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If you have never registered to use this forum website before, please CLICK HERE.Me too, especially now 8" brakes are available for Brampton forks.Now 8" and twin leading shoe brakes have been round for a while, I'd be interested in hearing some feedback from users prior to upgrading my own brakes. Any info/ advice would be much appreciated.
I think all later supplied kits should be OK. The clearance problem was actually due to the variation in the distance of the fork blades, and the later kits should now cater for the variations in our 'standard' Vincents.
My kit was modified by the manufacture, who is a friend on mine. You do need longer brake cables as the actuating arms are further away!
I am surprised by the earlier comments on wooden feel/sponginess. My longer brake cables are heavy duty ones, and I have a balance beam support bridge. My old set up was very spongy, whereas the new set up does not feel spongy or wooden in operation.
For minor speed adjustments I now can use just two fingers. I think it was money well spent as I no longer have to worry so much about emergency stops.
I installed a set of Speet brakes about 3 years ago. They replaced nice thick alloy plates with green linings all trued up etc, which worked quite well, however with two up and full luggage, I just wanted more stop. I have to say that despite a few naysayers going on about how any 2LS brakes are just killers etc etc, these brakes have worked very well indeed. For a demo one day I grabbed a handfull at 60 MPH and locked up the front wheel. They were not cold, but not what one would describe as"racing temperature" either, and I was solo, and as I mostly ride two up with luggage on that bike, the suspension is quite stiff. There is no sponge, after contact the handlebar lever hardly travels any further, and these are no new either, as I have put around 15,000 miles on them now.
I was out with the local"modern" sportbike club last weekend and with them and all their 4 and 6 pot floating this and that, I found I was riding (mostly) with just two fingers on the brake, and when getting rather spirited with them (Picture me leading a 1050 Sprint. a VFR800, and Aprillia Tuono, a 650 V strom, and a couple of others through some local - well known to me - twisty bits) took to all four fingers. Ya, so it won't pull a wheelie for several 100 yards, but you guys really need to learn how to keep up corner speed -- but I digress.
Bottom line is at my time and place the Speet brakes work great for ME!!
Someone needs to do a more scientific test on which ones work the best, and how much each weighs etc etc.