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Author Topic: CB550: How bad are these brakes?  (Read 3638 times)

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Offline pmpski_1

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CB550: How bad are these brakes?
« on: May 11, 2005, 07:19:04 PM »
I got to ride my bike for the first time today (WOOHOO! Thanks to you guys for all the help!). I was pretty dissapointed in the brakes. They did not seem to be very strong at all. I just took it for a short jaunt around a parking lot to see how it ran, so I didn't get a chance to get on the brakes very hard.

I haven't changed the brake fluid yet, but plan to tomorrow or Friday. If the brake fluid that is in there now is only old (as opposed to old, watery, and full of bubbles) should I be able to feel a noticeable difference after changing the fluid? I've heard that the single disc setup wasn't all that great, but I would hope that it'll get better after changing the fluid.

I'll probably put new pads on too, just to be safe. If that doesn't work I've got a dual disc swap waiting in the wings  :)

Thanks,
Brian
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CTCStrela

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Re: CB550: How bad are these brakes?
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2005, 07:27:49 PM »
The brakes aren't phenominal, but they work well enough, really.  My 550 can lock either wheel with a strong application, so I suppose it's sufficient.  Mind you, that is a STRONG application... lots of squeezin' or stompin' to get that to happen.  My front brake became much better to me, after I replaced the stock master cylinder with a more modern one...
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Offline mcpuffett

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Re: CB550: How bad are these brakes?
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2005, 01:15:25 AM »
hi, another way to improve your brakes is to fit goodridge brake hoses you will notice the difference ;) mick.
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Offline Terry in Australia

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Re: CB550: How bad are these brakes?
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2005, 02:24:57 AM »
New Pads, change the fluid and replace the 30 year old hose with braided stainless lines, and they'll be as good as they'll ever get, which was never great.

Well, they were actually considered to be pretty good at the time, but only when compared to their contempory rivals, which were all pretty awful. Still, if you want to own a "classic" bike you have to accept it's few shortcomings. Cheers, Terry. :-X
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Offline Flood

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Re: CB550: How bad are these brakes?
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2005, 02:39:14 AM »
My 550F got new pads and braided hoses first thing after I got it; I still couldn't manage to lock up the front, though.

My next try is a double-disc setup with a big M/C. We'll see.

Cheers, Remi
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Offline SteveD CB500F

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Re: CB550: How bad are these brakes?
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2005, 04:19:20 AM »
I can howl the front tyre on both my 500 and 550. Standard kit but with caliper rebuilds on each bike.  I like a "softer" brake lever that you can really grab, I tried braided hoses on my old 500 years ago but hated the rock hard lever action.

Has anyone ever tried measuring stopping distances?  Most of these bikes were designed for 30 feet from 30mph.

Anyone know how that would compare to a Bandit or a 'Blade?
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Offline pmpski_1

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Re: CB550: How bad are these brakes?
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2005, 01:13:37 PM »
Thanks guys. I'm gonna change the brake fluid today and check out the pads. I'll get new pads if necessary, but I'm not going to put new lines on it. I've got a dual disc front end from a 78 CB750 that already has the braided lines. I'm going to spend my effort on a swap instead of the current setup, but I want to make sure that the current setup is safe and sound while I'm riding it.

Thanks,
Brian
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Offline Tim.

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Re: CB550: How bad are these brakes?
« Reply #7 on: May 12, 2005, 07:53:29 PM »
Bleed the fluid and then try them again.  Don't change the pads right away.  New pads need to be broken in a bit, so you may not notice much benefit if you change both at once.  If you get good solid action after the fluid change, and you're not leaking, you can put off cracking open the caliper.

However, if you're into it, open it up, replace the seal, inspect the piston, replace the pads and get it all back together with new fluid.
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Offline cben750f0

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Re: CB550: How bad are these brakes?
« Reply #8 on: May 12, 2005, 08:04:26 PM »
or do this... ;D..peace
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Offline neckyzips

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Re: CB550: How bad are these brakes?
« Reply #9 on: May 12, 2005, 08:04:40 PM »
speaking of brakes...
where can i get a good set of pads, and some braided lines? also any bennifit to drilling the rotors?
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Offline cben750f0

