Our beloved V1000/Vampire models owe a lot to their Italian forebears, particularly with respect to the suspension and braking choices...
Alas, the limited production run(s) that Hesketh enjoyed never really gave the marque the opportunities to develop in the same way as the Italian bikes, and one such development concerns the position of the front "anchors".
For example; way back when Ducati first put the Mike Hailwood Replica (MHR) into the hands of the public ('79 - '82), it looked just like this:
(http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Gallery/Ducati%20900%20MHR%2079%20%203.jpg)
Just one year after that, the MHR had seen some subtle alterations:
(http://classic-motorbikes.net/images/gallery/ducati-900-mhr.jpg)
It's the changes to the front brake that interest me... I managed to get a few thousand miles under the tyres of my V1000 last year and I've learned a lot about the way it handles... One of those things is the considerable amount of "wheel flop (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_and_motorcycle_geometry#Wheel_flop)" that it exhibits at slow speeds... :-\
I've experienced this before... The worst ever example was a Honda CB750 F1 that I "double disked" back in 1982... The extra weight added by the 2nd disk and caliper assembly (it felt like about 500kg... ;)) made the front wheel drop like a stone into slow corners... So much so that I changed the handlebars for wider ones to increase the available leverage.... But I've also seen not so bad examples... Like the Suzuki GT750M/A... Calipers originally fitted in front of the forks and slow speed handling transformed by relocating them to the rear...
"Not original" do I hear..? Well, we'll never know will we...? When the "Vulcan" spec V1000 was released in 2006/7, Mick B used 4-pot calipers mounted aft of the forks... Who's to say that an aft-mounted Brembo equipped model wasn't considered somewhere along the line...?
Progress so far is that the front wheel has a new tyre and bearings fitted... The wheel is balanced and ready to fit...
PIC: New Tyre, New Bearings, Painted Disks... Lovely Job! (http://iloapp.empressmcc.org.uk/data/_gallery/public/11/139086691686202300_resized.jpg)
The forks have been removed and swapped over left to right and right to left, so the caliper brackets now face rearwards... I've temporarily refitted the calipers to "play around" with the hose fittings... I've bought in two rigid brake pipes, with associated clips and grommets...
PIC: Not permanently fitted yet, but definitely looking promising... (http://iloapp.empressmcc.org.uk/data/_gallery/public/11/139086689432757800_resized.jpg)
The pipes, clips and grommets were original equipment on the BMW K100 (aft mounted Brembos).
From early playing, I've discovered that the rigid pipes are slightly too long and that the lower (caliper) end nut isn't long enough to compress the pipe at the bottom of it's thread... I'll cut the pipes and use new nuts as per the Hesketh originals... This will shorten the pipes and cure the thread shortage in one go...
Other than that, I'm having a new wheel spacer made up to replace the complex mess that the speedo drive uses... I've measured up the two original spacers, bushes and noted the distance required to centralise the wheel... My new spacer will have a section to keep the speedo drive away from the wheel bearing seal and provide a shoulder for the wheel-bearing bore reducer, which has clearly been disappearing into the bearing on my bike...
I'll pop some picture links in ASAP... (as promised :) )
Jeff
New wheel spacer collected today... :D
PIC: New RHS Wheel Spacer (http://iloapp.empressmcc.org.uk/data/_gallery/public/11/139146698226338000_resized.jpg):
Nice stainless steel job... The bottom section (as shown) sits inside the wheel bearing, reducing the inside diameter from 25mm (the bearing bore) to 17mm (the axle dia).
The middle section is 31mm outside dia, same as o/d of the wheel bearing centre race and is 3mm deep. This and the top section are machined such that the distance between the shoulder against the inner bearing race and the inside of the fork is 20mm (same as the alloy spacer on the other side).
The top section is 25mm dia, with a final step down to 22mm dia. This replicates the spacer/bush that the speedo drive sits on...
I took the wheel, axle, etc down to the machine shop today, to make certain that everything fitted... I also wanted to ask about the LHS spacer... With the axle is turned around, the shoulder that sat inside the speedo drive spacer/bush now prevents the original alloy wheel spacer from sliding all the way along to the fork leg... I wanted to know which would be best..? Leave the spacer alone and reduce the axle dia, such that the axle is 17mm all the way along..? Or counterbore the spacer to allow this shoulder to sit inside it...?
I ended up with a counter-bored alloy spacer...
I did get a chance to fit the wheel this afternoon, but not to take any snaps... I'll follow up on this ASAP...
Jeff
More done this morning...
The V1000 has rigid brake pipes, supported at their connection to the flexible brake hoses by two of these special brackets:
PIC: V1000/Vampire brake pipe bracket. (http://iloapp.empressmcc.org.uk/data/_gallery/public/11/139194571217112000_resized.jpg)
Repositioning the brake calipers means that these brackets no longer sit in the right place... So, new ones had to be made:
PIC: New brake pipe brackets: (http://iloapp.empressmcc.org.uk/data/_gallery/public/11/139194577345724100_resized.jpg)
These are made from 2mm thick mirror-polished stainless steel plate... They're made to compliment the BMW grommets and brackets I've already sourced...
With these brackets, I can now alter the rigid brake pipes (also BMW) for a perfect fit...
PIC: RHS caliper in final position, with brake pipe, hose, bracket and wheel fitted: (http://iloapp.empressmcc.org.uk/data/_gallery/public/11/139194579743782000_resized.jpg)
The stainless steel brackets were made to locate on the four 8mm studs already fitted to the forks. Then the angle of the section which the BMW part affixes to was selected to allow clearance for the nut/bolt connecting the two together. I used cardboard templates first and the plates turned out pretty close... Final adjustment was made by bending the rigid pipes to suit...
