[Chris ~ Stockport]

While my Indian Bullet 500 was having some jobs done recently, I asked the mechanic to open the brakes up and do a general check.
I provided the correct brake shoes... might as well replace while it's all apart.
The rear brake turned out brilliant. The front, however, no matter how much he adjusted it... beyond awful. Pulling the lever right back to the bars and the shoes barely touched the drum.
Was the drum badly worn? Well, it hadn't been with the old shoes one day before.
He eventually tried the old shoes and all was well.
We then tried an old shoe and a new shoe together on a flat surface, like two hump-back bridges. The old one was a hair's breadth smaller.
I then suggested putting them on the backplate and measuring: The new pair now about ¼" less across than the old ones.
He cleaned the old ones up, re-fitted them, and... perfect (or, anyway, as near as you can get to perfect on these Bullets.)
Check any new, perfect, lovely parts... of any sort... against the originals.
And I'll not be doing it just with brakes. LESSON FOR ME!

[AzCal Retred]

Where are these new parts coming from? Important "must work" items need to come from Hitchcock's. Their "sticky compound" shoes work a treat. H's have done the wheat-from-chaff pre-sorting.

I bought only 2 engine related e-bay parts, a mechanical advance unit and a points plate assembly. Both were cheap and of absurdly poor quality. They set on a shelf as reminders.

[Seipgam]

I don't know what brake compound the front shoes are in mine but they are brilliant. I'm sure I could lock the brake on dry bitumen.
They were in the bike when I got it 5-6 years ago, I checked them recently and still plenty of life in them so they will carry on.

Way better than the twin leading shoes in my Jawa 638, which could only be described as "adequate".


Geoff.

[Paul W]

I had my less than mediocre, standard brake shoes re-lined at Villiers Services Ltd. I can now lock both wheels, whereas before I’d have to pull the front lever until the cable end almost pulled off.

[whitehillbilly]

I have Villiers Services Lined Shoes in my Greeves.
Wheels lock up on the small drum, even after coming out of a wet creek bed.
Highly recommended.
Also use them a lot for my Villiers motor and Greeves parts. Top Service to Aus.

whitehillbilly

[allanfox]

Likewise had mne relined by Villers, totally different afterwards and cheaper than buying dodgy new ones!