Shimano Zee M640 Disc Brake

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Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
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$21.34
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Tested: Shimano Zee Disc Brakes - Affordable Power
Rating:
Vital Review

by Nick Zuzelski

Arguably the biggest star of Shimano's Zee lineup is the brake, which offers riders many of the same technology advancements and features of their big brother Saint. Luckily for us, Zee brakes come at a pretty substantial cost savings of about $140 per pair over Saint.

Zee Brake Highlights


  • Servo wave lever pivot
  • Shorty levers
  • High rigidity ceramic pistons for heat insulation
  • Anti-slip dimpled lever blade
  • Radiation fin pad with new metallic compound to improve control and consistency
  • Super stiff high-power 3-layer brake hose for a more consistent lever feel
  • One-way bleed for easy and clean servicing
  • 4-piston caliper
  • 160/180/203mm rotor options
  • Approximately 320g per brake
  • MSRP $249.99 per brake

Coupled with Shimano's ICE Tech finned 203mm rotors (sold separately), these 4-piston brakes have everything going for them as far as heat dissipating technology and raw stopping power goes - something every downhill enthusiast can appreciate while pinned at race pace down a steep course. One quick glance at the unique pads with radiation cooling fins is evidence enough that great measures were taken to reduce a brake's worst enemy - performance killing heat.

Initial Impressions

Provided you don't ride a downhill tandem, there is plenty of hose length provided on the pre-bled setup for any bike frame. Rather than run a spaghetti mess of cables in front of my bars, I immediately trimmed the lines shorter for aesthetics. Shimano provides extra hardware for this with every brake so there are no excuses not to. I was able to get away without bleeding the brakes by being very careful. If desired, Shimano's new bleed process is a piece of cake.

Installation of the levers was a breeze and did not require removal of the grips since the clamp hinges open for quick install/removal of the lever. The rotors also mounted up very quickly using Shimano's Center Lock design on the Zee hubs - a design I am growing very fond of after doing a fair bit of airline travel, forcing me to do frequent teardowns/rebuilds of my bike. Time is money my friends, and simple things like this streamline otherwise tedious processes.

After mounting up the brakes, and grabbing hold of the bars, I was immediately impressed by the new compact levers. They feel great with one finger, offer a comfortable lever bend, hold your finger tip securely, and pull in smoothly to pad contact. Squeezing the brake tightly with one finger, there is no lever contact with the thumb or other fingers. The perch also appeared to be stiff with no noticeable flex when pulling hard, likely because the lever is so short. After adjusting the reach (note that there's no tool-free reach adjustment on these, so bust out your trusty allen wrench) it was all systems go and time for some abuse.

On The Trail

Before the first run I broke in the new pads. After just a few full stops could feel the incredible power and modulation building. Once on the trail, it quickly became clear how light and effortless the one-fingered activation of the brakes was. Given how quickly they activated when compared to the brakes was previously running, I actually needed a bit of mental readjusting to feel completely comfortable with the new characteristics. That said, it was a change I was happy to learn. After a few more runs and with speeds picking up, braking once again became second nature and I was pumped on the added power the Zee brakes offered. I could get LOTS of power, fast, which is crucial given the last second nature of downhill riding and racing.

Halfway down the rocky trail I was shuttling was a fairly slick, muddy section with a few corners and key braking points. It was a perfect place to truly test how well these babies modulated. To my surprise, I was easily able to keep my traction and control my bike through the grease. They aren't what I'd call "touchy," and instead offer plenty of usable power without causing the bike to break loose.

Being extremely picky about my bike set up, I was expecting to have to adjust the lever reach at least once throughout the day. Much to my surprise, no adjustment was needed - in fact I have barely adjusted them in the several months since. That said, it still would be nice to have a tool-free reach adjustment offered on these just in case. After dozens of days of ride time, the brakes are still running strong and haven't needed a bleed or any service since I first installed them. I also haven't felt the need for the added free-stroke adjustment found on the pricier Saint brakes.

In dry conditions, rotor noise is pretty much non-existent. In the wet, a very slight howl sometimes happens at slow speeds, but only for a split second - likely long enough to clean the water from the rotor. Shimano chalks this achievement up to improved pad compounds.

Speaking of pads, Shimano brought a number of improvements from their Saint brake to Zee in the name of better heat management, including an optional finned pad upgrade. The technology improvements havebeen noticeable on the trail and brake fade has not been an issue, even at the bottom of a long, steep trail that's notorious for burning up brakes. Pad wear has also slowed down as the resulting temperature decrease is easier on the materials, so expect to enjoy less frequent pad purchases.

