AWESOME SHIMANO MT200 LEVER UPGRADE / How Free Stroke Adjustment Works

#MT200brakes #shimanoxt #marinbikes
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[@jdridesbikes]

Those are some sweet levers and this is a good guide for free stroke adjustment, I'll definitely come back to this one when I need it in the future

[@RunBikeMike]

Thanks JD I was hoping it would help people understand how this little tiny screw makes a difference. It is a little change but can play a big part. 🤙🏻

[@whiteghost6128]

Hi, I just want to thank you so much for this video. I first found your channel when I was starting with mtb a year ago and thanks to your videos I decided to buy an identical rift zone 1. After a year of riding bikeparks I decided that I need more braking power and came across your channel again. I managed to replace the levers to deore m6100 and the difference is noticeable! Can't wait to test it at bikepark :)

[@greasyrails2571]

This channel is amazing it is helping me upgrade my bike as I go thank you for the helpful description 🙏👍

[@RunBikeMike]

Wow huge compliment thank you so much 😊

[@GokkunGuru]

I also love having the shortest distance from resting position to bite point.

[@MizosGaming]

Great video! I am kinda doing the same thing now as I am replacing my m6000 lever with a m7100 one and pairing it with an m6000 caliper

[@Rares4325]

I paired my m6000 lever with mt410 caliper bc old caliper broke , i works now

[@MTBAlex]

You got me into wanting to do this

[@RunBikeMike]

It is surprisingly easy.

[@AMTBer]

Good job Adam Lett!

[@jdridesbikes]

You were so close! Good luck on the next one!

[@AMTBer]

@@jdridesbikes thanks!

[@Danielxperez14]

I have a surron with stock brakes, would it be possible to use the shimano lever assembly with my stock calipers and stock brake line? Or would I need the shimano brake hose

[@ZeroGMVideos]

hi dude! its just about feeling when braking... or increase the power too? thanks

[@Saml3227]

How far can you back that freestroke screw out before it pops out? I'm looking for hair triggers. Or should I just count it till it pops out next time I bleed my brakes. 2-3 twists back in, bare minimum, and I can have the touchiest brakes that can be???

[@bandoleir2]

So I did the upgrade on my Syncline c3 and everything went great! 100% recommended, thanks again!!. I still have a doubt about it, how is it that the bl-m8000 lever is compatible with the bh59 hose?? I found out, after making the upgrade, that you need the bh90 for those levers.

[@RunBikeMike]

The hose 90 hose only gives higher pressure. Same outer diameter but smaller inner diameter. The olive is the same the barb is a little different but the part of the barb that meets with the olive is the same size. So you should be able to use either hose. The 59 will give you softer braking and the 90 will bite harder. They made 59 for when road bikes came out to make sure road bikers wouldn’t bite to hard.

[@SashaBelovy]

Is the braking power beter than with the normal mt200 lever?

[@drcobayo1]

Hi there! Nice vid! But I have some questions about the caliper and the width of the hose, doesn’t that affect the breake power? I mean, the deore m6000/6100 or slx or xt or xtr, have pretty the same caliper (some ceramic other steel) but the m200 uses smallers pistons, that’s why the lever is longer, you need more force from your fingers, I suspect that replace only the levers (even with the newer master cilinder), you won’t get the same brake power, or maybe you need a lot of force from one finger only

[@RunBikeMike]

Servo wave fixes that issue. It gives the extra power needed for a two finger lever. It is cool tech.

[@drkc8970]

Hi, thx for the great video. May I ask if I have a similar lever like your ,but mine is BL-m4100 & I just want to change the finger lever part but still use the rest. Can this be done?(which means I just buy the xt finger lever part alone, not the entire ). In your video U changed the entire lever set(except the clam pots).

[@RunBikeMike]

I don’t think you can change the finger pull part of the lever. It attaches differently.

[@ZEROSCOE]

I want to ask MT200’s brake horse can be used with M8100?

[@collinscarbro4589]

I just got a polygon D7 and I have the mt200 breaks

[@Jon-ty6bb]

I have also found the m400 leaver too long. I was on a tight budget and replaced them with Deore M615 levers. My first hydraulic brake mod. First time bleed turned out to be easier than I expected and the right tools helped. SLX leavers can be retrofitted with stroke adjustment. Replace the anti tamper screw with a 12mm M4 grub screw. Be very careful not to over tighten it as you can damage the mechanism.

[@RunBikeMike]

Nice. The two finger lever is so good. I like to move mine away from the grip so I can use one finger. I wasn’t sure if I would like one finger braking but wow it is super nice.

[@wetrw356356]

Great video, got one question if i want to change the caliper to a BR-M8100 can i keep using the hose SM-BH59-JK, I currently have a BR-MT200 caliper, and the hose bh59 goes through the frame so i want to avoid that, will it be compatible? Thx

[@RunBikeMike]

If you are going to go to the xt caliper I would switch to the BH90. Otherwise you will not be getting the correct pressure that the caliper is designed for.

