82 dual disc brake mod

[tben]

my bike is an 82 and I want to upgrade it to have dual front brakes. I am looking for any input here. Is this a worthwhile upgrade? What will I need to purchase? I've been looking at rotors and '83 calipers on ebay and am curious if there are left side/right side units or if they are interchangeable?

[h2olawyer]

The best upgrade - whether you have single or dual discs - is a braided stainless brake line.  Plan on doing it whether or not you go with the dual disc upgrade.

I made the swap a couple years ago.  Did the stainless line at the same time.  So, I can't tell personally which one made the most difference but those who have put the line on their single disc say the difference is amazing.

The improvement with both the line & dual discs was worth the effort & expense to me.  Don't think it will do a stoppie (not that I want to find out with these tiny forks) but it does whoa up much better than the OEM 82 system with less lever input.

You need (at a minimum) both fork lowers, right caliper, disc, line(s), new pads master cylinder & new fluid.  The left & right calipers are mirror images - so you will need the one specifically for the right side.  The 83 discs are smaller diameter than the 82 disc, so the calipers are mounted closer to the axle on the 83.  Thus, you need both fork lowers.  There is a plastic trim ring on the right side of the front wheel you remove to expose the holes for mounting the right side disc.

You may also need to get brake caliper kits - pistons & seals.  This will add over $100 to the project.  Then another $35 for a master cylinder rebuild kit.  Might as well get everything in top shape when you do this.  After all, you're looking to improve braking & getting everything in like new condition will assure optimal performance.

When you get the stainless brake lines, the banjo fittings may be wider than OEM.  If so, you will need banjo bolts as well.

When I did my conversion, I spent about $150 for the stainless lines, fittings & banjo bolts.  I copied the 1 into 2 system of the 83.  You can do the job cheaper by using the dual lines from master to calipers.

The only one who can make the final determination if this is worthwhile is you.  Hope this info helps you decide.

Any other specific questions, don't hesitate to ask.

H₂O

[pullshocks]

According to the magazine reviews in '83, the dual front discs did not enhance stopping power that much.  When you get your bike going, you are welcome to try my '83 and see if you think it's worth it.

[tben]

thanks H20.  ;D

you answered all my questions. it seems worthwhile to me. i mostly want them for peace of mind as i'm planning on doing a lot of riding when i get the V running. and don't worry, i have no aspirations of doing brake stands on this bike. i'll be posting about this again when the brakes make it to the top of my to-do list. ::)

[Tiger]

 :) Here are link's for S.S. Braided Brake line's.......

  '82... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/YAMAHA-VISION-550-1982-GALFER-FRONT-1-SS-BRAKE-LINE-KIT_W0QQitemZ330181165137QQihZ014QQcategoryZ35592QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

  '83... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/YAMAHA-VISION-1983-GALFER-FRONT-2-SS-BRAKE-LINE-KIT_W0QQitemZ330183987961QQihZ014QQcategoryZ35592QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

...They DO make a BIG difference... 8)

                   8).......TIGER....... 8)

[YellowJacket!]

Ben, I did the upgrade a couple months ago and documented the whole process here on the site. Ill find the link and post it.  Lots and lots of pictures.  And yes, it was a worthwhile upgrade.

EDIT: Heres the link for my thread:  http://ridersofvision.net/forum/zindex.php?topic=7075.0

David

[ironb12s]

Tben, this is what I would suggest:

Upgrade the single caliper with the stainless hose.

If that is satisfactory, don't bother with a second caliper.

I've done the former, in the process of getting my Vision on the road, as it had a biology experiment growing in the master cylinder.  What I found was the improvement made with the stainless hose left the bike not wanting for any more braking up front.  It was still enough to 2-finger in an emergency stop.  If you take this path, you can spend a lot less on the first, and a little less on the second.   ;)

[YellowJacket!]

I might also add.  I would put priority on getting a fork brace before doing the dual brake setup.
Ironb12s makes a good point.  SS brake lines make a big difference.  Adding the fork brace will be of more benefit than going with dual calipers (at the moment).
If you find an available front end WITH a fork brace, then go for it!  ;D

David

[Night Vision]

here's my $.02...

fork brace: is nice to have.... the tapered steering bearings makes much more difference in handling and stability... if you have tapered's... take off the brace and see if you can tell the difference.. I didn't

everyone who has ridden SmokeBomb ('82 single disc) loves my brake setup.... even '83 owners  :o  here's the secret recipe:

rebuild master - $30
rebuild caliper - $50
Goodridge SS line/banjos/bolts - put together for around $50
Vesrah race quality HH sintered brakepads - $priceless  :D actually paid only $15 or so... you won't find them easily, but Dennis Kirk has sintered front pads and rear shooz.... I'm putting sintered shoes ($57) on the project bike along with the above ingredients

this is all the braking you need... if not, you are riding above the V's capabilities or other limitations.... learn throttle control (all that torque also makes a good brake) and how to downshift  ;)

that's not to say that you can't do all that to the 83 dually, and someday I might... just not a gottahave right now.. and I'm not really sure that doubling the cost will double the brakes.....

