the banjo fittings' curvature and relative angle on the line, so the only way would be to remove the old line and have a replica made by a specialist shop (!). Of course, I can now do that with the old line, which however isn't exactly the same as the new one, as the master cylinder is completely different

So, has anyone else changed the brake lines on their Zong? What lines did you use? How are your brake lines routed?

FWIW, both the new and old OEM brake lines measured about 1 m long, but a 95cm one looks like it would fit too, as there's quite a bit of slack. The lines are 10.5 x 3.2 mm.


I know such threads call for pics...so hang on ;-)

[2LZ]

Zong Sierra....like the Yamaha clone?....or Zong 200 like a basic Hondoid?

Either way, I don't see an issue with any standard front brake assembly. They were all pretty much the same. Lots of stuff available here.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=chinese+m...ref=nb_sb_noss

[ChillRider]

ZongShen ZS200-GY2 aka ZongShen Sierra across the pond Yamaha TW200 clone for what regards the engine. The rest....well...depends

The problem wasn't with the brake assembly itself, or the master cylinder, but with the brake line/hose.

It's not that I cannot buy "generic" hoses locally, at various assorted lengths, it's that most mechanics I spoke with said that I have to use one that has its banjo fittings curved and oriented in a specific way, matching the original line.

Were they just full of it?

Now, I'm no specialist on brake lines and this is my first bike, but I can kinda see their point: a "generic" hose will just have straight fittings (unless it's aftermarket for a specific make and model) and will be placed at 0 degrees relative to each other. This might still work, if you really insist on installing them, but the routing might be sub-optimal and the line might get pinched, stressed and twisted.

If one chooses to replace the entire front brake assembly (which is what I ended up doing anyway), sure, they don't need to worry about it. But still, the idea that I cannot just shop for the "proper" replacement hoses is a bit

[NzBrakelathes]

Originally Posted by ChillRider

ZongShen ZS200-GY2 aka ZongShen Sierra across the pond Yamaha TW200 clone for what regards the engine. The rest....well...depends

The problem wasn't with the brake assembly itself, or the master cylinder, but with the brake line/hose.

It's not that I cannot buy "generic" hoses locally, at various assorted lengths, it's that most mechanics I spoke with said that I have to use one that has its banjo fittings curved and oriented in a specific way, matching the original line.

Were they just full of it?

Now, I'm no specialist on brake lines and this is my first bike, but I can kinda see their point: a "generic" hose will just have straight fittings (unless it's aftermarket for a specific make and model) and will be placed at 0 degrees relative to each other. This might still work, if you really insist on installing them, but the routing might be sub-optimal and the line might get pinched, stressed and twisted.

If one chooses to replace the entire front brake assembly (which is what I ended up doing anyway), sure, they don't need to worry about it. But still, the idea that I cannot just shop for the "proper" replacement hoses is a bit

I can hardly buy parts for this in china cause it’s old junk
Just make things work cause it’s old n outa date etc
You’ll need spend hours trying n finding that $5 part