Formula braking and clutch components - unreliable

NorCal1975
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NorCal1975
KTM and Husky use these Formula components on their smaller 2 strokes and for the last 4 years I have spent many hours fighting with the brakes in particular. Rebuilding them, bleeding them constantly, etc. The Nissin brakes on the little Japanese bikes were always worry free for me, change pads and fluid occasionally, that was it. The KTM 85 is vastly superior in every way to say a KX 85 IMO, except for the brakes. They are truly terrible from a reliability standpoint, at least in my experience. Anyone else have a similar experience, were you able to get it resolved?
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Dirtdemon 7/24/2021 11:44am
7/24/2021 11:44am
NorCal1975 wrote:
KTM and Husky use these Formula components on their smaller 2 strokes and for the last 4 years I have spent many hours fighting with the...
KTM and Husky use these Formula components on their smaller 2 strokes and for the last 4 years I have spent many hours fighting with the brakes in particular. Rebuilding them, bleeding them constantly, etc. The Nissin brakes on the little Japanese bikes were always worry free for me, change pads and fluid occasionally, that was it. The KTM 85 is vastly superior in every way to say a KX 85 IMO, except for the brakes. They are truly terrible from a reliability standpoint, at least in my experience. Anyone else have a similar experience, were you able to get it resolved?
i feel your pain.
Its complete garbage,

Front
Change the pistons to stainless steel ones, they dont stuck like the plastic does.

rear
was scared to even change the wheel.. never sure if it going to work when you have pressed the pads apart.

Buy the bigger ktm bikes rear master (holes fit ) and caliper and go up in size on the disc. 220mm? (motomaster makes them to fit ktm 85 wheel)
Make a special brake line at your local shop. hydralic shop

its was upgraded at the 85 2021 model here in europe. (buy the upgraded brakes ?)
working fine now ( second son riding it)




1
Rickyisms
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Rickyisms 7/24/2021 11:55am
7/24/2021 11:55am
Nihilo sells all the parts to convert the rear brake setup to the big bike KTM components. Night and day difference and reliability.
1
Tracktor
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Tracktor 7/25/2021 2:41pm
7/25/2021 2:41pm
Rickyisms wrote:
Nihilo sells all the parts to convert the rear brake setup to the big bike KTM components. Night and day difference and reliability.
Or get a stock big bike hanger. Machine 3mm of wheel side and add 3mm spacer to swingarm side.

Once you figure out how to bleed the Formula crap it isn’t so bad. Keep good fluid in them & rarely had issues….
FGR01
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FGR01 7/25/2021 7:13pm
7/25/2021 7:13pm
In 2021 they went to bigger rotors and calipers on the 85SX. Probably easier to just get the 2021 parts to upgrade.

