Twinpot Brake upgrade on 78 Skunk

[goldbike]

Gs1000E brake upgrade

Gs1000E brake upgrade

Dear sir, I have a 78 GS1000E. Have purchased the CBR900 rotors and the EX500 calipers. Do you sell the brackets that mount the calipers to the forks? How much? And will you accept a money order.
Thanks, James Shinault Goldbike 864-677-4630 evenings 864-677-5630

 

[80GS850GBob]

....I decided to use the master cylinder from a 96 Suzuki Bandit GSF 600 ...

I love the happy ending, but have to ask, what was the previous MC that you didn't care for? {Just as a reference point for us}

 

[bobtail84]

I love the happy ending, but have to ask, what was the previous MC that you didn't care for? {Just as a reference point for us}

It was the standard item circa 1980.
I just couldn't get a good feel on the lever even after bleeding the system many times. I put it down to the age of the M/C and how much it had just generally worn over the years even after replacing the rubbers.

 

[Grimly]

Just a quick up date..

After I completed the twinpot upgrade I was never 100% happy with the feel of the brake lever.

So after a little bit of investigation I decided to use the master cylinder from a 96 Suzuki Bandit GSF 600 which cost me ?25.00 from eBay which is about the same in $ at the moment.

My main reasoning was the availability of the initial M/C, spare and service parts. The M/C also is a very good fit on the bars with regards to the switch gear and throttle cables and it also is very aesthetically pleasing meaning it looks like it should be there.

The GSF M/C has the mounts for the wing mirrors, again this was what I was looking for.

After a strip down and clean with a change of rubbers the whole conversion took all of half an hour including re-bleeding the brakes.

The end result is what I was trying to achieve with the original but didn't. The brake feel has gone from OK to absolutely spot on with a true 2 finger breaking with low effort for maximum effect and feel.

The Deauville (NTV 650) m/c is another useful 5/8" / 16mm one to bear in mind, and sits flat on the bars. Amazing what difference a generation or two of design makes to the feel, yet it's superficially the same thing.

 

[80GS850GBob]

Any brake conversion has it trails and errors in a refit....just because the oem had twin discs doesn't mean the new calipers area is a match. The needed volume..or wanted volume...when activated, may vary. Too big a volume and the brakes are touchy and hard to modulate....too little and they're soft, not very responsive and not much better than what you started with. A tweener is best, leaning on the side of a a tad more volume.

Some folks think the oem brakes are fine...
I figure these folks are; ham handed and can squeeze harder, never rode a bike with responsive brakes to compare to or just figure they're just supposed to be that way. I'm just not one of those folks...and given this thread, I'm not alone in the want for better braking.

 

[salty_monk]

Dear sir, I have a 78 GS1000E. Have purchased the CBR900 rotors and the EX500 calipers. Do you sell the brackets that mount the calipers to the forks? How much? And will you accept a money order.
Thanks, James Shinault Goldbike 864-677-4630 evenings 864-677-5630

I have some brackets here... have PM'd you

 

[salty_monk]

The Deauville (NTV 650) m/c is another useful 5/8" / 16mm one to bear in mind, and sits flat on the bars. Amazing what difference a generation or two of design makes to the feel, yet it's superficially the same thing.

I use an EX650 MC, looks the same as that GSF one

 

[salty_monk]

Dear sir, I have a 78 GS1000E. Have purchased the CBR900 rotors and the EX500 calipers. Do you sell the brackets that mount the calipers to the forks? How much? And will you accept a money order.
Thanks, James Shinault Goldbike 864-677-4630 evenings 864-677-5630

James - sent these USPS Priority today. Cheers

 

[shompzilla]

James - sent these USPS Priority today. Cheers

Hey first time posting, been lurking this thread back and forth for a few weeks. Amazing looking back ten years ago reading where this all started to where it's come. Bravo. Do you by any chance have any more kits available?

 

[salty_monk]

Yes I have some powdercoated black ones on my shelf. PM me if you need a set.

 

[Guest]

Hi Dan
Your PM inbox is full mate so I cannot reply to you. When you get a chance clear some space and I'll message you. Cheers.

 

[salty_monk]

Cleared it out... Sorry! Cheers

 

[hotrodalex]

Single sided upgrade:

Works great!

 

[salty_monk]

Nice! Did you chamfer the back of the pad material to where it hits the rotor? You should keep an eye on that as it wears, you may need to pop the pads out & do it again.

 

[hotrodalex]

Yep! I shaved it down at a 45 degree angle. May have to do it again toward the end of the pad life, like you said. We'll see.

 

[salty_monk]

Good stuff. You just don't want it to make a thin edge that potentially cold break off & jam things up.

 

[Darin Jordan]

FINALLY getting around to installing the new brakes on my 1980 GS850GT! I think Dan sold me the bracket kit back in 2015, but they've been sitting on the shelf.

Time to dive in!!

These are 1988 Ninja 750 Calipers and a set of Honda CBR F3 Rotors.

 

[salty_monk]

Nice! Get it done... Those are the 7 rivet F4 rotors. They are the lightest ones that work & just need the holes enlarging not completely re-drilling from memory.

 

[salty_monk]

Cleared out some space in the PM box for anyone trying to message me

 

[Darin Jordan]

Nice! Get it done... Those are the 7 rivet F4 rotors. They are the lightest ones that work & just need the holes enlarging not completely re-drilling from memory.

Yes. I think I remember chatting with you about that and then trying to get the "best" ones I could.

Could you please remind me where the spacer at the wheel is supposed to go? On the inside or outside of the rotor?? (I'm assuming logically it's inside, but...)