CB/CL 350 RACE BIKE FAQ BRAKE MODIFICATIONS PAGE
- Chris Marshall, Braking modifications: I use stock rear and a 4LS Water Buffalo
front. Nothing out brakes this, and it never fades. It is heavy and does
tend to increase chatter in the front end. I use stock compound brake
shoes only. Other brakes I would consider are T500 or XS650. Cb450 are
also pretty good and cheap.
- Hoyt McKagen, Use Mike 'Mercury' Morse's (Vintage Brake) shoe compound. Any time you
use a bigger brake it's better. Mike told us his favorate brake choices a while
back and picked the all-time top as being the CB450 DLS, and you should
all be guided by that. A rarer but still better unit may be the Suzuki
'72 GT750 4LS. Carefully set the linkage so it gives synchronised
actuation. Make sure cable free-runs while under bump condition, is slick
and slack-free. Use ultra-minimal amounts of hi-temp lube on anchor pins
and linkage, cam flats/shafts, the cable barrel in lever eye, and the
lever pivot, and clean/re-lube both brakes often. Shoes do glaze up some in use
and light sanding to clean up often helps. Place levers close to bars by
using a master link to space them, or use dogleg levers. Brakes should be
'set' by actuating them hard as the axle is tightened; this makes a
surprising diff in performance and maybe more if you spin wheel forward
as you activate.
- Chris Ford, As far as racing is concerned, braking is the biggest short coming
of the CB 350's. The front brake, a double leading shoe with an
impressive swept area as far as street use is concerned, will definitely
fade away on lap seven of an eight lap event. Anyone considering serious
racing on a CB will have to contemplate serious brake mods. The most
common is to look for a Suzuki Titan 500 front brake, and lace it up to
the Honda rim. This gives the Honda 32% more braking capacity. Race
compound brakes shoes for stock CB's are another consideration (see
Buff's comments), and drilling large holes (1" or greater) in the
backing plate for cooling also have some positive effect on braking with
stock components. If you are just going to motor around the track, then
stock CB brakes will work out OK, but if you are really going to race,
you are going to need to spend on the brakes.
- Buff Harsh, Just like the suspension, the stock brake will work ok at first until you
start pushing them. there are three directions that people go usually. The sought after '72 Suzuki
GT750 4LS, the Yamaha XS 650 2LS and the Suzuki T500 2 LS. I use the T500
brake because it is very effient for a 2LS and also has a weight advantage
on the GT750 unit. Vintage Brake linings sure do help as well.
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