Author Topic: Rear Brake Help Needed  (Read 13423 times)

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fredgold52

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Reply #30 on: April 11, 2008, 08:49:29 pm
Rear drums of a similar size hae been used on more modern, heavier, and faster bike than the Bullet.

Besides, the front brake is much more important to stopping power, that's why manufacturers went to front disks land before adding them to the back and why so many cars still have drums in the back.

As long as it is properly adjusted the existing rear brake should provide ample stopping power.

I just love being told things like that.  It is a pleasant and long winded way of telling me I am wrong and that my rear brake is really fine - I just don't know it.

I have taken the rear wheel off and used the opportunity to center the brakes better.  I have adjusted the various adjustment points so it's back like factory.  The fact is, there is a tremendous amount of flexing in the connection from pedal to brake arm.  The whole thing is whippy and feeble.  The actual braking  force delivered by the brake which many have said is large enough to stop an old Duo-Glide, is weak.  Amazingly so.

I understand the relationship between the front and read brakes.  True, the front brake does the majority of the stopping.  However, on gravel, sand, wet leaves and many of the other road surfaces one finds here in the Midwest, a good back brake is helpful in keeping the bike upright.

As I ride the bake more, either the back brake is getting slightly better, or I'm getting used to it.  Not sure which.  One thing that I am sure of though is that I now have to plan ahead for intersections rather than just zooming up to them and knowing I have enough brake to stop in plenty of time.  But truly, the Bullet is so much fun that I don't mind the marshmellow rear brake quite so much.
2006 '65' and a 200cc Stella, Indian all the way


cyrusb

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Reply #31 on: April 11, 2008, 10:29:01 pm
Well,as said earlier , it's not the brake, its the actuation. I hate to say it ,but it might have been better if they used a cable. Its pretty obvious the problem stemmed from having to put the brake on the right for the US market. Theres a lot of details on these bikes I feel  happened that way, like the throttle cable crammed under the gas tank.
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fredgold52

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Reply #32 on: April 12, 2008, 10:23:01 pm
I understand about that, Cyrus.  As one of my engineering friends once said, "There's nothing as permanent as a temporary fix."

I expect when this latest cold snap gets out of here, I'll be looking at ways to firm up the rear brake linkage.  Yeah, a cable might have been better.  Certainly no worse.
2006 '65' and a 200cc Stella, Indian all the way


longstrokeclassic

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Reply #33 on: April 14, 2008, 10:54:49 am
I seemed to have solved the problem , but now I have to take extra care not to lock up the rear wheel.  :o

Fitted one of these  http://www.royal-enfield.com/handlebar.htm    item R1032  Rear brake upgrade kit, which got rid of the flex.

Then later replace the kinked arm with a straight one and placed it in the lower fixing hole.  Important - note the position of the split pin.

The cheapest option would be to drill a new hole for the brake rod an inch below the existing one and fit a straight brake rod.

The Before and After photos are here  (entry dated 1st April)
 http://tinytim.forumcircle.com/viewtopic.php?t=576

Best of luck. and take care first time you apply the rear brake after modification, it really caught me out, Only after a moment of panic when the back started to slide around did I realise the rear wheel had locked and I hadn't removed my foot off the brake pedal.

Ric




LJRead

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Reply #34 on: April 25, 2008, 06:47:42 am
Going through some old photos today, getting rid of a few, and lo and behold, I found an interesting thing.  Have a look at the UCE engined bike and notice that the brake linkage is all on the right hand side.  Note also that the lever arm is longer, giving a longer pulling arm at the back (the brake lever itself is already plenty long, as I pointed out before). 

It would be fairly straight forward to move the left had rear linkage to the right hand side, I should think.  The rear wheel could just be reversed and other components re-engineered to reverse everything.  Perhaps Royal Enfield should offer a kit to do this.  Seems like it would cure a lot of the woes we've been discussing in this thread.

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geoffbaker

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Reply #35 on: April 26, 2008, 02:02:46 am
I'm in the process of a LH to RH gear shift. It hadn't occured to me that it would improve brake handling, too...

Good to hear!

(Of course, one must remember to brake with the correct foot each time. That may take a little getting used to :) )