8" Diam Front Brakes by VOCSC

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robinlw

Guest
As Ian says (& so often true of the rest of the bike!) set the brakes up to best possible in standard form, i.e. per Jim Mathers' article in MPH earlier this year, before judging them. I was intrigued to find on Calle's highly enjoyable tour in Norway (Nov. MPH) that among our little group of disc braked Vins + a Laverda & a Ducati ducking & diving briskly down serious gradients that the Prof's Shadow drums were more than up to matching our braking. I asked him about them but he said only that BS ribbed drums were essential.
 

timetraveller

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Good for you Nulli. Look forwards to your comments in a few months time when you have had the chance to bed them in and see if the handling is affected. Happy Xmas :)
 

rwhitne2

Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Thank you one and all for the inputs. Received my set of 8" brakes from VOCSC 2 weels ago. Am looking forward but 2 ft new snow last night precludes all til May. Merry Christmas Mike W.
 

Tom Gaynor

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Twin leading shoe brakes lock on

Hi Juel. I bought mine (from PV) about a year ago. The short answer is "b*llsh*t". It's the sort of thinking that belongs to an era when bikes had ineffective front brakes and it was believed that application of a front brake would inevitably throw the rider over the bars. Yeah, right.
Nor has it ever happened on any of the 2ls brakes I've used on road or track. (Suzuki, Honda, 8" home-made Norton, 8" Manx Norton, all two shoe, 10" Kawasaki H1R, 9" Menani, and of course 7" Vincent, all 4-shoe. And a Seeley, a 9" four shoe sls brake, but with a clever little linkage to get more servo than sls provides.
2ls brakes certainly hit fast, but 1) that's what I wanted, a brake that works RIGHT NOW, not half a wheel rotation later, and 2) that's only ever been a problem at walking pace on gravel. It's a problem with discs too - at walking pace on gravel.
I don't understand why anyone would want single leading shoe brakes anyway. One shoe servos itself on, and the other shoe servos itself OFF. Where's the problem in having brakes that work? You can buy a 2ls replacement brake for virtually any classic bike originally fitted with an inadequate (but cheap to make) sls one, and VOC decides to market a one inch bigger sls one. Why isn't anyone marketing Norton, Triumph and BSA single leading shoe brakes an inch bigger? Because they're not as smart as us?


What is the truth about the rumor I have heard that Twin Leading Shoe Brakes can lock-on and spill you off? Just the facts 'mam.
 

ET43

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
8" brakes

For what it is worth, I have just thrown away my rear wheel japanese disc and fitted one of the new brakes there. TLS brakes are no good at holding a machine on a hill, ie, to stop the machine going backwards, especially an outfit, I use the sidecar brake and front brake for cornering, ( twin discs ) and the rear brake for holding the machine stationary and for gentle braking. In panic mode I can operate the sidecar and rear brake with my foot, the front discs with my hand and the right foot rubs the ground for extra resistance, although my foot does get blooming hot. Just joking! Hopefully I will be able to give a progress report in early spring. I must say that it does fill up a 15" rim well.
Cheers,
ET43
 

Tom Gaynor

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Brakes

So vital is the rear brake to stopping a solo from high speed, that in 15 seasons I've had to reline the 7" sls rear brake of my Norton as many as no times.
I agree about their (1ls brakes) use to prevent running backwards. I once pulled the nipple off a 2ls brake cable trying to prevent a solo rolling back down a ramp. That's because a 2ls brake has the servo on both shoes applying the brake going forward, but has both shoes servoing themselves off running backwards. Whereas (as aforementioned...) a 1ls has the servos in opposition (which shoe leads depends on direction of rotation, as eny fule noe), so works both ways equally. Depending on how much time you spend riding backwards it can be a good choice...
My Volvo has 1ls drums at the back for the handbrake, and one can feel them "set" when the car moves forward or backward an inch or so. (It has discs front and rear for stopping, as opposed to parking.)
 

bmetcalf

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
8" Brakes

How about an update on your 8" brakes?

Whilst a lot of you appear to have spent the afternoon on your computers I have been fitting my 8" front brakes and then testing them. The initial impression is that I am very impressed :):).

Obviously I have not done any hard braking yet, but I now feel I have a brake that I can be confident with :):).
 

Albervin

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
8" brakes & Bramptons

I have a set of 8" ones on order for my B ,the maker has to mod them a little bit as my B has bramptons , if you want your Vincent to look right stay with the old brakes, but do not ride it, Sooner or later you will not be able to stop and it will hurt.
pete
I would appreciate an update on your experiences with the new brakes. If you want you can send me a PM with all the good & bad bits.
 
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