discs vs drums
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My first motorized two wheeler had scrub brakes. A pad pushed down on the tire.Crude but it did work.Unless the tire was wet. Then you needed to go to the " Flintstones " brakes where you drag your feet. There were also brakes that used a strap clamping on the outside of a drum. Some were lined with leather. Needless to say,they only worked on slow moving vehicles.
Hydraulic drums, like most older cars and trucks use,have a big problem with fading when the fluid starts to boil.This happens coming down big hills.Of course more weight and and faster speeds makes it much more likely.Never seen a moto with hydraulic drums in the 50 years I have been riding,racing,and working in bike shops.Not saying they are not out there,but I have never seen them.
Discs were first used on airplanes.I think the first ones on cars were used by Jig-U-Wire.Of course they can fade if you get them hot enough.Bokor is a good place to find out how it works.You see people throwing water on hot brakes.Don't do it! It will crack drums and warp rotors.Not every time.But not worth the risk.Let them cool down slowly.
I have changed thousands of brake pads when I worked at the dealership. I hate changing shoes.Car or moto,they both can seize up.All three Suzuki's I owned here in Cambodia had the same problem with the sliders on the front disk.Easy fix.My PCX brakes faded coming down the new Phnom Kulen road a few months ago.A month later a Hyundai County 24 seat bus lost his brakes and tuned over.No one hurt bad.A week later a minivan lost brakes in the same spot and three tourists died.Now the road is closed except to local traffic.
Khmer brakes last the life of the bike.Cause they never fucking use them!
Hydraulic drums, like most older cars and trucks use,have a big problem with fading when the fluid starts to boil.This happens coming down big hills.Of course more weight and and faster speeds makes it much more likely.Never seen a moto with hydraulic drums in the 50 years I have been riding,racing,and working in bike shops.Not saying they are not out there,but I have never seen them.
Discs were first used on airplanes.I think the first ones on cars were used by Jig-U-Wire.Of course they can fade if you get them hot enough.Bokor is a good place to find out how it works.You see people throwing water on hot brakes.Don't do it! It will crack drums and warp rotors.Not every time.But not worth the risk.Let them cool down slowly.
I have changed thousands of brake pads when I worked at the dealership. I hate changing shoes.Car or moto,they both can seize up.All three Suzuki's I owned here in Cambodia had the same problem with the sliders on the front disk.Easy fix.My PCX brakes faded coming down the new Phnom Kulen road a few months ago.A month later a Hyundai County 24 seat bus lost his brakes and tuned over.No one hurt bad.A week later a minivan lost brakes in the same spot and three tourists died.Now the road is closed except to local traffic.
Khmer brakes last the life of the bike.Cause they never fucking use them!
Those accidents are unrelated to the type of brake but down to maintenance (and driver error) or lack off. I saw the underside of one of those busses and it was rusted to fuck. Imagine what the brake pipes were like?
Drums on trucks overheat and either faded or catch alight, which is why you should use exhaust brakes and jake brakes (combined with high gears) and the trailer brakes. Save the unit just in case.
Fluid boiling is quite rare nowadays unless you’re on a track and are not using your brakes properly or on a difficult course or have a standard setup and 400bhp!
I drove a dumper truck. That had a transmission brake, which was rubbish.
Incidentally. On old Jags (XJS etc) the rear disc brakes were inboard (as in not within the wheel but centrally located) and a pain to change so lots of owners cut panels into the boot to make changing easy!
If you’re brakes fade on any motorcycle (125 or 1000cc) coming down Bokor you’re not doing it right. Plenty of cooling off on straights.
Drums on trucks overheat and either faded or catch alight, which is why you should use exhaust brakes and jake brakes (combined with high gears) and the trailer brakes. Save the unit just in case.
Fluid boiling is quite rare nowadays unless you’re on a track and are not using your brakes properly or on a difficult course or have a standard setup and 400bhp!
I drove a dumper truck. That had a transmission brake, which was rubbish.
Incidentally. On old Jags (XJS etc) the rear disc brakes were inboard (as in not within the wheel but centrally located) and a pain to change so lots of owners cut panels into the boot to make changing easy!
If you’re brakes fade on any motorcycle (125 or 1000cc) coming down Bokor you’re not doing it right. Plenty of cooling off on straights.
