Why front caliper on one side or another?

Status
Not open for further replies.
acotrel said:
I have two lockheed calipers on the front. Both are behind the fork sliders, but I've often wondered if it makes any difference,forward or back. I suspect if they are behind, the bike tends to be more stable. However I also suspect that the inertia effect of the two calipers is not affected however the two are located. If you apply a force to the axle of a gyroscope it will normally precess about another axis, so steer the bike or try to lay it over. The brakes are deadly because I use the old asbestos linings, however I like it like that. I've got a set of carbon pads and I've thought about using them mixed in various combinations in the two calipers. I think two carbon pads in one caliper and two asbestos in the other might not be too bad. As one pair fade, the other pair start working ?
Click to expand...
It was explained to me as (and it kinda makes sense) that the caliper/s are mounted behind the fork legs to put their mass closer to the steering pivot point. Since a bike has to have the pivot point land somewhere behind the tire's contact point (trail) to be "inherently" stable, then the pivot line definitely lays behind the wheel. Putting the calipers in front then makes them act like big ole dangly counterweights to slow down your steering inputs.
 
I would have thought something like that would be the theory. The trail obviously affects stability at least partly through the inertia components of the front wheel, and forks etc. I've always had mine behind the sliders, however I've seen them in front on other bikes.
 
Yeah, I remember the first-gen Yama-Kawa-Hon-Suz ('69-76?) were also that way. I guess the thinking was that the "massive" force imparted to the fork leg from behind would somehow distort the lower fork leg, thus causing sticky action during heavy braking. With as heavy as those were, I don't blame them for thinking that way. Me, I would have been worried that the clamping action with the caliper in front might rip the mounting tabs right off the lower leg!
 
Maybe Norton was trying to do some balancing by trying the discs on different sides. It is one heavy old dinner plate. I could feel a new lightness in throwing the bike side to side after getting rid of the dinner plate. The much bigger Madass 320 mm disc is also much lighter.

Glen
 
I use a couple of fairly skinny discs off 70s Suzuki mounted on a hub from a CB750 Honda. The brake is actually a bit too much. - Doesn't need to be grabbed too hard as the master cylinder is small bore intended for a single caliper. I couldn't get the carbon pads hot enough to work effectively. Asbestos pads are the go. The Madass setup looks really exciting with that six spot caliper.
 
I'm not just basing my gravity theory on my own experiences but also backed by some perpetual gravity motive devices. Ponder this evidence to plug in
on weight bias over-balanced above a free pivot point...

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KqOwJKWIAw[/video]

mo plainer video to apply to our front lever arms into gravity well .
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwLGeYvrVpw[/video]
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

MikeM
  • Locked
rich on one side
Replies
4
Views
948
stu
S
D
  • Locked
Running to lean on one side
Replies
8
Views
783
Torontonian
Torontonian
H
  • Locked
smoke on one side
2
Replies
21
Views
5,079
kommando
kommando
Back
Top