SuzukiSavage.com - disadvantages of drum brake

guitarsr4girls2

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disadvantages of drum brake
05/25/06 at 14:01:07

When I was at the bike shop the other day this salesman and I were talking about my Savage and the Honda Shadow (I think), and I was mentioning how I would rather have disc brakes front and back b/c of ease of changing plus from what I recollect, disc brakes are better period. I used to have an old Falcon that had drums and those brakes sucked.

Anyway, he looked at me (and talked to me after that point) like I was a moron and said that drum brakes were just fine and there was no difference.

But isn't there?

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vroom1776 Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 2110 Gender:	Re: disadvantages of drum brake Reply #1 - 05/25/06 at 14:17:31 you are right on both counts. The only advantage(s) to drums is that they are cheaper, and possibly lighter.
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MacAttack Ex Member	Re: disadvantages of drum brake Reply #2 - 05/25/06 at 15:08:35 You win! I think they have lots of drum-brake tooling around, or they use it for marketing price points. All that said, the drums aren't BAD, just not as efficient. But 70% of your stopping power is up front anyway, so, no worries.
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vroom1776 Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 2110 Gender:	Re: disadvantages of drum brake Reply #3 - 05/25/06 at 16:20:53 unless you remove the front brake. Then it's 0%.
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PerrydaSavage Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Riding "The Rock"! Posts: 3522 Republic of Newfoundland Gender:	Re: disadvantages of drum brake Reply #4 - 05/25/06 at 16:28:55 Speaking of brakes, I recently replaced my worn-out OEM front pads with a set of SBS ceramics and have noticed that while the lever feels much firmer, the brakes themselves don't seem to have as much "grab" as the old ones? Anyone care to comment on this?
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slavy

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Re: disadvantages of drum brake
Reply #5 - 05/25/06 at 16:33:29

If the drum brakes were better ALL the racing machines would have them. If they are the same , there would be at least some racing machines with drums.
The truth is, that if this is not a high performance unit, the drum brakes can do the same job. Everything comes to stopping power, that depends on the surface , on the material of the pads /shoes/ , and the pressure , that is applied. And 2 more things that are in a favor of the disk brakes - they stay cooler, so You don't lose the
braking in the middle of the race
- if water gets in the drum- poor You
The factor about easyness to replace the pads - nobody in the R&D of the companies cares.

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LANCER

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Re: disadvantages of drum brake
Reply #6 - 05/25/06 at 17:55:08

I hear tell that when you first replace a set of pads, there is a little of a break-in period for them, and after they get set the braking should improve noticeably.

PerrydaSavage wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:05:

Speaking of brakes, I recently replaced my worn-out OEM front pads with a set of SBS ceramics and have noticed that while the lever feels much firmer, the brakes themselves don't seem to have as much "grab" as the old ones?
Anyone care to comment on this?

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Reelthing

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Re: disadvantages of drum brake
Reply #7 - 05/25/06 at 19:19:41

PerrydaSavage wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:05:

Speaking of brakes, I recently replaced my worn-out OEM front pads with a set of SBS ceramics and have noticed that while the lever feels much firmer, the brakes themselves don't seem to have as much "grab" as the old ones?
Anyone care to comment on this?

give them a bit - or have you already rode um a couple hundred miles?

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SeattleSavage

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Re: disadvantages of drum brake
Reply #8 - 05/25/06 at 20:56:01

You get better road feel with discs too, not the springy spongy feel of drums. Drums are fine on the back of our bikes though. More than enough grab to skid the back wheel even on dry.

That's not mentioning looks either. Big goofy drum. Thin sexy disc.

No one that knows anything about brakes would opt for drum brakes when speaking performance though.

Kev

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klx650sm2002 Serious Thumper Offline The more I learn the less I know. Posts: 2041 Cumbria,England Gender:	Re: disadvantages of drum brake Reply #9 - 05/26/06 at 03:33:31 I like KLX's discs, 290mm front and 240mm back. Clive W
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azjay

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Re: disadvantages of drum brake
Reply #10 - 05/26/06 at 07:13:45

drum brakes offer more friction surface with less effort, until they get hot or wet. discs offer consistant braking, better cooling, and virtually unaffected by water, but require more pressure to operate, that is why they are hydraulic on bikes and power assisted on most cars. their tolerance for heat is what gives them their advantage over drums. it sounds like your salesman is a product of the IDKAT stealership Roll Eyes

lol

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PerrydaSavage Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Riding "The Rock"! Posts: 3522 Republic of Newfoundland Gender:	Re: disadvantages of drum brake Reply #11 - 05/26/06 at 08:50:50 Quote: give them a bit - or have you already rode um a couple hundred miles Yes, I've ridden 'em a couple of hundred kilometers since installing 'em ...
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vroom1776 Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 2110 Gender:	Re: disadvantages of drum brake Reply #12 - 05/26/06 at 09:35:06 SeattleSavage wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:05: That's not mentioning looks either. Big goofy drum. Thin sexy disc. Kev I like the look of a rear drum as opposed to a rear disk. Looks cool, IMO.
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911radioman

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Re: disadvantages of drum brake
Reply #13 - 05/26/06 at 12:22:54

PerrydaSavage wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:05:

Speaking of brakes, I recently replaced my worn-out OEM front pads with a set of SBS ceramics and have noticed that while the lever feels much firmer, the brakes themselves don't seem to have as much "grab" as the old ones?
Anyone care to comment on this?

Ditto here. I put SBS on mine a while back and I love them. Plus, they are tons quieter than the OEM ones.

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Brewbrother

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Re: disadvantages of drum brake
Reply #14 - 05/26/06 at 15:43:02

azjay wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:05:

drum brakes offer more friction surface with less effort, until they get hot or wet. discs offer consistant braking, better cooling, and virtually unaffected by water, but require more pressure to operate, that is why they are hydraulic on bikes and power assisted on most cars. their tolerance for heat is what gives them their advantage over drums. it sounds like your salesman is a product of the IDKAT stealership Roll Eyes

lol

Well said, of course IDKAT.

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