Someone tell me I'm wrong.
Fullauto - I hobot- state for a fact that you are wrong, but only a little bit to me.
What you don't get with a Norton is anywhere near the same weight transfer as a modern setup, purely because of the short travel of the suspension. Hence, even though the front brake still provides most of the braking, the addition of some rear brake will add quite a bit of stopping power to the equation. My front disc is standard with a sleeved master cylinder and braided hose. Used alone, it is what I would call acceptable. Used together I find the braking power excellent.
1. Agree'd, normal Cdo are as stated, Excellent brakes with minimal mods, but some issues to plant the front to use full tire grip w/o rear swapping ends. Trixie brakes best as you say, Espeically on Loose-Slick Stuff. Basics is tap rear first to just squeal and with slight delay fast apply the front till its squealing max grip and feather the front grip as needed, right down to the speeds lock up is best. If Cdo rear is not essentially floating, there is more slow down still on tap - if you can keep tires inline. Peel's extra 2" fork travel allowed me to hard tap the rear which slams forks down 4" then before they rebound front brake forces them to stay down. Rebound was not upsetting if still rolling on let off, just reset to normal posture in one motion. Can ya imagine the advantage of tucking tail at same time as putting forks out like a big puppy dragged into a vet's clinic?
Ms Peel's rear link and 6" fork progressive travel made my SV650 on dual 27:1 ratio 320 mm + race rubber > very dangerous - as my normal commutes on Peel is to zoom up to blinds then 80% slow down till a clear view then zoom up again, SV would both stoppie or wheelie too easy unexpectedly going by the innate actions I did on Peel just getting along not in a real rush!!!! My SV would pull surprise stoppie at gas pull down testing, that both my Combats did in stride. Humphf same with '01 Ninja on race rubber. Got to be so damn gentle with them moderns I can't have my wild ways with em just for fun.
An interesting topic. I personally rate the Norton disc and drum combo quite highly. People seem to rubbish the rear drum quite badly. Modern bikes with their squidgy suspension tend to put almost all their braking effort into the front brake because hitting it hard tends to cause the rear end to go very light with the transfer of weight. All the rear brake does in this situation is to steady the rear of the bike. ie, it is more for stability than actual braking. My X1 Buell has a monster 340mm disc on the front with a six piston caliper. A truly wonderful setup. Who needs two discs up front anyway? The rear single piston caliper is dreadful and wouldn't stop you if used alone. However, as a brake to stabilise the bike in hard braking, it does the job with no worries.
2. I agree, moderns too damn tippy for effective braking. THIS IS the down fall of EVERY bike vs car race test, Modern bikes or vintage either, simply can not corner well enough so they ALL must serious brake before entry and can't, while the car can full brake routinely and also entry at way higher speed, so its only straight sprints the bike might catch up again. Ms Peel is at max acceleration before the first lean initiated into turns, so much so any excess lean = instant slip out, which is exactly what I want so the slight hi side kicks bike back up some for hook up w/o let off or any lose of momentum, just a darn instant reduction in acceleration, no stopping of acceleration, sheeze poor corner cripples, the lot of ya - risking life and bike for such little ittiy bitty gains in thril. NO SIR NOT FOR ME NO MORE NO WAY!
But Pashaw that is still mere ho hum phase two counter steering, the phase of mild daily commuting on safe reserves rates - Peel leave best elites in her wake after a single turn over 45" needed. I'm not interested in what ya see on race video, its counter productive, only hill climbs, ice spiked oval racers enter the other phases of handling where the real G's Force Joys Overwhelm
2a. The 5% riders who use brake to assist turns are either on wimpy cycles that can't power tire spin or wussies on wimpy cycle chassis-tires, as no way in physics can slowing wheels turning get ya through a turn funner-quicker, hehe, I know too damn well what rear brake is for in maneuvering and that ONLY for recovering a low side or preventing faster entry by kicking out rear to add drag and spin about the front patch as pivot. [I'm a wuss on wimpy bike too ok]
2b. Above by brake or by power slide, is the transition into next phase change of handling physics, controls reverse like a plane thrown in a spin, stunt pilots know this and learn to anticipate it - but boy howdy air frame better be G's rated enough. Ms Peel/s is. The faster you go the slicker the surface becomes and is one reason I want a shift pointer in rain or on Grit, to know if I can power out of a crisis or must brake rear out and around or miss my turn. Surprise rain grease slicks or dry thin sand sections surprises trained me when nothing to lose but go down anyway. This is where the state of mind matters so much to do or die - as goes against all innate sense of survival reflex.
The rear used alone is only fair. I almost never use the rear brake on the Buell and I suspect that riders of modern bikes don't actually use the rear brake to stop, but more as a cornering tool to tighten lines and control wheelspin. If, of course they are part of the five percent of riders capable of using the brakes to anywhere near their capacity. The rear on a modern bike would provide maybe 10% of the braking power, where on the Norton it would be closer to 40% I suspect. I KNOW that when used in tandem braking efficiency is greatly increased.
3. Modern and ancient big cruisers often use rear brakes for effective stops. Moderns sport bikes just seem too front end heavy to take much whoa. I've read that the front mass bias it becuase they can't go through turns under much power so they have to depend on dangerous front traction, which is being lifted out of traction the sharper you turn -even w/o throttle-, so makes for poor braking, like "desperately" trying to enter turns slow enough they can handle it, so too darn boring for me to aspire to mimic in any way.
3. Norton rear drum is a great brake, about perfect, can lock up anytime but takes some on purpose pressure so easy to modulate. Its helpful on slick steeps to slightly drag rear because front would slip out on any brake force. It allows a fun stunt I do on Commando's to show off. Zoom off to top of 1st and catch 2nd a bit then down shift for over run sound till about 30 mph then lock rear up for smoke as bike slides total upright at a skewed angle kinda sideways following the straight steering front tire. Done well its like a car pulling into nose-nose parking slot by drifting in pretty as you please obliquely.
Big deal in Norton or any brake is getting the spinning mass down as thats as much or more lb force than bike speed to slow up.