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- TheGrimReaper
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You had me panicking there for a minute. In my clouded sight I thought you were saying the old Jags had drum brakes at the rear.
As the proud owner of an X300 I just could not remember ever seeing drums on the rear (except the hand brake).
Sweat over.
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XJR or just gay.TheGrimReaper wrote: ↑Thu Aug 29, 2019 10:32 pmYou had me panicking there for a minute. In my clouded sight I thought you were saying the old Jags had drum brakes at the rear.
As the proud owner of an X300 I just could not remember ever seeing drums on the rear (except the hand brake).
Sweat over.
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- vladimir
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Yes, but discs are far less maintenance over a long period of time.newnewnewbie wrote: ↑Wed Aug 28, 2019 3:05 pmAlso drums are cheaper and easier to repair yourself with a limited toolshed.
Buy a new bike with discs, no hassles for a few years.
By one with drums, change within 3-6 months.
Been riding bikes for close to 50 years, only ever had one disc lock, one disc replaced, number of drums just on the Xt360/ XT500 maybe 10 in 3 years..
ירי ילדים והפצצת אזרחים דורש אומץ, כמו גם הטרדה מינית של עובדי ההוראה.
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I agree, but a country local is often forced to overload his bike. Not only sometimes, but all the time. In that case, a drum brake is actually more reliable, especially on a wet dirt road. I got this from someone with real experience in the field.
I have ridden bikes since for ever, and not even close to a 'bike enthusiast' or 'maintenance guru' or some Djebel jumping performance hero.. but still managed to survive this environment for an extended period.
so peace out, otherwise.
I have ridden bikes since for ever, and not even close to a 'bike enthusiast' or 'maintenance guru' or some Djebel jumping performance hero.. but still managed to survive this environment for an extended period.
so peace out, otherwise.
XT500s are overrated. Much like the Ford Escort (All marks especially Mk3).
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- vladimir
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Terrible decompression kickback, and points needed changing almost every month. Quite heavy, too, small tank.
The XT550 solved that problem with CD ignition, and also came with monoshock suspension, larger tank
ירי ילדים והפצצת אזרחים דורש אומץ, כמו גם הטרדה מינית של עובדי ההוראה.
The XT600 was even better as it solved the cooling issue on the 550s plus had hardened gears with better ratios.
XT660 are just boring.
It’s like any 60s or 70s or even 80s cars and bikes. They go for silly money now. Mint 1.1 Ford Escort Mk1 - $13k!
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- TheGrimReaper
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Been sitting on this one for a while as I was puzzled by it.newnewnewbie wrote: ↑Fri Aug 30, 2019 12:28 pma drum brake is actually more reliable, especially on a wet dirt road.
Why do motocross bikes (wet and dirt) have disc brakes if drum brakes are better?
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- newnewnewbie
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Well, those off road performance bikes seldom carry a family of +4, or a dead boar, or perhaps even 21 mattresses with them, do they.
Disc brakes are far better and more reliable than drums no question. HOWEVER what newnewnewbie is really referring to is the farmer in the "sticks" pottering along at no more than 20kph with his load of pigs etc.and is basically using the moto as a field expedient tractor.TheGrimReaper wrote: ↑Sat Aug 31, 2019 5:03 pmBeen sitting on this one for a while as I was puzzled by it.newnewnewbie wrote: ↑Fri Aug 30, 2019 12:28 pma drum brake is actually more reliable, especially on a wet dirt road.
Why do motocross bikes (wet and dirt) have disc brakes if drum brakes are better?
In those conditions the brakes don't have to work that well. coupled with which in the "sticks" spares are often hard to find for disks and newer bikes, but more or less every "bush mechanic" can sort out and fix drum brake problems. They most likely will have spares for the old Honda dream and will be familiar with dealing with that model. That is why it is the bike of choice for people living in the provinces.
Bottom line is if you are a rider on or off road discs are better, but if you are a farmer using your moto as a tractor you are most likely better off with something like a Honda Dream.
Don’t reckon there’s many farmers who use their Moto as a tractor on this forum. Maybe violet or BSCW - together like that 70s sitcom, The Good Life.
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- TheGrimReaper
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Are they an item now?
Sleep, those little slices of death — how I loathe them.