Dyna front brake upgrade

[Dan]

Been researching the best single  front brake upgrade for my 01 Dyna. I have the stock 4 piston caliper, Russell performance floating rotor, Magnum Shiled brake lines, and Hawk performance sintered brake pads. Much improved but still want more. What is better, bigger rotor, like the Arlen Ness 15 inch with the stock caliper; six piston caliper with the same rotor; or composite rotor such as the Matrix with the stock caliper and pads specific for the rotor? I am looking for your valued input! Winter is here and I need to tinker although I ride year round. Appreciate your help on this gents!

[turboprop]

Two disks.

[Jim Bronson]

Two disks.

[misfitJason]

  the speed merchant brake caliper bracket is nice

[Just Nick]

the speed merchant brake caliper bracket is nice

You gots a link or some more info for me

[Dan]

The Tokico radial caliper setup is very interesting and looks good. How much better braking will this provide? I have looked at HHI and Jaybrake direct bolt on 6 pot calipers and looking for feedback from a fellow member that has gone that route on a Dyna. Will a larger diameter rotor create more torque and braking power from the increased size and brake swept area with the same force applied from the stock caliper? I have thought about going the twin disk route, but prefer to keep the front end weight as is and avoid the additional rotational mass.

[mel]

I added larger PM rotors and 4-piston calipers to my dual disk FXRS-Sp. the improvement was very substantial: two-finger right now stopping. Made the OEM setup seem like old drum brakes.

[mtrhead269]

Tokico radial calipers front and rear, speed merchant makes the mounting bracket for the front Kraus motor co makes on for the rear. Can find the calipers on Ebay for $50, $350-$400 for the mounting brackets , rebuild kit new pads and your good to go. No science just exp. with the Tokico radials and the PM calipers the Tokico seem to out perform the PM setup.

[FSG]

You gots a link or some more info for me

The brackets start at the bottom of page 3 and then on to page 4

http://thespeedmerchant.net/product-category/harley-davidson-parts/page/3/

http://harleytechtalk.com/htt/index.php/topic,75953.msg833972.html#msg833972

http://harleytechtalk.com/htt/index.php/topic,83023.msg929907.html#msg929907

[dynaglide]

does this setup work with stock rotors?  Or do you need to fit different size rotors when changing to the Tokico calipers?

[Buffalo]

I've been running dual HHI 6 piston calipers on my 01 Dyna for the last 10 years. I also used the Braking 11 1/2" floating disc's and SBS HS676 brake pads. The setup is extremely powerful without being over sensitive. I do not have "two finger" stopping (wouldn't want it either), but very smooth consistently progressive stopping, letting me feel the front tire at all times. At the other end, a firm squeeze on the lever produces super stopping power, still easy to modulate right up to lockup. Absolutely no fade ever. The SBS 676HS pads have 60K on them and still good yet. I'm currently running Avon tires and like them, a good compromise between mileage and stopping grip. Dunlop 591's where slightly better, but the aggressive braking simply tear the tire up. fwiw Buffalo

[DoubleZ]

I'm running the tokico setup in dual dusk and there awesome and can be found real cheap on eBay.  It's just the bracket the costs a bit.  I'm sure even single disk is a huge upgrade over stock. 

[FSG]

does this setup work with stock rotors?  Or do you need to fit different size rotors when changing to the Tokico calipers?

They have brackets to suit 11-1/2" Rotors and brackets to suit 13" rotors.

So your 01 Dyna is covered.

[Dan]

Arlen Ness 15" big brake kit comes with a bracket to use the stock caliper. CAS4 has a similar kit for a 13 inch rotors. Any input on either?

[build it]

Are these radial adapter brackets better than a properly sorted axially mounted caliper, or do they fall somewhere between a good axial setup and a proper radial setup feedback wise?

I had a softail with single sided brake, '06, felt good even with the silly front tire. Still not as good as my '02 DX (which I don't think has brembo brakes?).

A member here retrofitted gold brembo calipers on a touring bike, looked slick.

[Dan]

These kits have the brackets to locate the stock calipers in the correct position. Just weighing my options and want to make sure that I don't regret the direction that I take.

[Carl 1969]

This is my previous bike. The Tokico 6-pots were stock & damned decent, but with braided lines & better pads on 13" BrakeTech floaters, they were amazing. 2-finger control & awesome power & feel. You can file/sand/mill the name off the caliper if it bugs ya, but they are damned good calipers & cheap on the 'bay.