Nearly there... ;D
Jeff
That's this mod finished...
Pic: LHS front wheel/suspension with brake calipers fitted behind forks: (http://iloapp.empressmcc.org.uk/data/_gallery/public/11/139258942339809600_resized.jpg)
Pic: RHS front wheel/suspension with brake calipers fitted behind forks: (http://iloapp.empressmcc.org.uk/data/_gallery/public/11/139258939759221900_resized.jpg)
To get to here, I fitted the following new (original) parts:
1 x 100/90V19 Avon Roadrider tyre
2 x 6205-2RS SKF wheel bearings
2 pairs Ferodo FDP108 sintered brake pads
Modified the following original parts:
Front mudguard width relieved internally
LHS wheel spacer counterbored to fit step in rotated axle.
Front wheel modified - 10 rivets removed, 10 bolts, washers and nuts fitted
Fitted the following BMW parts:
Right hand brakeline to slider bracket BRA50762 (http://www.motorworks.co.uk/bmw/prodimages/lg/BRA50762.jpg)
Left hand brakeline to slider bracket BRA50761 (http://www.motorworks.co.uk/bmw/prodimages/lg/BRA50761.jpg)
Brake line metal front lower metal right hand non ABS BRA50757B (http://www.motorworks.co.uk/bmw/prodimages/lg/BRA50757B.jpg)
Brake line metal front lower metal left hand non ABS BRA50757A (http://www.motorworks.co.uk/bmw/prodimages/lg/BRA50757B.jpg)
2 x Brake hose rubber grommet BRA37259 (http://www.motorworks.co.uk/bmw/prodimages/lg/BRA37259.jpg)
Both metal brake lines required modification: One nut was changed for a longer one on each pipe and the pipe bends were modified. If I were to do this mod again, I wouldn't buy the BMW pipes, I'd make two new ones from scratch
The original reducer fitted inside the RHS wheel bearing and the bush the speedo drive runs on were replaced with a single stainless steel spacer (http://iloapp.empressmcc.org.uk/data/_gallery/public/11/139146698226338000_resized.jpg). This incorporates a stepped flange to ensure correct positioning/centreing of the wheel and a reduced diameter at the outside end to accomodate the speedo drive casing.
The dimensions listed here (http://www.heskethownersclub.org.uk/HOCSMF/index.php?topic=121.msg404#msg404) weren't final, I had to reduce the thickness of the centre shoulder to 2.5mm, reducing the length of the section external to the wheel to 19.5mm... This centred up the wheel and the brake disks position relative to the calipers...
The original chrome brake pipe supports were removed and replaced with new items made from mirror polished stainless steel plate (http://iloapp.empressmcc.org.uk/data/_gallery/public/11/139194577345724100_resized.jpg). These were made to compliment the BMW brakeline to slider brackets and are fastened to them with stainless steel bolts, nuts and washers.
Took me a while, but I'm well pleased with the end result and can't wait to get her BOTR to see if the handling is better or worse..! :D
Jeff
Very interested in how you think it handles now....
Apart from anything else , it just looks MUCH better....
Well done Jeff
That's me covered a few hundred miles since my V1000 went back on the road... :)
First impressions..? Well. the Ferodo brake pads I fitted are blooming brilliant (in the dry anyway).
The slow speed handling has been transformed...! I expected an improvement, but my expectations have been far exceeded. :D
I can't 100% say that the improvement is solely down to the caliper repositioning, as this update has included new wheel bearings and a new front tyre, but the overall effect is outstanding.
The tendency to "wobble" around slow speed (gravel strewn) turns, caused by the "wheel flop" described above, has disappeared completely...
The bike's ability to change direction rapidly - national speed limit B-roads with turn after turn and dips, rises, etc - has noticeably improved. There is far less rider input required to get the bike hustling rapidly along...
The tendency to "understeer" on fast sweeping bends
(the bike tends to "drift" wide) is still there - unsurprisingly considering the emount of extra weight that's been added to the wheel. There are ten large nut/bolt combinations and a lot more rubber spinning around, so the forces being applied will be considerable... It's not in any way alarming and reminds me of many other large bikes with similar 19" wheel/twin disk setups...
Overall, I'm very pleased indeed. I'll be sticking with this configuration now... Future changes may include plastic covered, braided brake hoses. If so, that'll replace the rigid pipes and introduce new p-clips to retain the new pipes against the s/s brackets, so no problems there...
If anyone else is interested in this mod and would like dimensions for the spacer required, please just pop me a PM and I'll get the info back to you.
Jeff
Hi Jeff.
I would think the best thing you could do for your brakes would be to get rid
Of them old rubber hoses!
I sent mine to Hel who made up black pvc coated stainless braided items.
In total all six lines (cluth line included) cost less than £200 including stainless unions and bolts.
If you are unsure try holding one of the rubber brakes lines while you tig on tje brake lever.
Simon
Hi Simon;
My bike was subject to a restoration back in 2007... All the hoses were replaced with new ones back then... There is little or no "flex" in the hoses fitted and I'm more than happy with the performance of the brakes... The caliper re-positioning mod was all about handling, without adversely affecting the braking...
That said, I did mention that future work may include replacing the hoses... I'm a long-standing HEL customer and would also recommend their services - but not for me this year...
Jeff