The finned pads occasionally make a very slight but audible jiggling noise on smooth trails. Pulling the brake levers a small amount stops the noise. Some riders will notice this, others won't. To me it isn't much of a bother.

What's The Bottom Line?

Power and modulation often times don't go together in the same sentence. Shimano's Zee brakes certainly don't adhere that statement, instead offering both power and modulation in a very usable package. I really appreciate that Shimano was able to bring the cutting edge technology found in the high-end Saint brakes down to a price point that doesn't put a major hurt on your wallet. The new Zee brakes have proven to be a strong performer and they'll be staying on my ride for some time to come.

For more about the race-ready Zee lineup, cruise over to www.crusheveryline.com.


About The Reviewer

Nick Zuzelski began riding motocross at a young age, a sport that would eventually lead him to the world of downhill. As a Colorado native, racing downhill, dual slalom, or a chill dirt jump session was never far away, and he eventually worked his way up the ranks to the Pro level. Now residing in Eastern Pennsylvania, he recently changed it up from the Rocky Mountain dust to East Coast loam, world class dirt jumps, and rocks... lots of rocks.If a trail has fast flow and some fun gaps, he is grinning ear to ear and getting after it. Living by the assumption that basically everything feels better with a short stem and wide bars, you can count on him keeping it real with a laid back attitude and flat pedals most of the time. Mechanical Engineer by trade, rider by heart, he enjoys riding it, finding out how it works, and making it better.

3 comments

Post a reply to: Tested: Shimano Zee Disc Brakes - Affordable Power

2 member reviews

Bang for your buck
Rating:
The Good
Price
Power
Long Lasting
Easy to Service
The Bad
Bleed Often
Overall Review:

I've been running Zee's for 4 or 5 years and on two different bikes(same set of brakes, just swapped them over). The stopping power is great, maybe not the very best available, but I've never been left wanting more during a steep descent. I ride mostly enduro/DH type trails in Laguna Beach, Ca and make a few trips to the bike parks each season. I've read reviews that complain about the modulation of these brakes but that is definitely a preference issue because I have had no problems with that. Rarely do they make the dreaded Chewbaca howl and only ever when they are wet. My only complaint would be that, after 5 years of heavy use, I find that I have to bleed these brakes every 200 miles or so. But the good news is, they are super easy to bleed, anyone can do it(except my friend Sal). I picked them up from my LBS for $250 front and back, installed. I don't think you can beat the value.

0 comments

Post a reply to: Bang for your buck

Affordable and really, really good
Rating:
The Good
After using Avid´s for serveral years and switched to shimano zee and was a fan right after the first ride. Predictable, lot´s of power, good levers, easy to find the right dose of braking, good pricing on rotors and pads' ...bleeding is a piece of cake :-) Updated:
so far - no fading
The Bad
the mount for the handlebar is very "solid", but it works well and holds everyhting in place
Overall Review:

get one, put in on your bike and never worry about braking again

considering the price and what you get, I would definitly say it´s worth five stars

Update:
I gave the brakes a solid 4h hours in Leogang and went down the freeride, downhill and bingo bongo trail´s. The brakes worked very well. Braking-power is predictable and it is easy to find the right dose. In "scary" moments the brakes really help to get out of the situations without a crash.
After some runs on the downhill there was no fading and on some parts the brakes had to do a lot of work as it was my first day on the donwhill in 2013.

I haven´t changed my mind and would recommend the brakes.

1 comments

Post a reply to: Affordable and really, really good

Specifications

Product
Shimano Zee M640 Disc Brake
Riding Type
Downhill
Enduro / All-Mountain
Freeride / Bike Park
Lever Material
Aluminum
Mount Style
Post-type
Rotor Sizes
160mm, 180mm, 203mm
Rotor Mounting
Center Lock, 6-Bolt IS
Fluid Type
Shimano mineral oil
Colors
Black
Weight
0 lb 11.1 oz (314 g)
Miscellaneous
One Way Bleeding caliper
High power 4-ceramic piston caliper
Easy and clean bleeding
Short SERVO WAVE lever
Ergonomic antiskid lever
Tool-less reach adjust
High rigidity ceramic pistons for heat insulation
Radiation fin pad with new metallic compound
Super stiff high-power 3-layer brake hose
Alloy spider with stainless construction rotors
I-spec compatible
Price
$185.00
More Info
What do you think?
Where To Buy
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
$21.34
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
$4.00
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