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Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my... updated

Discussion in 'XJ Technical Chat' started by bigfitz52, Mar 11, 2009.

  1. bigfitz52

    bigfitz52 Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    Made some real progress on the front end of the '83: Fork boots (thanks again Wiz) new Progressive Suspension fork springs, EBC floating disc rotor and AVONS! (At both ends.) Still gotta finish rebuilding the caliper and connect it to the stainless steel line that's hanging there...

    [​IMG]

    Rear brake update in that thread...
     
  2. SecaRob

    SecaRob Member

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    Re: Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my...

    Fitz, that is looking real good. I look forward to your comparison of the upgraded brakes and your old ones.

    How much do you have tied up in the Avons and why did you choose them?
     
  3. flash1259

    flash1259 Member

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    Re: Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my...

    Gonna be a sweet ride there.
     
  4. chacal

    chacal Moderator Moderator Supporting Vendor Premium Member

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    Re: Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my...

    Gosh, that picture gives me wood.......
     
  5. Deadulus

    Deadulus Member

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    Re: Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my...

    Where'd you get the gaitors Fitz??
     
  6. 83Rider

    83Rider Member

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    Re: Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my...

    Very nice! I would like to have your parts list and where you were able to get all of that.

    Looks very good!
     
  7. Altus

    Altus Active Member

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    Re: Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my...

    You'll love the Avon's -- I used to have the Roadrunners on, and they are spectacular tires! By far my favorite I've ever used. Expensive, and worth it.
     
  8. bigfitz52

    bigfitz52 Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    Re: Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my...

    Rob; They're not bad, just under $100 for the front and just over $100 for the rear. chacal carries them for almost exactly the same price I paid. I chose them because of all the tires I considered, Avon and Dunlop are the only ones that do not have a continuous center groove. That feature is important to me because I ride a lot of rain-grooved freeway and they don't want to follow the grooves. My Norton and my '81 XJ both have Dunlops and I've wanted Avons for the better part of 30 years. Now I get to finally run them and I'm excited.

    Deadulus; Those are Kawasaki fork boots, PN 49006-1096. In talking with Wiz, they turned out to be the same dimensions top and bottom as the boots on his project Kawi. He got me the part number, I ordered 'em on-line from a Kawi dealer in NC.

    Except for the fork boots, pretty much everything else came from chacal. The couple of things that I didn't get from him, he does stock. I got my tires locally (save 1/2 on mounting/balancing that way) and already had a couple of other things before I found XJBikes. Rotor, SS lines, pads & shoes, o-rings, clips, seals, all came from Len.

    [​IMG]

    Note on the brake rotor: It comes with the hub "natural." I had to paint it black. The caliper is painted as well. Rear brake and lever powder-coated.
     
  9. Tman_74

    Tman_74 Member

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    Re: Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my...

    Why do a few holes on a rotor make it look 100x better??? Great looking front end!!! I do not know if i can ask, but i will. BIGFITZ How much $$$$ did that cost?
     
  10. bigfitz52

    bigfitz52 Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    Re: Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my...

    Brake rotor was $195 from chacal, $10 cheaper than anywhere else I found on line. It's more than a "few holes" it's also a full floating disc. Considering an OEM Yamaha rotor goes for well over $300 IF you can even find them (not for 550s you won't) not only is it an upgrade but a bargain to boot. I'm keeping the original as a spare for my all-stock '81.

    If you're talking price for the whole front end project, I haven't added it up, but like I said, chacal stocks pretty much everything but the fork boots.

    http://www.xjbikes.com/forums/index.php?threads/14561
     
  11. dburnettesr

    dburnettesr Member

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    Re: Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my...

    bigfitz52,,,,,can you give us the dimensions on those fork gaitors,,,I'd be very interested in fitting them,,,,Dan
     
  12. midnightblu

    midnightblu Member

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    Re: Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my...

    hmmm now you have me thinking..... :D i have been really wanting cross drilled rotors or slotted
     
  13. greggvickrey

    greggvickrey Member

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    Re: Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my...

    BF, that front end is a work of art, beautiful job.
    Gregg
     
  14. bill

    bill Active Member

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    Re: Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my...

    Looking good Fitz - I keep a spreadsheet that adds my purchases - scary number sometimes best left unknown.

    Question for you are there advantages to the full floating disk vs a standard disk?
     
  15. rnice

    rnice Member

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    Re: Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my...

    The gaiters a GREAT.
    Please let us know the improvement on brake feel and power.
     
  16. stereomind

    stereomind Active Member

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    Re: Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my...

    Dangit, Fitz that looks awesome. Dunno about the rotors, but I see a set of gaitors and a front-end paint job in my Seca's near future.
     
  17. Deadulus

    Deadulus Member

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    Re: Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my...

    Fitz, just ordered a set of fork boots from my local Honda dealer. It just amazes me how this little shop will roll up their sleeves and find what I need and order it for me...boot set only $20
     
  18. TSizemore3

    TSizemore3 Member

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    Re: Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my...

    Fitz, is the floating rotor the stock offset or are you going to have to use a shim on or machine the caliper a bit?
     
  19. bigfitz52

    bigfitz52 Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    Re: Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my...

    STOCK replacement. EBC rocks (as does chacal.) Only mod was painting the hub black and ordering up some black tab washers from our buddy.

    I used Duplicolor "Caliper and brake" paint on the rotor and caliper.

    Bill; "Floating rotors offer superior mechanical advantage over solid rotor types because when the friction ring gets hot, it expands and grows in diameter. Keep in mind that the outer diameter of the rotor gets much hotter than the hub. This variance in temperature causes a difference in material expansion. The floating rotor design compensates for this variance by allowing room for the friction ring to expand independently of the carrier, dramatically increasing rotor stability, stopping performance, and service life, while also diminishing the possibility of warpage under the most extreme of conditions." (not my words, hence the quotes.)

    dburnettesr; They are 35mm ID top, 55mm ID bottom. EXACTLY the right size for the Seca 550's 35mm forks, and the bottom "clips" onto the top ring of the fork legs perfectly. They might stretch OK to 36mm, beyond that you might buckle or distort the top bellows.

    The full brake upgrade includes stainless steel lines and a rebuild of both caliper and master cylinder as well; coupled with the new EBC brakes front and rear it oughtta stop quite briskly. The Lockheed front brake on my Norton has me spoiled, it's always been like grabbing a freakin' ROCK, and I can make the 4.10X19 Dunlop howl like a spanked toddler.
     
  20. Robert

    Robert Active Member

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    Re: Fork Boots and Avons and real brakes oh my...

    Fitz, what were the specs (diameters) for your forks and what is the Kawi p/n on the boots?
     

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