Looking for suggestions for modern brake calipers...front and rear.

[NorCoaster]

Well. I knew it was getting to be about time to upgrade to stainless brake hoses and was already starting to look in finding some modern calipers, but the rear brake locking up on me while riding yesterday just fast forwarded that plan to the forefront of things to do. So.

Anybody know of some good aftermarket dual piston calipers for the front and a more modern single for the rear that I wouldn't have to do crazy mods for in order to mount them?

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Nor,

You've got a special, and it has the wonky swivel single bolt on calipers with the slanted pads for the front. This site has been up since 2002, and I have NEVER seen anyone post about a SIMPLE mod to replace the calipers for the fronts of a SPECIAL. That's why a few years ago I did this MOD to see what it would take to put modern dual piston calipers on it.

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36309&highlight=special+fork+brake

Crazy Steve came up a relatively simple MOD for the Standard's front caliper system.
SO....a modest simple mod would be to put Standard tubes/sliders on your special, and then you can put modern calipers at least on the front.

The rear calipers are pretty good STOCK, and with SS lines, are really quite adequate. Your rear locking up is probably the spooge hole in the MC clogged, but could also be corrosion in the piston o-ring groove in the caliper housing causing the piston to no retract.

T.C.

[bikerphil]

Might as well go all the way and put a modern front end on there, upgrade the forks and the brakes. Then again, not going to be a simple mod.

[NorCoaster]

I know all about the slanted and swinging pads haha I replaced the pads front and rear, fully cleaned both master cylinders, and cleaned and rebuilt all three calipers at the same time last August so unless spooge in the line made its way into the caliper...I'm guessing that the very light galling I saw when I rebuilt them really went to **** and seized the piston in there.

What kind of spec differences are there between the standard and special tubes/sliders? Same internals?

As far as the mod itself goes...I feel like I'm adequately qualified to come up one off bracket mod. One thing I have been searching for is the exact OD of the rotors on my bike. I've seen 298mm for all of them on here, but that translates to 11.732"...will calipers made for 11.8" rotors work? Or is that(298mm) the wrong measurement to begin with

[jetmechmarty]

I believe Specials have Showa forks. Standards have KYB forks. Whether I'm right or wrong, the internals are not the same.

The easiest brake upgrade is to raise the wallet and put a new bike under it. Otherwise, updates are hit or miss and will certainly take some effort. Adaptors are available for the standard forks if you shop XS650. If you swap to the standard forks, you need to use the standard triple clamps as well. The fork ears won't fit, so you modify them as well.

[hamjam]

I got these beautiful 4 piston Brakes, front / rear Dual 300mm hydraulic discs / 300mm disc they were attached to "the Buick" '08 1600 Nomad

[NorCoaster]

I could give two ****s about what's the easiest, Marty. At this point I'm done posting, and commenting, about anything I might want to do, or am doing, to the bike. Many of you telling me to swap this, swap that. Or do the simplest or easiest way. Or that it can't be done. On most everything I've posted since I joined. I remember how many of you got sand vaginas when the guy with the straight-piped cafe xs11 came in and a bunch of you acted like stuck up little kids. This isn't high school. Get over yourselves. You don't have to be a ****ing "expert' to understand this ****.

[NorCoaster]

Hamjam...thank you for your raw as hell answer...which is exactly what I was asking for. Not ****ing explanations or alternate options. So far, you're the only person actually on topic.

[FJ111200]

Harrison Billet > http://www.billet.co.uk/index2.html?home.html~mainFrame do a front caliper for the XS1100S or Sport as it's known over here.
Whether that would work with yours i don't know but you could buy a Sport front end to go with it.

[IanDMacDonald]

Hamjam...thank you for your raw as hell answer...which is exactly what I was asking for. Not ****ing explanations or alternate options. So far, you're the only person actually on topic.

Hamjam is commenting on the brake setup on a non-XS bike.

What you don't know is that many people on here have been XS owners since the beginning of time. So, I guess you should consider that before using abusive language towards fellow members. I have Blue spot calipers on mine, and they stop the bike on a dime. Custom fabbed caliper brackets, S/S braided lines. Love them! Do you want to know who I got the prints from? The guys u just cussed-out. Good-luck!

[hamjam]

you are most welcome sir and this is a bunch of guys sitting around a campfire eating marshmallows and chips and washing them down with a favourite libation mine is Club soda and lemon but others have different choices everyone in here has an opinion and of course everyone in here is the ultimate expert some agree and some violently disagree when i joined this group last century there were a few of us that got pooped on for talking about our kids and other things cause that just wasn't bike related as well as comments that some would consider flippant or even flipped off it hasn't changed much but I belong to 4 other bike list forums i check 3 of them every week or so but im here every day even though there will be 87 replies to what air pressure do you run and after the 4th or 6th reply it becomes about the price of stainless steel kumquat slicers on ebay i used to get pissed about it but now i ignore the stuff and skim through and pick the stuff I want and disregard the rest , wow this would make a great lyric for a song , i read your stuff might be interesting to sit around a real fire and talk about stuff with my club soda and your ?? there is good information and people in here just choose what is right for you

[hamjam]

Hamjam is commenting on the brake setup on a non-XS bike.

What you don't know is that many people on here have been XS owners since the beginning of time. So, I guess you should consider that before using abusive language towards fellow members. I have Blue spot calipers on mine, and they stop the bike on a dime. Custom fabbed caliper brackets, S/S braided lines. Love them! Do you want to know who I got the prints from? The guys u just cussed-out. Good-luck!

I've been here since 1997 or 1996 and had the XS 10 years when i joined
havent met anyone on here well except one that i would not invite to stay in my house and have had a bunch

[jetmechmarty]

Norcoaster,
I believe I answered your question about standard vs. Special forks. I did add a smart ass remark about a new bike. Going forward, I'll leave your threads alone. I don't come here for aggravation.

[IanDMacDonald]

I've been here since 1997 or 1996 and had the XS 10 years when i joined
havent met anyone on here well except one that i would not invite to stay in my house and have had a bunch

Hey Hamjam- Sorry, that was two different thoughts. The first one was pointing out that u were referencing your non-XS bike, and the second one was to Norcoaster.

[hamjam]

Not to worry I don't sweat the petty stuff ...and I don't pet the sweaty stuff :-D