[@Mtb-TrailTime]

I fell off my rift zone yesterday and the bleed screw of my right brake lever broke off. Now I gotta replace the whole lever but seeing this video makes want to upgrade my levers at once. Do you remove the brake pads when you bleed the brakes?

[@RunBikeMike]

When doing a lever bleed no but with a full bleed I do.

[@Mtb-TrailTime]

@@RunBikeMike Awesome! Thank you for the reply Mike!

[@franksilva2600]

Great video and first time I’ve seen anyone use the masking tape for the explanation. Some suggestions is to decrease the volume of the music and increase your voice volume. Perhaps changing microphones or place it on the inside of your hoody so it picks up your voice better.

[@brunoburdini8056]

I´ve seen this voice vs music issue on all types of YT channels, from starters to 1M subs. It´s really annoying to sudenly have this music pop up on a such higher volume

[@RunBikeMike]

Just curious are you by any chance using an android device when having the audio issue?

[@brunoburdini8056]

@@RunBikeMike I am

[@RunBikeMike]

@@brunoburdini8056 oddly it seems to only be an issue with Android. I am not sure why that is. I edit on a Mac and rewatch it on a iPhone. The vocals are clear on both. I have been trying to get it to work for all platforms. Hopefully my new videos are better. I would appreciate it if you could watch my two latest videos and give me some feed back on the audio.

[@ben_pedelty]

also when you’re bleeding the brakes, pop off that rubber cover under the screw you undid, that’s the bleed port. Pop A hose onto that and slightly loosen the one you undid, makes bleeding A lot easier

[@RunBikeMike]

There is no bleed port nipple to do that on these brakes. The port is a screw that is why I used the adapter. Deore and up normally come with bleed port nipples but not 200s

[@ben_pedelty]

@@RunBikeMike there literally is under the tubber cover

[@RunBikeMike]

@@ben_pedelty well two for two. You are right. Out of all the times I have done a bleed on mt-200s I have never noticed that. I will give that a try next time.

[@Coen-hg8jd]

doesn't really matter. This method works as well i found

[@borgyfiresale8769]

did you replace the olive insert ? im planing to put slx levers on my mt200.

[@RunBikeMike]

No, as long as it is not damaged you can use the same barb and olive.

[@WStar4Life]

How much better were the brakes over the stock mt-200 levers? Is it worth paying $110 for the denote xR levers or just paying the $300ish it would cost to upgrade the brakes and calipers?

[@RunBikeMike]

They won't bite much harder if at all but the lever feel really do make it feel different and IMO worth the $110. But if you can go to 4-P brakes vs 2-P you will see a big bite diff.

[@WStar4Life]

@@RunBikeMike thanks for the help. I just got back into MTB and got the 2023 Marin RZ 2 for a steal. Couldn’t justify the XR price for what I needed, even with a military discount. I should be gtg for a while with a set of Deore XT. Only other thing I can think of that I would need upgraded would be the wheels and hubs. Will prob go with some Hunt wheels next year sometime

[@RunBikeMike]

@WStar4Life congrats that is a sick bike.

[@xuandrew8614]

I'm wondering will these mt200 caliper hold these much pressure that XT lever give?

[@RunBikeMike]

Yes they will. I have been running them for quite some time with zero issues.

[@TheClayMan26]

Any long term issues from reusing the BH-59 olive/fitting?

[@RunBikeMike]

None at all. No leaks no power issues.

[@17CarlAndreiEnrico]

i replaced my levers, but the right feels spongier than the left.. is it okay to use bh59 fittings?

[@RunBikeMike]

Yea it is ok to use a bh59. That fitting only plays a part with the hose not the lever. As long as you have bh59 hose you are good.

[@anbudrew]

Can I do just a lever bleed to top up the mineral oil after replacing the levers?

[@RunBikeMike]

Yes you can. I have done just that on my last couple of upgrades.

[@anbudrew]

@@RunBikeMike Thank you. I was missing a new set of fittings. Back to the shop 🙃

[@DREAMOFOM]

If I take shimano xt deor lever and shimano deor lever. Can it work in mt 200 caliper

[@RunBikeMike]

Yes any shimano lever will work with shimano calipers.

[@Harari_]

I have to do a full bleed if iam replacing the lever? Or I can just do a lever bleed?

[@RunBikeMike]

I would highly recommend a full bleed.

[@user-lw5kg2iv6r]

Did you put a new olive on or no just wondering

[@RunBikeMike]

No, you can reuse the one included. Shimano uses the same olive for both types of hoses they offer so that olive will work on any Shimano lever

[@hollywood1513]

Will the shimano slx lever work as a replacement for the mt200?

[@RunBikeMike]

Yes they sure will

[@SnootchieBootchies27]

I'm confused as to why you wouldn't just spend the extra $50 and get a complete brake with a caliper? Then you have a complete cheap brake to use as a spare or put on another bike.

