Old favorite? Upgrading the front brake

[Seamus]

Hi Folks
Had a read on the SOHC site and found a few bits, but has anyone in the UK upgraded the single disc for anything substantial?

I have been riding modern stuff for a few years and the front stopper on the K1 is somewhat lacking.
I know that I can add an extra disc, but does this really make much difference?
Will something else fit? Something more modern onto the existing rotor perhaps or a different set of calipers, rotors and master cylinder?

Looking for ideas and experience from you people that have much more experience than me. I understand the option to keep it totally standard, for the sake of authentecity, but I do like to stop.

Thoughts??

[Voxonda]

'though I am not from the UK, like to share my experience on that subject, if you don't mind that is.
If you really want to stop , forget the original stuff. You can start with a double disk setup, better but not that much. Then try a better master cilinder, Brembo or Grimeca, lockheed. Ferodo pads. Stainless lines. It all makes it progressively better and better.
I use turned down, and drilled, disks with Grimeca calipers and master. Works very good, but thinking of swapping the disks for

[Seamus]

Hi Rob

Interesting looking beast you have there. Thanks for the reply.
Looks like F2 front forks on that one. Being awkward, I would like to keep the original forks and spoked wheels.

Do you know if F2 calipers could be fitted with new mounting brackets?
I may just have to experiment with what ever I can find. Maybe some Yamaha calipers (may be able to borrow a set to play with). Not in a hurry, so can ponder for a while (It's freezing ourside)

Cheers for the inspiration

Seamus

[gripperod]

I fitted a second disc, superb in the dry but still rubbish in the wet . I believe putting a master cylinder from an early gold wing GL1100 makes a difference (they are the same basic shape but displace more oil for the gold wings twin disc and enormous weight) but I have never felt the need.

[Seamus]

Thanks for the info. I had thought of this, but heard that it did not make much difference. If it's good in the dry, then thats fine. I hope not to use it in the wet after the work I have to do.

Cheers

Seamus

[gripperod]

When converting to twin disc I used calipers off a later K7(?) with the feed and bleed nipple located centrally one above the other so that it all looked nice and symmetrical when it was finished. Unfortunately the caliper brackets for the later calipers fouled the discs and the original calipers and brackets had different centres between the caliper bolts so I had to have a pair of one off caliper brackets made. Deep joy.........

[Seamus]

Thanks for the info. It's the little detail that saves lots of heartache.

I shall see what I can find and work from there.

Cheers

Seamus

[matthewmosse]

Not quite honda, but brake related, I have a BMW of similar age, with similar poor in the wet stainless steel brake disks, they are drilled and tend to crack radially apparently. The fix / upgrade is to fit pfm made cast iron disks, stopping is inproved  but they rust overnight. Depends if you ride in the rain, I find the hondas brakes only truly suck in an absolute deluge of rain and then applying the brakes lightly for a few miles to warm them up serves to keep them on form.

[gripperod]

Seamus,if you are really interested I can e-mail some photes of how it didnt work initially and  I should be able to dig out and scan the sketch with dimensions of the calipers I had made if you decided to go that way.

Cheers

bp

[Seamus]

That would be really useful. I would appreciate the information. Thanks for the thought.

I am just looking to see which parts I can unearth and work from there. I have the front out of my K1 in order to rebuild the wheel. I have a new rim (curtesy of Dave Silver) and stainless spokes. Just need to paint the centre of the hub and polish the rest, then get started. (probably have to have someone look at it after my attempt).

Look forward to the info, but don't rush as I have a good way to go yet.

Cheers

Seamus