Twinpot Brake upgrade on 78 Skunk

[steve murdoch]

Welcome to the site, JT.
The discs look new. Are they from a ZX10 as well?
How about starting a thread with your build info in the "Projects" section.

Just a quick post of thanks to salty_monk and everyone for their tips on this thread. Installed a set on my 79 GS550, with calipers from a 88 ZX10, cafe racer build and they are a great modification. After about 6 months of work the engine went in last weekend. Wiring and brake lines left to install and should be back on the road soon.

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[JT1306]

Just a quick post of thanks to salty_monk and everyone for their tips on this thread. Installed a set on my 79 GS550, with calipers from a 88 ZX10, cafe racer build and they are a great modification. After about 6 months of work the engine went in last weekend. Wiring and brake lines left to install and should be back on the road soon.

PHOTO-2020-11-16-12-31-06.jpg

[salty_monk]

I’ve had a few people ask so I just wanted to bump this thread to say that I do have sets of brackets on my shelf currently.

[salty_monk]

I just wanted to let everyone know that I do have the new style (option of 2 caliper styles) on my shelf. Powdercoated black as usual

[salty_monk]

PM's back at ya & yes you can get rid of the splitter...

[Bigthal97]

Ive got a 1977 GS750 single dics I'd like to do a brake upgrade on. I'm already looking at a 5/8" nissin lever/mc with braided hoses... i just rebuilt the front caliper and new pads. Would just the nissin mc and steel lines give a decent jump in performance by itself to run the stock rotor and caliper for a while since i just redid it? Also since its got a single disc couldn't i just run a direct to the caliper and get rid of the dumb splitter block for a better feel and a little more direct performance

[salty_monk]

If it’s 5/8” piston then it will likely be fine.

[kwikonit]

Using m10 to suit the current new brackets? You use the top hanger bolt on the fork slider to mount the top bolt hole on caliper correct? So the bottom caliper mount can stay m8? Just curious how your mounts work as i didnt actually use your first gen brackets to mount the zg1000 calipers...I suppose you'll have to modify the brackets you have already made? I have a newer 2010ish nissin master cylinder that id like to use, not sure if it will work with the ninja tokico calipers....

[salty_monk]

Not yet. I have a set on hand and at first glance I can say it might work but it will be a lot more work to fit.

The bolt holes are not the right size (they are M8 not M10) so the body will have to be drilled out and re-tapped to M10 fine to suit.

I will likely have a go at it some time over the next few weeks. It will be critical for the holes to be tapped square otherwise the caliper will not be perpendicular to the rotor (or you won’t be able to get the bolts in / might strip out the threads).

[kwikonit]

Hi, any news on testing the '17 and up calipers?

[salty_monk]

2005-2016 I believe. I haven't tested all years obviously but I believe they are all the same.

[kwikonit]

Hi, what yrs ninja 650 calipers will work with your new brackets? Thanks

[salty_monk]

The new style DL calipers are also gone. Plenty of brackets still.

Dan

[salty_monk]

The Ninja calipers are spoken for... I have the other set still.

[salty_monk]

I got the new brackets in & mounted up with the normal caliper then today I took it all apart again & got it mounted up with the new caliper type. It works well with either type.
The new caliper feels quite similar in ultimate power, possibly a bit less "feel" but I haven't had long enough to get used to it yet. Today I rode both the 1000E and the 1100G back to back as the 1100 has the old caliper & the 1000 now has the newer ones.

The "bite" point of the newer ones is a bit closer to the bar on the same master cylinder (I use the EX650 one) - meaning I had to adjust my lever from closest to bar to one out but other than that not a huge difference. Both are using stock Tokico pads and the same rotor type.

One point to note on this bracket is it sites the bolt directly over the rotor rivets & as such makes the tolerances tighter. It becomes more important to pay close attention to the length of the bolts used & the clearances. It may be necessary to put a washer under the bolt head even with the stock 40mm bolt depending on the rotor used. The bolt should barely protrude from the caliper bracket.
Blue Loctite / Threadlok recommended.

One other thing of note... I modified the hub spacer to make it easier to drill the F3 rotor as it now has 6 holes on the F3 PCD/Bolt circle making it easier to centre the rotor before drilling.

Both the new hub spacer & the caliper bracket are a little lighter than previous & I think they look a little less intrusive than the previous version too.

As before everything is powdercoated black (I always run the mounting side of the brackets & both sides of the hub spacers on some wet & dry on some glass just in case there are any high spots in the powder).
As before occasionally a fork has a big enough weld at the bracket that you need to clearance either the weld or the bracket (it's usually a mm or two at most) on the inside corner.
Also same as before - 80+ bikes require 4mm-5mm cut off the top of the speedo drive dust shield. (there are pics in this thread).


So onto the pics... :

Old caliper (Late 80's Ninja or 01-06 Concourse):

Suzuki 2 brake by salty_monk, on Flickr

New Caliper (EX650 or DL650 (Wee Strom) plus others:

Suzuki 2 brake by salty_monk, on Flickr

Note:

I now have:

A big pile of the new bracket.

1 x Used old style bracket
1 x Used Aluminum old style bracket (this was a very limited run back in 2007 and needs 45mm bolts to work (although I can probably supply those too).
1 x Set of late 80's Ninja calipers - Fresh off my 1000 - working fine, rebuilt several years ago & with 60%+ on the pads
1 x set full set of New style calipers from a Ninja or Wee strom (I forgot which). Also has master cylinder but it is remote reservoir type.
1 x set of rotors drilled ready to go.

Let me know what you need... I can potentially start sending these out on the weekend.

$98 shipped in the US for a full bracket set (PM me if you want any of the other parts I have on hand or one of the other bracket sets).

Most international locations seem to be around $115 slow mail or about $130 for priority mail. I can check based on your address and will update here if I remember!