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ZOSICK
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ZOSICK 7/30/2021 10:35am
7/30/2021 10:35am
NorCal1975 wrote:
KTM and Husky use these Formula components on their smaller 2 strokes and for the last 4 years I have spent many hours fighting with the...
KTM and Husky use these Formula components on their smaller 2 strokes and for the last 4 years I have spent many hours fighting with the brakes in particular. Rebuilding them, bleeding them constantly, etc. The Nissin brakes on the little Japanese bikes were always worry free for me, change pads and fluid occasionally, that was it. The KTM 85 is vastly superior in every way to say a KX 85 IMO, except for the brakes. They are truly terrible from a reliability standpoint, at least in my experience. Anyone else have a similar experience, were you able to get it resolved?
I never had is issue with the Formula braking components in any of my kids bikes. From 50's, 65's and now 85's. Not one issue! Now I will say, I buy his bikes new and we take good care of them. I will also admit that I don't change the fluid as much as I should either. Usually just pads. That being said, he put hundreds of hours on his bikes with zero issues. On his 65's, we had two bikes with almost 200 hours and one with 78 hours, no issues. On his 85's (2021's), he's got one with 95 hours and one with 40 hours, zero issues stock pads and fluid. In 21, the upgraded the rotor size, brake pads (same as the big bikes). The rear caliper also looks a little different than the 2020 and older bikes. What exactly is failing or unreliable? Just curious.
NorCal1975
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NorCal1975 8/3/2021 10:29am
8/3/2021 10:29am
NorCal1975 wrote:
KTM and Husky use these Formula components on their smaller 2 strokes and for the last 4 years I have spent many hours fighting with the...
KTM and Husky use these Formula components on their smaller 2 strokes and for the last 4 years I have spent many hours fighting with the brakes in particular. Rebuilding them, bleeding them constantly, etc. The Nissin brakes on the little Japanese bikes were always worry free for me, change pads and fluid occasionally, that was it. The KTM 85 is vastly superior in every way to say a KX 85 IMO, except for the brakes. They are truly terrible from a reliability standpoint, at least in my experience. Anyone else have a similar experience, were you able to get it resolved?
ZOSICK wrote:
I never had is issue with the Formula braking components in any of my kids bikes. From 50's, 65's and now 85's. Not one issue! Now...
I never had is issue with the Formula braking components in any of my kids bikes. From 50's, 65's and now 85's. Not one issue! Now I will say, I buy his bikes new and we take good care of them. I will also admit that I don't change the fluid as much as I should either. Usually just pads. That being said, he put hundreds of hours on his bikes with zero issues. On his 65's, we had two bikes with almost 200 hours and one with 78 hours, no issues. On his 85's (2021's), he's got one with 95 hours and one with 40 hours, zero issues stock pads and fluid. In 21, the upgraded the rotor size, brake pads (same as the big bikes). The rear caliper also looks a little different than the 2020 and older bikes. What exactly is failing or unreliable? Just curious.
For me it has been frequently losing pressure on the 2017 KTM 85 (starting at about 60 hours) and now on a 2020 TC 105 (starting at about 40 hours), sometimes it can simply be bled out, other times I have had to rebuild master cylinders, which I did multiple times on the KTM 85 as the hours climbed. On both front and rear brakes...
Tracktor
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Tracktor 8/3/2021 12:04pm
8/3/2021 12:04pm
NorCal1975 wrote:
KTM and Husky use these Formula components on their smaller 2 strokes and for the last 4 years I have spent many hours fighting with the...
KTM and Husky use these Formula components on their smaller 2 strokes and for the last 4 years I have spent many hours fighting with the brakes in particular. Rebuilding them, bleeding them constantly, etc. The Nissin brakes on the little Japanese bikes were always worry free for me, change pads and fluid occasionally, that was it. The KTM 85 is vastly superior in every way to say a KX 85 IMO, except for the brakes. They are truly terrible from a reliability standpoint, at least in my experience. Anyone else have a similar experience, were you able to get it resolved?
ZOSICK wrote:
I never had is issue with the Formula braking components in any of my kids bikes. From 50's, 65's and now 85's. Not one issue! Now...
I never had is issue with the Formula braking components in any of my kids bikes. From 50's, 65's and now 85's. Not one issue! Now I will say, I buy his bikes new and we take good care of them. I will also admit that I don't change the fluid as much as I should either. Usually just pads. That being said, he put hundreds of hours on his bikes with zero issues. On his 65's, we had two bikes with almost 200 hours and one with 78 hours, no issues. On his 85's (2021's), he's got one with 95 hours and one with 40 hours, zero issues stock pads and fluid. In 21, the upgraded the rotor size, brake pads (same as the big bikes). The rear caliper also looks a little different than the 2020 and older bikes. What exactly is failing or unreliable? Just curious.
NorCal1975 wrote:
For me it has been frequently losing pressure on the 2017 KTM 85 (starting at about 60 hours) and now on a 2020 TC 105 (starting...
For me it has been frequently losing pressure on the 2017 KTM 85 (starting at about 60 hours) and now on a 2020 TC 105 (starting at about 40 hours), sometimes it can simply be bled out, other times I have had to rebuild master cylinders, which I did multiple times on the KTM 85 as the hours climbed. On both front and rear brakes...
Buy a good syringe with a smaller tip & back bleed fluid from caliper to MC. If real stubborn bleed MC at line banjo bolt then caliper back to line banjo at MC and tighten. Works every time. I bled a ton of mini brake systems for guys who had been told they needed new or rebuilt systems.........use a good high temp fluid...
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NorCal1975
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NorCal1975 9/2/2021 5:16pm
9/2/2021 5:16pm
Well, I rebuilt the rear master cylinder and it fixed the rear brake problem. Now 2 days before his last race of the Summer the clutch slave cylinder is shot. The large rubber seal inside the slave cylinder is somehow torn and leaking even though it has not been taken off since it was replaced about 40 hours ago. Can't build pressure. Such a stupid design. I hate Formula. :-( Sorry, just had to vent, glad some of you are having good luck with these!

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