'64 and later front brake

[Coolbreeze]

I had a great ride last fall on my '56 KHK. I led our antique motorcycle club (Vintage Iron Riders) on a 2 day, 300+ ride into Western Illinois where we visited motorcycle collections, enjoyed great food, slept under the stars, and rode on some great motorcycle/sports car roads. The bike ran great, but its stopping power was less than what I would like. I recently acquired a '64-'71 full width front drum brake.

My question is: Has anyone had problems with the later front drum brake?

Both Buchanan and the Vintage Brake guy expressed concerns that these brakes were prone to crack and break. They also say that a properly tuned older brake will have essentially the same stopping power of the newer brake. Members of my club who have used this brake tell me they have had no trouble with their brakes.

I am inclined to use the newer brake with a new aluminum rim. The newer brake will be tuned to provide its best performance. I figure it will give better braking with less fade. With the new, lighter rim I should have less unsprung weight up front, which will give a better ride with better handling.

I definitely will not discard my original front wheel and brake that is now on the K model.

So, what is the wisdom out there? Is this a good plan?

[tst]

I have 170,000 on my 71 Sportster and the front brake has never caused me any grief, replaced the shoes twice, that is all the maintance that it even wanted and it stops very well for an old drum brake
Tim

[Coolbreeze]

Every '64 & later Sportster front brake drum I have found has cracks. I am seriously looking at either a Moto Guzzi or Suzuki Water Buffalo double leading shoe brake for the KHK. As I understand it, the '64 and later front brakes were imported from Italy; so, the Moto Guzzi may not be as sacrilegious as it might seem.

Any thoughts?

Of course, I will keep all the original parts for the bike. I just want to upgrade it so I can ride it with greater safety.

[Coolbreeze]

I found a Moto Guzzi 18 inch front wheel with brake in a junkyard. Now, I have to fabricate an anchor clamp for the left lower fork leg to keep the backing plate from spinning and to act as a cable stop. If this works as well as I hope, I should have a well balanced bike that starts, handles, and stops equally well.

I'll report on how this works -- and post photos if it turns out well.

I kinda like modifying my bikes to meet my needs. When a machine looks and performs to the owner's specifications, there is bound to be a closer connection between man and machine ("vir et machina" -- the motto of my antique motorcycle club) than if the owner just accepted whatever came from the factory. I draw the line, however, when it comes to cutting or drilling my motorcycle. I keep all the original parts and can return the bike to original condition at any time.