Every motorcycle manufacturer on the planet has a good reason or they never would have changed, Disc brakes are simply superior....
I understand and I should have been clearer in my question. It's not that I don't believe what I've read but I didn't have a good understanding of
why disc brakes are better. Now that I'm at a point where I can choose my replacement I need information to base my choices on.
There's an added clause to the question that goes 'are the easily replaceable disc options for the KZ400 that much superior to the drum alternatives that I should discount drums entirely when planning a swap'.
I don't really have the know how to put the twin 300mm brakes from my old FZS600 on this bike but if I did that's what I'd be considering. Without that ability I'm left with more 'straight swap' options like the KZ400 disc which probably doesn't perform quite as well as the Fazer's did.
Drums in good working condition will stop your 400 just fine.
This and the other information helps a lot, based on all the information here I'm going to seek out a disc based swap but it's good to know that I can swap out the shoe and eliminate some issues if I'm forced into a drum replacement.
Sounds like the summary of what makes drums a poorer choice goes:
- Potential delaminating of old shoes
- More potential to lock wheel due to positive feedback (braking action can pull the system into a more engaged state)
- Greater mechanical complexity and frequent maintenance needs
- More potential to overheat due to the enclosed braking system
- Greater weight
- Don't look great do they (my own opinion
)
Thanks for all the information, this really helps a lot and I'm convinced to limit my search to disc based swaps.