single disk heresy...it just plain handles better?

I have my brakes in good shape. I just like to stop with three fingers and no foot. Roy

i have a 650 that i added a second disc and caliper to. also the 5/8" master cylinder. ill never go back to one. weight and all it works perfectly flawless

PLUMMEN wrote:

wheres fish when we need one of his brake kits?

I'm still here.
A stock single disc "theoretically" should handle better than a stock dual disc set up, due to less unsprung weight. By adding a second stock disc you double the braking area of the braking pads and just because your braking area of the pads are doubled, doesn't mean your brakes are 2 times better. Along with the doubled brakes (disc/calipers) comes doubled weight and it can affect the handling. It will take your suspension longer to react to bumps in the road (and longer to return to the riding height).
Drilling the disc can reduce some unsprung weight, but you still have the weight of the old heavy calipers.

I put newer brakes on old bikes. On a lot of applications, the newer dual disc brake system often weighs less than the single disc system that it replaces. There is a noticeable difference in both handling and braking.

Here's a link to a few KZ brakes I have done. I made another set that isn't shown on the page and was recently sold and may show up on KZR when it is installed.

fishheadbigbrakes.com/Otherbrakes.html

Here's a pic of my CB 750 SOHC (1975 GL 1000 front end). I lost over 6 lbs of unsprung weight over the stock GL 1000 dual disc system.( upgraded with Tokico 6 pistons, 330mm discs). I could replace the 6 piston calipers with a set of 2or4 piston calipers and loose another 2 lbs off the front.
No, they are not everyone's cup of tea.

so then a single era z-1 set up in great working order is better than the same era's twin fronts:woohoo:

thanks for the confirm:silly:


i've seen your stuff on some auctions right?????

i really dig the 2008 fz-1 front set ups on my buddies bike....would make a very good mate to a 1000j i've got gold highlight for some stuff planned on........nice work too fish

trianglelaguna wrote:

so then a single era z-1 set up in great working order is better than the same era's twin fronts:woohoo:

thanks for the confirm:silly:

"Theoretically"(in theory) the single disc handles better because it has less unsprung weight. Either dual or single disc will work fine (braking wise) as long as the components are matched. Saying that one braking system (Single or dual disc) is better than the other always leads to an argument of some sort and it usually boils down to preference of the bikes owner.

On a Z1, switching from single disk to double certainly does change handling. You've around 14lbs of additional unsprung weight. What I noticed most was the shock up through the handlebars. Swapping to a heavier fork oil (10w going to 15w) helped. Upgrading the springs helped. But still there is a noticeable difference at the grips on a rough road.

The KZ1000 double disk setup is much lighter - the rotors are thinner (4.5mm versus 7mm) and drilled.

I can lock my front wheel with any of the single disk setup - so unless you are pushing the bike very hard, you are really just limited by your front tire as to how quickly you can stop.

I'm so used to hauling hard on my single disk setup to stop my Z1's that when I jump over onto a newer bike with good brakes I have a hard time not locking the front brake up...:ohmy:

Having grown up riding in the wet, I do use both front and rear brakes all the time.

The Fish wrote:

trianglelaguna wrote:

so then a single era z-1 set up in great working order is better than the same era's twin fronts:woohoo:

thanks for the confirm:silly:

"Theoretically"(in theory) the single disc handles better because it has less unsprung weight. Either dual or single disc will work fine (braking wise) as long as the components are matched. Saying that one braking system (Single or dual disc) is better than the other always leads to an argument of some sort and it usually boils down to preference of the bikes owner.

does that honda 2 piston idea look workable to you?

PLUMMEN wrote:

does that honda 2 piston idea look workable to you?

Anything is do-able if you have the right tools needed to do the job correctly.

Top Left-hand corner brake kit

fishheadbigbrakes.com/Otherbrakes.html

ive been drooling over your cb750 conversion for rear wheel for a long time.is there any advantages over stock kz1000 rear hub as far as weight/strength?

On my CB 750 Rear wheel, I had to "go overboard" to get the rear disc that is on it.
The stock rear CB 750 Disc brake wheel has large hole in the center of the disc/large bolt pattern and didnt lend its self to using newer brake discs(small hole/bolt pattern). I also had an alloy rim that was drilled for a front hub lacing pattern, so they were used.
I have since figured out the large hole/large bolt pattern for the early CB rear disc hubs and using a newer disc with an adapter (pic, GL 1000 rear shown, CB rear disc is the same as GL 1000, front and rear set up shown-75 GL 1000).This still would have not allowed me to use the shouldered alloy rim that was drilled for the smaller front hub though(Hub drilling is different for the F/R hubs).
Converting a KZ wheel (using a front hub) would kinda be over kill as the rear KZ disc already has a smaller hole/ bolt pattern that lends its self to easier conversions.

I've had some people tell me that deleting the cush drive will weaken this wheel. This bike previously had a Shelby mag wheel that also deleted the cush drive. The wheel has been on the bike for over 3 yrs and I have had no failures. I do check the spoke tension more often,though, just to be on the safe side.

I do have a set of 18 and 19 inch front Kaw wheels that may make it on a bike as a front and rear set, possibly on an XS 650. I like the "Morris " mag wheel look that the Enkei wheels have.

you da man/fish! :laugh:

A lot of the triple guys use a Kawasaki EX500 2 piston caliper for a brake conversion. I've checked the part numbers and they are different from the Z1 to any triple but I'm sure you could use a similar conversion as the one below. The bracket may be a little different but the principle would be the same.