XS bobber & SR caff on pipeburn...

Few Yamahas popping up on here lately, top of page there's a bobbed XS650 and 3rd bike down is a sweet looking (IMO) SR400 café racer, looks rather Gold Star-esque to my eye 8)

http://www.pipeburn.com/

 

They have some real nice builds on that site.

 

What is it about the XS650 that makes people think it doesn't need a substantial front brake?

Every bike on that page has at least plausible if not outright meaty front binders except the two XS650s.

But only two of the bikes have front fenders, either. (Must be nobody else lives where there're puddles.)

 

One of the sites I check regularly...

skillet

 

Fitz I agree, I think that it comes down to these builds are more about the look than the functionallity. Or that there is a belief out there that a 650 is a "Small" or "Beginners" bike. I have gotten into several arguments with Hog owners that have said that when I wanna get rid of my "Toy" then I should get a bike that doesn't have a weed wacker motor. HA! With that mentality the builders would think that the bike does not need a front brake. Well, the first time someone pulls out in front of you, let me know how that works out for you... or don't...

 

It's the minimal bobber style. Made for putting around town from bar to bar. They are functional, but I would at least like to have a front brake for the occasional quick stop. But if your riding from bar to bar, chances are your not thinking right anyway.

 

Going from bar to bar seems like something that would require more brakes, not less...

 

This is indeed true... ^

Hahaha, I knew the XS would get a rise from Fitz I do agree though, form is all well and good but useless without function (I.E. when someone pulls out in front of you, your neck may well look cool twisted so you can see your own ringpiece, but it wouldn't function too well for transmitting signals to the rest of your body that way 8O )

Skillet, I only found the site a couple of weeks ago but also look regularly now to see what's nice & what's ugly... Mostly good looking bikes there though.

 

Most people just don't like the look of big disc brakes on the front, it takes away from the look of the rims. Especially those that spend a grand for a custom rim that can't be seen because of the brakes.
I like the perimeter style brakes, but not easy to adapt to just any rim. I saw (in a magazine, can't remember which) a custom made rim with a disc brake in the hub, which allowed the rim to be seen. A good idea, but can't imagine how much that would cost.

 

Come to think of it, probably would a real beeotch to change the brake pads. LOL

 

Like the Honda CBX550, that has inboard discs :?

I know they look good like that, cotton reel hubs & all, but IMO it'd actually look even better with an old duck brake design engineered specially to work with that rim. Wouldn't cost a lot to implement either, and would at least retain a small amount of braking (could be surprisingly effective working on the full diameter of a 21 or 26" wheel actually)

 

What I saw was inside the hub. The hub was vented so you could see the disc and the calipers. Really weird, I think it was electrically activated. It was on a Harley in one of those Harley only magazines.
Since it was on a Harley and a custom design, it probably costs 3 grand. LOL

 

Hmmm, Harley + Custom made...At least 3 grand haha. Did it have Eagles & "live to ride - ride to live" on it? 8O

Joking aside though that's quite a cool concept, not sure I'd want to trust my brakes to electrics though (but then again, bet the inventor of the master cylinder faced the same kind of prejudice from people with their cable brakes )

 

Kinda like trusting your computer controlled Toyota to stop accelerating. LOL