[@FirepoiMo]

For some people 50$ is a lot of money.

[@loganjacobson2335]

@@FirepoiMo for those people resale value is probably important as well. Nobody’s gonna buy XT levers on budget calipers.

[@1UpWilliam]

Does it still work the same with the shimano break calliper or do u change the pads too

[@1UpWilliam]

So if u just change the mt200 too Xt it will work like Xt with Shimano mt200 break callipers

[@RunBikeMike]

Yes levers only and it makes them much closer to xt. Not quite as good as a full set but much much better.

[@1UpWilliam]

@@RunBikeMike do u need different break pads

[@user-dj8dd4qq2o]

How about SLX m7100 levers? Will it fit to mt200?

[@RunBikeMike]

Yep they will fit also

[@SashaBelovy]

So is the brakes working real strong now?

[@RunBikeMike]

Yes it made a big difference

[@christantonugrohosir802]

is heat tolerance improve than mt200?

[@Dann651]

This upgrade shouldn't improve brake fade. If you're looking to improve brake fade you'll need to do something with the caliper, brake pads, rotor and MAYBE the oil (idk if oil makes a big improvement).

[@illestFlavor]

What is this wizardry. You re-used the olive and barb?

[@Jon-ty6bb]

I’ve swapped Shimano brake components many times and rarely have trouble reusing barb/olives. On the odd occasion I’ve (very carefully) cut the olive off the hose, replaced it with a new one and used the old barb. This retains the original length of the hose.

[@RunBikeMike]

Yep it works perfectly evey time with Shimano to Shimano.

[@keosoutdooradventures]

I've done it on plenty of brakes, zero issues

[@GokkunGuru]

You can upgrade those levers to FLO Motorsport MTB levers now.

[@RunBikeMike]

I did look into that. Looks like they make some nice levers.

[@jamble7k]

they snap in a different place apparently instead of bending lol

[@MizosGaming]

@@jamble7k That is not true both my levers are fucked up, If i had the flo levers they would have been okay

[@twowheelsforlife]

How do they work? Any improvements?

[@RunBikeMike]

This is a great upgrade. A lot more leverage. I have done this on a few bikes since then and really enjoy the upgrade.

[@twowheelsforlife]

@@RunBikeMike so brakes work much better?

[@smb7647]

Did i miss something, were the results better or worse

[@RunBikeMike]

Better on feel. Braking power is minimal but the levers are so nice

[@Fish_Weapon79]

I heard from Shimano that mt200 lever will hold up better then the xt

[@RunBikeMike]

Maybe since it is made with heavy parts. But the lever feel on XT is really nice

[@TeacherNickoy]

Yes if you crash on an xt lever and anything hit the lever hard, it be destroyed. I have crashed my xt many times, and yet it is still working well.

[@DREAMOFOM]

Dose it is working???

[@RunBikeMike]

It does

[@64maxpower]

I put the front brake on my left

[@tristanwwsd]

🤦‍♂

[@64maxpower]

@tristanwwsd I posted this a year ago and don't remember it. I mean I put my front brake on the right side of the bars

[@tristanwwsd]

@@64maxpower Well that's where it's supposed to be, so you're good.

[@64maxpower]

@tristanwwsd where are you from Tristan? In the US bicycles come with front brakes on the left.

[@tristanwwsd]

@@64maxpower Just because the US bicycle industry puts the brakes on the wrong side of the bars doesn't make it right. Go check all your motorcycles and see what side they are on. To further my point look at all front forks. The brake is located on the left, so the line can run a smooth arc up to the lever. Only in the US do they tweak the line to locate the control on the wrong side. It's not natural. I'm in SoCal BTW. 😄

[@ben_pedelty]

be careful as you’ve likely voided any warranty on the brakes due to the incorrect barb/olive combo in the lever

[@RunBikeMike]

It is Shimano. It is the same barb and olive. So no worries there.

[@ben_pedelty]

@@RunBikeMike no they have two different types, bh90 and bh59

[@RunBikeMike]

@Ben Pedelty you are correct they do make two different ones. I did some more research on this, this morning. Seems like the olive is the same but the barb in the 90 is a little shorter and made with a different metal. Online it seem people are using them interchangeably. But the 90 hose is where the main difference is. The 90 is a smaller diameter allowing for more pressure. A few people are saying they noticed a small difference when switching from a 59 to a 90. Some have even went from a 90 to a 59 because that is all they had and they maybe could tell a little difference. This is good to know. Thanks for pointing this out as it let me dig deeper.

[@Yippeee5959]

Im just gonna stick to mechanical brake

[@ignaciosevil2157]

Honestly i dont see why would i do this... Why not just spend a little but more and buy a complete build of the xt. Then sell your current mt200. Doing this seems rather sketchy and literally to save 40 USD. makes no sense.