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Just purchased a 12S with helibars fitted. Brake line from master cylinder to telelever is very tight, anyone had a similar problem and managed to overcome it without fitting an extended hose?

Nope - extended brake hose is needed otherwise the brake line is doing the lock stop job and is dangerous if it tears and leaks fluid.

+1 - although when I bought my 12s it had helibars the top line hadn't been changed - try extending you bars (pull up on the bars) and see how tight the line is. I used the Goodridge build a line set up - basically bought the fittings and the hose length can be bought to suit

Thought as much thanks gents

I thought that Helibars advertised as not requiring new hoses? maybe the difference is ABS vs Non ABS Bikes? I have a set of Helibars that I have yet to fit to my bike, but I was led to believe that they are a straight swap, mine is a non ABS, thankfully

Steve

Mine bike was a straight swap, no need to change the brake line, loads of slack even when bike is on the Abba stand and the shock fully extended.

There was another thread about Heli bars a while back, I think I started it. The problem I had was the kill switch hitting the fairing on full lock and turning the bike off! I had to rotate the Heli bars a little to miss. No one else had this issue.

We never got to the bottom of why the supposedly same R12S's are different but its just occurred to me, is it the type or length of the front shock making the bike sit higher? Pretty sure I fitted the Heli bars when still on the standard shock but I do know that when I swapped it for the front WP unit, I checked the length and both were the same. This won't effect the kill switch but may make the brake line seem tight. Are the Ohlins longer than the standard?

Of course, it may well have been the fact that the R12S had such a short production run, it was whatever hose was to hand when being made.....
With R1100s I've heard it said that the bike behind one on the assembly line would have different calipers to the one in front and the one behind that

My brake line is tight when turned fully to left ie when the steering lock is on, but it’s been on for 9 years and 30K miles so I’m thinking it should last a bit longer

Boxered wrote:I thought that Helibars advertised as not requiring new hoses? maybe the difference is ABS vs Non ABS Bikes? I have a set of Helibars that I have yet to fit to my bike, but I was led to believe that they are a straight swap, mine is a non ABS, thankfully

Steve

I think that is the case Steve - with ABS the line from the bars goes under the tank?

Mines ABS....

My R12S that I had, sadly only for a year from Andy Griff, was on standard front shock but the helibars had a standard brake line and it was very tight on full lock. Non ABS.
I felt happier changing it for one 2 inches longer for safety.
When I aslo put an Ohlins shock on the front it was still the same ride height on the front and the brake line still had the same slack/clearance.