Strengthen Rear Brake Plate Assy Dom, 650SS

Before getting complicated, do you have the earlier downward facing lever? It fits closer to the backplate.

The rear brake just functions to keep the back wheel behind the front one. If you have a decent front brake, the rear brake in practice does very little. Making it better would just induce lock-ups.

Hi Gordon, Perhaps living in the wooly wilderness you dont need brakes !, Down here a good rear brake and a fast downshift is a lifesaver when you get a daily fright from the loonies we have. I am building a PR 650 and that will need an uprated brake to work with the lower leverage rear set layout.

Back in the 1960's John Tickle produced a Norton alloy rear brake assembly that was thicker and stronger than the metal factory one. 

I'm with Gordon - I like to ride my 650 quickly, and for me, the only time the rear gets any real work to do is when its wet or slippery. 

The 'Old Rule' used to be 75% front, 25% rear - nowadays it is more like 90% front 10% rear in normal riding, town, country or motorway. I would look at seeing what needs improving at the front before worrying about the rear one. 

 However, David mentions the 'upward' or 'downward' facing actuating arm, and I will say the braking was better with the downward arm - I had to go to the 'upward' arm as I have non standard silencers and the lower arm clashed, but it is still possible to lock the rear wheel if you try. 

If you do have the 'up' arm, I can let you have my old 'down' one and see if it helps you.

Regards,

George

Hi George , the exhausts will be raised so probably a down lever will have room. Its all about repeating what was done in the early 60's . I'm sure the manx type rearsets wont provide much leverage at all with the short pedals . 

As you are building a cafe racer (hopefully not a modern hipster one with tractor tyres and a plank for a seat!) you need a bigger front brake for style as well as performance. Pic is of mine and renders rear brake relatively unimportant.

As to rearsets and clip ons, I hope your back will still allow it!

Regards,

George

Sadly thats not anything like what was used back then, not allowed . The word is Production Racer. That means what you could get from the dealer at that time. The brakes availiable were SLS 8* drums . Which is why you needed a back brake AND engine braking. Whats the point of a replica if its not?.

Forgot to mention this, but once replaced cam Bush and arm as mine was very sloppy/worn, this made brake very ineffective as old shoes were not worn evenly and not enough float in the cam to apply both shoes. Only trailing one as less worn doing anything. So be prepared if you fit new cam Bush and arm, either new shoes or if from Yorkshire swap old ones round on backplate while it is apart.

Regards Martin

The photo shows the alloy rear brake plate for my 650 Cafe Racer. The plate takes standard size Norton 7" rear shoes  and has the mounting pin for a torque arm as fitted to early 1950s  Dominators or the 'go-faster' (Manx?) swinging arm. The spare chunk on top is the optional location pin for the swinging arm set-up which slides into a lug on the later Wideline or all Slimline arms.

Tim - As Tony says,  John Tickle produced solid dural brake-plates for both types of swinging arms. I had one on my Domiracer for some years and you would not distort it - at least not by braking. They were all machined and oven-ready - just transfer the shoes etc then ride and forget.  It was rigid and had better heat dissipation.  The JT part nos were LS3/1 (Std) and LS3/2 (Toque arm).   I have seen a few around the jumble circuit.  Lots of the Triton fraternity bought them. When fitting any brake into the later swinging arm make sure that the locator is not a loose slide fit and for all older brake plates if the bush is loose on the cam shaft it will sadly move allowing the plate to twist.  The Commando rear brake performed better than the 650SS when the extras were added but it was heavier.  Good luck, Howard