Forum

[Gwilly]

Dropping into the two lane offslip at around sixty, two finger pressure
on the front lever scrubbing off speed nicely. Two cars, one in each
lane 100yrds ahead just about to enter the roundabout. Suddenly one
sideswipes the other changing lanes and a situation develops very
rapidly. I'm still doing forty and both lanes are blocked 50yrds ahead.
Change down 4-3rd-2nd two fingers become gorilla grip, everthing is at
max effort, then the brakes fade to nothing. This is buttock clenching
enfield riding at its best. Should have stayed home and dug the garden.
Anyway looking for better quality front brake linings to give me a few
seconds more stopping power. Any consensus on good manufacturer? ie
Ferodo, EBC, Brake is good when cold, adjustment fine, possible to lock
the wheel, but not if hot and really needed. Funny i dont remember this
problem back in the 60s-70s i had Norton, bsa, greaves even the old
fanny bee would stop when preferable. Where the old asbestos linings
better? or could it be that i was 8 stone lighter. Thankfully nothing
was beside or behind me as i cut across from right to left lane and shot
through the four foot gap on the nearside of the two cars. My face a
picture in studied concentration.  gwilly

[Paul M H]

I have the Hitchcock's Improved Brake shoes on mine and also a Hitchcock's Heavy Duty Cable took a little time to set up and bed in but its very strong and responsive now stops as good as any disk brake bike Ive had. My rear brake is the same with Hitchcock's improved shoes and a straight brake rod.

[Paul M H]

P/s I Live in Muswell Hill so the brakes get a good test some mornings on the way down especially when some plonker pulls out near the bottom of the hill and it don't fad or  weaken going down that hill so I would say there much better.

[Paul M H]

P/s I Live in Muswell Hill so the brakes get a good test some mornings on the way down especially when some plonker pulls out near the bottom of the hill and it don't fad or  weaken going down that hill so I would say there much better.

[John M]

I have a 6" brake on the front of mine and never suffer from brake fade.


I would love to have brake fade, however the brake would have to generate heat through friction for it to fade and as it doesn't contribute much towards slowing the bike there is little chance of it fading!

[Edward]

Hi Gwilly


I have the original brake shoes on my 500 Classic 2003 and I have never experienced fade however hard I use the brakes.


Regards


Edward

[Norm]

 Gwilly,


   Staying home to dig the garden is just about as risky, I went tp pull some weeds from the garden on Sunday and all I did was pull my back out. I should have gone for a ride, much safer

[simon]

Ary yes brake fade, what a splendid notion. My brake too is more of a forward motion impedance tool. I did find that the old set of Indian asbestos shoes that came with the early 90's wreck mde a huge difference to the old 51 bullet. Whereas once the front brake would barely hold the bike from rolling on a hill now it actual is a useable driving brake. Can't say I have a great deal of faith in it to actually stop the bike though. The seven inch drum on my mates G80 is excellent though. Pity RE didn't give the extra inch. 

[TimG]

Yikes.


Hope the brandy was waiting at home for you...not a nice experience. My 500 Classic's front TLS can be induced to fade under very heavy braking, but it's not normally a problem...my worst brake fade moment occurred while riding a Honda CB250RS two-up down Wrynose Pass at admittedly silly speeds. Yes, you CAN get a hydraulic front disc to fade....brandy was off the menu cos I was still riding but myself and pillion got off at the bottom for a shake and a fag...


Cheers


TimG

[apparently lucky eddie]

"you can get a hydrauli disc to fade" - At the bike club that I go to there are a number of mid 1970's jap bikes, the topic of conversation at every meet invariably gets round to how crap jap disc brakes used to be. If there's even a suggestion of rain these guys still refuse to ride their yamakawahondukis cos they know they ain't gonna stop. It's not just about the brake linings or pads but also the disc /brake drum material too.