My 78 BMW R100S had a toasted hydraulic rear disc and frozen caliper that appears to have been caused by the mechanically cable operated brakes for the sidecar rig. My mechanic said the guy who set it up had the cable for the brake being operated by the rear brake peddle also, but it wasn't allowing the bike's hydraulic brake to totally release pressure, therefore, the brake pads ate up the rear disc and eventually caused the caliper to freeze. He restored the rear brakes on the bike and disconnected the sidecar brakes for now.
Does anybody have a bike with rear hydraulic brakes and cable operated sidecar brake? If so, can you explain to me or send me pix of how it is setup? Only other choice would to be to retrofit this rig with a hydraulic brake setup for the rig too, a very expensive modification. Would like to try to get the brake working with the cable first.
Any ideas/pix are appreciated. Send pix to klruff1@comcast.net
Thanx!
Keith in NJ
What kind of sidecar do you have? I bet your gas milage will improve now anyhow. If it is a Velorex I would unhook the brake and just ride it.
If you want to use a mechanical sidecar brake with a hydraulic drum or disc equipped bike, have it operate from a separate pedal.
The only time that the mechanical drum brakes work well linked is when the bike brake is mechanical. Ideally the bike brake and the sidecar brake will have the same swept volume, same brake shoes and drum size.
All factory linked mechanical brakes I know of use interchangable brakes on all three corners.
With the lighter sidecars, no brake is needed if you have hydraulic disc brakes on the bike. I've gone without them on the heavier cars too with no problems.
Lonnie
Lonnie as you know I gutted out the break on my sidecar and I can hardly tell the sidecar is there when I break.
You must have Lester wheels on your bike or have gone with other wheels as your bike would have come with a drum brake when new if it is a /7.
Depending on the sidecar we have up grades to disk brakes.
If you only need a brake one time it is worth having. Also it can be used to help control the rig. I like running the brake on its own pedal next to the bike brake pedal so that you can step on one or both brakes.
Let me know if we can be of help.
Jay Giese
Dauntless Motors Corporation
www.dauntlessmotors.com
866-638-1793
Well this is very interesting...
I have had some questions about the use of the Velorex mechanical brake on the Guzzi since I have owned it. The cable is linked to the right pedal which, on a Guzzi activates both the rear brake and left front rotor as a linked system with bias to the front by approximately 65-35. The cable is hooked to the brake lever by a 2" long link that the cable actually hooks onto. The right front rotor is activated by the hand lever on the throttle side as any other front braking motorcycle is.
I am reading that some prefer the sidecar brake and some say no with the Velos... If I were to set up a separate pedal alongside the existing, how the heck would I do that....?
Anyone with experience with this set up specific to Guzzis...? Lunatic..?
As always... Thanks,
Rob
