Does anybody know if it is possible/easy to add a second disc to a bike that has a single front brake? I've got a Shadow 600 and would like more braking power. Any suggestions?
Brake Tech Reader Feedback
Great article, maybe I'll go out and bleed my brakes for the first time in 2 years.
I just like how he says so where some rubber gloves
I just like how he says so where some rubber gloves
1 - 20 of 24 Posts
That's a toughie- if you had a sportbike I could suggest mating up the forks from a bike with twin discs, but none of those bikes will fit. Would the front end from an 1100 shadow fit?
Also, you might not need dual discs. Rebuild your caliper and master cylinder, check your disc for thickness and warping, and replace your brakeline with a steel or kevlar one. Also, upgraded pads make a lot of difference. Honda worked out the best pad/disc combo for your bike, but that was over 10 years ago. Find a knowledgeable parts guy to help.
If you still need more brakes after doing the above, then you should go after another disc. But maybe you should just get a different bike, if you are outperforming that bike's brake system.
Also, you might not need dual discs. Rebuild your caliper and master cylinder, check your disc for thickness and warping, and replace your brakeline with a steel or kevlar one. Also, upgraded pads make a lot of difference. Honda worked out the best pad/disc combo for your bike, but that was over 10 years ago. Find a knowledgeable parts guy to help.
If you still need more brakes after doing the above, then you should go after another disc. But maybe you should just get a different bike, if you are outperforming that bike's brake system.
Re: More how-to articles, please
Couldn't agree more I am printing it out now so I can take it out to the garage and post it on the wall. I will be changing the fluid on my old Aspencade which hasn't run for a few months since I got my new bike. This was a great reminder about the brake fluid.
Couldn't agree more I am printing it out now so I can take it out to the garage and post it on the wall. I will be changing the fluid on my old Aspencade which hasn't run for a few months since I got my new bike. This was a great reminder about the brake fluid.
Some of us spent age 13 figuring out how to get the best stuff from ANSI graphic BBS onto our Commie-64's. Brake maintence isn't a common skill any more than software development. (Hell, I had a co-worker that didn't know he had to change his oil. Thank goodness for him he was very rich.)
Keep teaching us those needed skills, MO. I'm still awaiting a guide to setting up a sport bike for light touring duty.
Keep teaching us those needed skills, MO. I'm still awaiting a guide to setting up a sport bike for light touring duty.
I'm having trouble finding the article. Normally it is the text you get when you click the read more, or a separate article that is linked, but I don't see either of those. Since people are commenting on the article I assume they read it, but where.
Try going to an aftermarket caliper with more pistons.
I have placed the link for the story in news post.
Hope that helps!
Hope that helps!
In the article he mentions that his bike has floating disks and the advantages of them. I had also heard from a source that floating disks help keep the rotors from warping over time. Is this true?
Norm
Norm
re: carbon brakes
The reason carbon fiber brakes aren't seen around so much is 2 reasons:
#1 they only work better than other brakes when they're really hot, and most guys on the street don't heat their brakes up that much.
#2. they wear out quick. Add that to the cost and why bother?
The reason carbon fiber brakes aren't seen around so much is 2 reasons:
#1 they only work better than other brakes when they're really hot, and most guys on the street don't heat their brakes up that much.
#2. they wear out quick. Add that to the cost and why bother?
Thanks, later I did see the story on the www.motorcycle.com page, but I've been paying less attention to that since everything seems to be there on the news.motorcycle.com page.
What's a floating disc
I always thought discs and rotors were the same thing. How the heck does one float a rotor? And if your caliper is already floating to optimize the pad/rotor pressure interaction, isn't having a floating disc overkill?
Not a pretty site. What's the URL for that?
Sorry, couldn't help it. You MO guys are journalists, right? You check grammar, right?
I always thought discs and rotors were the same thing. How the heck does one float a rotor? And if your caliper is already floating to optimize the pad/rotor pressure interaction, isn't having a floating disc overkill?
Not a pretty site. What's the URL for that?
Sorry, couldn't help it. You MO guys are journalists, right? You check grammar, right?
Porsche is getting ready to offer ceramic brakes on the 911 turbo, as is Mercedes on the CL600.
f1 cars use carbon fiber, but just as everything else in f1, it's way too expensive for the road right now.
also-sometimes when carbon fiber brakes fail they just explode.
so durability and price are the main issues.
f1 cars use carbon fiber, but just as everything else in f1, it's way too expensive for the road right now.
also-sometimes when carbon fiber brakes fail they just explode.
so durability and price are the main issues.
The easiest and cheapest way to add more stopping power would be to buy aftermarket pads, lines, fluid, and maybe a rotor from Braking Performance, sold through the Chaparral catalog, and other places. If you want to spend more money MAYBE Performance Machine makes a 4 or 6-piston differential bore caliper or caliper-and- rotor kit. If you want the stock look, check an see if the wheel has the bosses and threaded holes on the opposite side of the wheel that the disk is on now. Most times, if the wheel is used on similar (usually larger-displacement) models, both sides of the wheel will be drilled and tapped for dual disks. If the bosses are there, but no holes, a good machine shop can fix that for you. If you're really lucky, maybe the other fork leg will even have the clearance holes for mounting the other caliper. You might check the junk yards and see if you can' buy the fork leg, caliper, and rotor from a model that will fit. Plan on new fork tubes, however, as most in the junkyards are pretzeled. Good luck.
YOU DA MAN!! Keep up the good work!
Re: Speed Bleeders
Try Earl's. I mounted a set of PM 4-piston differential-bore calipers on my '86 GSXR-1100 (had to design and then have fabbed some custom Al brackets for them, since PM doesn't make a kit), and they were happy to custom make the lines I needed, with a quick turnaround time. They'll make anything you could ever need. Water hoses, oil cooler lines. Check 'em out.
Try Earl's. I mounted a set of PM 4-piston differential-bore calipers on my '86 GSXR-1100 (had to design and then have fabbed some custom Al brackets for them, since PM doesn't make a kit), and they were happy to custom make the lines I needed, with a quick turnaround time. They'll make anything you could ever need. Water hoses, oil cooler lines. Check 'em out.
Brake fluid will quickly DESTROY your ABS (common fairing plastic) fairing too. Mine shattered into 1/8 pieces. If fluid gets between the screen and the fairing, take it all apart and clean it out.
sounds like
warped brake disks mate,
do they feel warped and if so u might have to replace them.
warped brake disks mate,
do they feel warped and if so u might have to replace them.
Problem with carbon brakes is:
1) Costs - hve you compared the costs. Good quality brembo discs run around $1000 for the race items. Carbon is double ++.
2) Carbon requires you to heat them up before they will operate effectively. In a road situation they would be useless as you would not be able to generate the heat required.
On the Car front - Lotus Elise was the first manufacturer to release a car with a ceramic/metalic rotor. Benefits are weight, excellent wear and performance.
James
1) Costs - hve you compared the costs. Good quality brembo discs run around $1000 for the race items. Carbon is double ++.
2) Carbon requires you to heat them up before they will operate effectively. In a road situation they would be useless as you would not be able to generate the heat required.
On the Car front - Lotus Elise was the first manufacturer to release a car with a ceramic/metalic rotor. Benefits are weight, excellent wear and performance.
James
1 - 20 of 24 Posts
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