Honestly, I think the ss brake line and rebuilding the master would give the most bang for the buck.... after 25 years, those two little rubber cups on the master piston are pretty tired, and the hose is hosed.

[h2olawyer]

But the dual discs look so cool.   8)

H₂O

[Rick G]

I went through the stock , single disc setup ,even as far as adapting a honda 2 pot caliper and trying different master cylinders. It all helped a little , but, the dual disc setup is far and away the best thing I tried, mine came with sintered pads, but I'll change them soon as there wearing the discs too much . The SS hoses are a BIG plus , with the stock one I could almost get the lever to touch the grip on a hard stop.
I seldom use the brakes very hard, when riding vigourously on twisty  roads , just learn to back gear and put your weight to the inside , instead of leaning the bike over until something drags. The fork brace  seems to help on bumpy and/or off camber , tight turns to keep the bike stable.
Your milage may vary

[couchflyer]

My Ducati has a stainless steal braided brake line, going to 2 disks, it stops quickly.  So I decided to upgrade my 82 w/a single disk and get the SS brake line.  The braking efficiency has increased so much on the Vision that I heed to stiffen the forks, this winter.  Bleeding that master cylinder is a pain.  I also has a binding caliper that I fixed.  The old rubber hose was flexing so much I could squeeze the brake lever to the handle bar.  Now I can't squeeze the brake lever hard enough to hit the handle bar.  The braking really improved.  The SS brake line is a $55 upgrade.  Much easier that the twin disk upgrade.  The twin disks do look better, however I am not going to switch to two disks, the SS brake line on the single is the ticket for me.

[Night Vision]

But the dual discs look so cool.   8)

H₂O

agreed

[kiawrench]

i am looking to completely swap out the front end - do away with this entire question-- someone i recently met at a bike rally can custom build a new front end, and retweak my swingarm set up to make it safe, as well as bring in a completely lower ride for me. am waiting now for his idea to run it around the shop a few times, see if it may work .

[jasonm.]

NV,  I have sintered on mine. Found them by luck on Ebay. Some unknown likely 'defunked' company. They work well. Much better than stock or EBC brand. Do you think those Vesrahs are still around? Also I was working on a caliper/rotor change for mine. I have a pair of 2 piston calipers from a late Suzi Katana with no mileage on them. I was going weld up some brackets and use 2 rotors the same size as the '82. Which are quite common on older R1 and R6 model and lighter than the Vision '82 rotor. R1 and R6 rotors are on Ebay all the time. I always like spare go and stopping power. At least I know I can do one of the two on the Vision quite easily. Then I think back...shouldn't I keep it looking stock ?  Just wish I rode your bike then I would have known if your pads were beter than mine. I had the same 'defunked' odd pads on my 82. So I would know for sure. Well maybe next year.

[Night Vision]

I haven't found the Vesrah HH pads listed anywhere online. There are sintered pads on eBay BIN for around $25 shipped

I have been thinking about a different rotor.... I think a Vstar or Roadstar rotor will fit, but haven't felt like gambling $75 to find out

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/01-Yamaha-V-star-XVS-650-VXS650-front-brake-rotors-disc_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ10066QQihZ020QQitemZ300163421192QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V

[tben]

When you get your bike going, you are welcome to try my '83 and see if you think it's worth it.

Pullshocks: Thanks for the offer. 8) when I do get my bike running ::) :D that will be great.
I want to put some miles on my bike the way it is first so that I can notice the diff. ;)

[jasonm.]

I know a guy with a Vstar 650 front rotor that has less than 1000 miles on it when the lady crashed it. Same bike I got my electric fuel pump from. The 650 rotor will fit the wheel. But is there enough surface area for the pads? These Vision pads are larger than anything out today.  I will check for you next time I am at this guy's shop.  I do know the pads we use will not sit properly on an R1 rotor. The R1, R6 use a "narrower pad" (height).

[Night Vision]

I know a guy with a Vstar 650 front rotor that has less than 1000 miles on it when the lady crashed it. Same bike I got my electric fuel pump from. The 650 rotor will fit the wheel. But is there enough surface area for the pads? These Vision pads are larger than anything out today.  I will check for you next time I am at this guy's shop.  I do know the pads we use will not sit properly on an R1 rotor. The R1, R6 use a "narrower pad" (height).

yah, that would be great... I didn't think about the surface area... good catch