I've run a 4-pot PM on my old '94 Sportster & it saved my bacon more than once. Some pretty serious "whoa" for a single disc. I personally plan to run a real Brembo on a 11.5" rotor on my Super Glide (that I'm almost done FL-ing, with 41mm forks & 16" tire). I'd love the Brembo on a 12.6" BrakeTech, but it'd completely cover/hide the wheel. That said, if I ever spring for custom rims & go to a 18" front, I'll be ordering the new bracket & rotor immediately.

PM makes good stuff, but if yer gonna spend that much money, go Brembo/BrakeTech. Or, if money's tight, holler at FabKevin & see if he'd do you up bracket to run a 6-pot Tokico on a 12.6" or 13" rotor.

[04 SE Deuce]

The Speed Merchant caliper adapters are for the Tokico caliper that is preferred/desired.  IIRC this is the 4 piston caliper which performs better than the 6 piston.  This is common knowledge if you research it...some have gone the 6 piston route thinking it would be better only to find out otherwise.   -Rick

[turboprop]

All this talk of Tokico calipers is funny. Gixxers come with Tokico calipers from that factory are are usually the first thing to get swapped out by the gixxer crowd. The current hotness is mono blocks from a honda.

For reference, radial mount brake calipers are for the most part standardized. European bikes typically use calipers with 100mm bolt spacing, while jap bikes typically use calipers with 108mm spacing.

Bottom line is any caliper with 108mm spacing will work with the caliper adapters being discussed here.

[DoubleZ]

All this talk of Tokico calipers is funny. Gixxers come with Tokico calipers from that factory are are usually the first thing to get swapped out by the gixxer crowd. The current hotness is mono blocks from a honda.

For reference, radial mount brake calipers are for the most part standardized. European bikes typically use calipers with 100mm bolt spacing, while "metric bikes" typically use calipers with 108mm spacing.

Bottom line is any caliper with 108mm spacing will work with the caliper adapters being discussed here.

The thing with the tokicos is the bang for the buck upgrade. Because they get swapped so much by the gixxer guys There all over eBay for 30-60$ a set.  Much cheaper than any brembos ive found, obviously not as good but better than stock harley brakes.
Also Krause is making a mount to run a radial mount rear caliper.  I have that on the shelf waiting to go on this winter.   But I got all 3 tokicos for way less than the cost of 1 used brembo

[04 SE Deuce]

All this talk of Tokico calipers is funny. Gixxers come with Tokico calipers from that factory are are usually the first thing to get swapped out by the gixxer crowd. The current hotness is mono blocks from a honda.

For reference, radial mount brake calipers are for the most part standardized. European bikes typically use calipers with 100mm bolt spacing, while "metric bikes" typically use calipers with 108mm spacing.

Bottom line is any caliper with 108mm spacing will work with the caliper adapters being discussed here.

Ed,  correct on the radial mount bolt spacing,  not sure all calipers are the same offset/fitment. 

I remember you linking the SM mounts in the past.  FWIW SM states: "For use with 05-up GSXR 600 Tokico Radial Brake Mount Calipers."   These mounts look beefy but aren't triangulated like a stock radial mount,  don't know if it matters esp. on street app.  No doubt the master used and master/piston area will impact performance.

The better axial mount Brembo calipers are probably as good or better than some of this radial stuff. 

DoubleZ, economical yes.  The amount of crashing going on in the sport bike community contributes to supply also.  -Rick

[motolocopat]

does this setup work with stock rotors?  Or do you need to fit different size rotors when changing to the Tokico calipers?

They have brackets to suit 11-1/2" Rotors and brackets to suit 13" rotors.

So your 01 Dyna is covered.

I'd think that a 13" rotor with the Tokico Radial Caliber would be a real good setup.
You'd avoid the high cost of the two adaptors and the additional lower fork-leg you'd need, plus the 13" rotor/Radial Caliber would look the schitz also.
Doubtfull but if this didn't prove to be enough then you

[turboprop]

This is the caliper that the gixxer crowd turns to for low-cost brake upgrade. Notice the body is one piece, vs the Tokico with its two halves that are bolted together.

If the Ferrodo ZRoc pads that are currently in my Tokicos didn't cost more than this caliper they would already be swapped out. When its time for a pad change my Tokico calipers will be out and these will be in.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/04-06-YAMAHA-R1-FRONT-BRAKE-CALIPER-/271976862453?hash=item3f531592f5:g:fI8AAOSwLVZV6dZp&vxp=mtr

[Dan]

That setup looks great, so will the SM bracket and stock front Master cylinder work?

[motolocopat]

So will those bolt right up to the SpeedMerchant adaptors?  Or maybe I should ask if the adaptors are 100 or 108mm spacing?

Related, does anyone know who makes a set of 13" discs to fit a Dyna or FL??