billr Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 I recently got myself a TLR200, not a bad bike but the drum brakes are appalling. I swear I actually gain speed when I apply them! I've ceaned them all out, put new shoes in, fiddled in the garage for hours but still no joy - thank god its got some great engine braking! I suspect a new front cable may help, what is a good make? Do you know of a TLS drum that may fit the front? Anybody got any tips ...... Please. I'm not expecting to do front wheel wheelies, but to stop would be nice . Regards, Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g4321 Posted November 15, 2005 Report Share Posted November 15, 2005 I suspect a new front cable may help, what is a good make? The original Honda cable is pretty good in my opinion, its a fairly thick wire which should give minimum stretch/flex. Alternatively try a Venhill cable - their clutch cable I bought was excellent quality. As for brakes I have a TLR250 (well 2 TLR250's to be precise), one had good brakes, one so so but usually acceptable. I also have tried everything to improve the brakes, I tend to regularly change the shoes when they show signs of wear - the worn ones then go into the back wheel. Clean the inside to the drum using a wire brush every 3 or 4 'wet' trials and wire brush the shoes. I have tried grooved shoes and grooving my own shoes using a hacksaw - not yet convinced this helps, the grooves tend to clog up with mud and brake debris/dust. I have tried named brand shoes as well as inexpensive aftermarket shoes - there probably is a difference (EBC sintered shoes were good if my memory serves me well but twice the price of el-cheapo brand and not really longer lasting on my bikes). I have also tried a different style of shoe with a different spring arrangement. A clean drum seems to have more effect. One thing I did find was that the 'stay' that locates the drum in position has some play in it from standard, I have shimed this up on both bikes using thin steel (from a tin!), this also helped a little. When very wet the brakes can be poor but I now know what to expect. However when tightening up the front wheel, remember to "centralise" the front brake by holding the brake on at the lever, it makes quite a difference. John is correct, it makes an appreciable difference. I have learned to drive round the drawbacks of the brakes on the bike - anyone else who tries it after riding disk braked bikes claims there are no front brakes on my bike! When I ride a disk braked bike I tend to lock the wheel all the time! One thing to think about is that the TLR200 has a smaller lining than the 250, the 200 has only 95mm by 25mm shoes while the TLR250 has 110mm by 25mm shoes. The 200 size shoes are usually found on 50 cc Hondas, so it may well feel to be under braked! Gordon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billr Posted November 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Gordon & John, Thanks very much guys for the pointers. Having looked at it in the cold light of day I think the cable is not helping. I can pull the lever right up to the bars and all adjustment has been used. I had been trying to remember the name of the company that made good cables and now you've reminded me ..... a new venhill cable will be orderded shortly. I also ride a mono (monty 315) but my predicement is not caused by me riding a disc braked bike, they really are bad, I wouldn't want to ride on the road with these brakes! The engine braking in 1st or 2nd makes trials possible as long as I can keep it smooth Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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