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Re: CB550: How bad are these brakes?
« Reply #10 on: May 12, 2005, 08:07:53 PM »
alot o ppl i talk to reckon that the drilling of the disks, makes no difference, but i had alread gone the braided lines ,biggermastercyle route, and still wasnt real happy with them... especially in the rain, but after drilling them i think they stop heaps better,and they work in the rain, aswell as stopped that bloody annoying squeak!!!..peace
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you are never to old, to act like a kid... be safe
funny thing,chasing someone down hill on a bike 30 years older than theirs..
he said \\\\\\\'it was like watching a 250kg unguided weapon getting stuck up you bum\\\\\\\ http://www.bikepics.com/members/trixtrem/

Offline neckyzips

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Re: CB550: How bad are these brakes?
« Reply #11 on: May 12, 2005, 08:47:22 PM »
hell its worth it for the squiking! though i have been hard pressed to find someone to do it, all the machine shops here say they cant mess wit running gear, for ins. reasons... i figure they just dont want to figure out the pattern...
now where to get braided lines, for these old things, and whats the deal with the offset on the right caliper, (cb500) i had to shim the top of mine out a few mm?
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Offline cben750f0

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Re: CB550: How bad are these brakes?
« Reply #12 on: May 12, 2005, 09:53:33 PM »
yeah, i did too on the 750... it seems that honda might have had some other idea for the right leg, but i dunno what it would be... NEway i filed down the lower boss so make the caliper arm line up better, and only used the bare minimum to make sure the caliper was parallel to the disc...cant see why they didnt make them the same? ???... only honda would know...peace
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you are never to old, to act like a kid... be safe
funny thing,chasing someone down hill on a bike 30 years older than theirs..
he said \\\\\\\'it was like watching a 250kg unguided weapon getting stuck up you bum\\\\\\\ http://www.bikepics.com/members/trixtrem/

Offline pmpski_1

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Re: CB550: How bad are these brakes?
« Reply #13 on: May 12, 2005, 11:44:45 PM »
I found these links from http://www.eaglescall.com, a site dedicated to the CB400F.

Here's a disc drilling how-to article:
http://eindiancompanies.com/howto/howtorotor.htm

Here's a PDF with a pattern for drilling:
http://www.eaglescall.com/images%5Ccb400f_disc_template.pdf
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Offline cben750f0

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Re: CB550: How bad are these brakes?
« Reply #14 on: May 13, 2005, 12:29:03 AM »
i also have a cad drawing, if you want to take it straight to the shop...pm me... peace
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you are never to old, to act like a kid... be safe
funny thing,chasing someone down hill on a bike 30 years older than theirs..
he said \\\\\\\'it was like watching a 250kg unguided weapon getting stuck up you bum\\\\\\\ http://www.bikepics.com/members/trixtrem/

phylo101

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Re: CB550: How bad are these brakes?
« Reply #15 on: May 19, 2005, 02:15:21 PM »
LOL hi guys. Its fun reading stuff put in here by people who dont root around in the archives! Here we go....Single-Finger Braking for CB550s.....

Fit braided stell hose.
Fit new pads.
REMOVE new pad, the sliding one from the piston side of the caliper.Remove every trace of paint from around the edge of the pad base with a file or emery paper, and maybe some base material too, until the pad is a VERY loose fit in its well. Refit.
Bleed system up correctly.
NOW you'll have good braking...BUT you'll still have a very tired lever action, with a lot of rattly slack before the levertouches the end of the master cylinder piston, soemtimes up to half its available travel. Remove the lever, and inserts a small thin COIN into the master cylinder, bearing on the top of the piston, between the head of the piston and the actuating heel of the lever. This copin needs of course to be a loose fit in the master cyclinder, so dress down the edge with your file-emery paper until its also a rattly fit.Assemble the system. If youve removed ALL the slack, start dressing down one side of the coin until theres a LITTLE slack at the lever, but not the millimetres there was before.
Now, to get rid of the squeak....dress the back of the active par, the side that bears against the brake piston, with a little brake breake or copper grease, and a VERY thin smear around the edge of you eased-down pad.Reassemble.
FINALLY attend to something that everyone seems to forget...adjust the long bolt and lock nut that controls the torque arm the caliper is mounted on, so that the caliper is freer to move away from the disc when you release the brake. Most of the squeak is this bolt being badly adjusted and holding one or other of the pads against the disc.

phylo
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