CB550 Honda Brakes - need advice/help

[Duc]

I am trying to get best possible performance from the stock brakes on my '76 CB550 Honda that I have just re built as a cafe racer .

Frankly ....the brakes suck!

I will get some sintered pads from EconoHonda and drill the rotors but I really need to get the "soft spongy" feel out of the lever. Were they always like that?

My rears are very effective but the front does sweet f**k all.

BTW: The front rotor is not glazed. cos I bead blasted it.

[MVnut]

Pull the lever back to the bars...........well it works on an H2:headbang:

[MaxB]

Something to try?

Do you have the single disc set up? Even when they are working properly the brakes are not up to much.

If so, the piston only actuates one side of the caliper and the other side is dragged onto the disc by a pivoted swinging arm. This has a steel pivot pin running in alloy and is prone to seizure. The pivot is located as part of the fork leg lower. To check you have to remove the caliper and check for play. Mine was seized I had to a use a drift and replace the pin. Keep it lubed at regular intervals and it will last.

I guestimate that I got a 50% improvement in braking and double the pad life.

[Cruisin' Craig]

Something to try?

Do you have the single disc set up? Even when they are working properly the brakes are not up to much.

If so, the piston only actuates one side of the caliper and the other side is dragged onto the disc by a pivoted swinging arm. This has a steel pivot pin running in alloy and is prone to seizure. The pivot is located as part of the fork leg lower. To check you have to remove the caliper and check for play. Mine was seized I had to a use a drift and replace the pin. Keep it lubed at regular intervals and it will last.

I guestimate that I got a 50% improvement in braking and double the pad life.

So would excessive wear on one pad be a sign that this is happening then?

[MaxB]

Yep.

My 400/4 ate a set of pads in 3 months admittedly after a fair bit of use. Pads 1/4 worn on one side & down to the backing plate on the other.

FWIW my mate used a CB750 as a base for a cafe racer. He junked the front end for a Marzocchi fork/twin disc Brembo set up. That worked really well.

[FROSTY]

I am trying to get best possible performance from the stock brakes on my '76 CB550 Honda that I have just re built as a cafe racer .

Frankly ....the brakes suck!

I will get some sintered pads from EconoHonda and drill the rotors but I really need to get the "soft spongy" feel out of the lever. Were they always like that?

My rears are very effective but the front does sweet f**k all.

BTW: The front rotor is not glazed. cos I bead blasted it.
Dude the brakes on those early bikes were never anything to wright home about. Add a few years of use and abuse coupled to weather and its gonna be a sorry old plot.
Id start out by stripping it down and rekitting the master and slave cylinder.Pay particular attention to giving both pistons a mirror polish.Then I'd fit a new brake line.-You are already fitting soft pads
As already mentioned free up and lube all the sliding components -use rubberlube.
After that to be honest you may be able to handle the brakes-(till it rains)
But most likely not.
Where you go from there is entirely up to you
Either a twin disk setup from a gs550 of the sameish era
Or if you want it to stay looking period but improve the brakes HEAPS.
See if you can get the whole wheel assembily from a GB500 or 400
still looks the part with wire wheels etc but 17 inch wheels and pretty reasonable brakes.