I read recently that the initial (1975) iteration of the Kawasaki tandem twin racer had incorporated a disc brake that incorporated a caliper that was cast into the fork leg. More intriguing was the claim that it was adaptable to either side, depending on the riders preference. How does that work?
Unfortunately this is the only picture I can find of the setup (enlarged below) and unfortunately does not reveal much..
Update; Bottom pic, Dunstall version.
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| Oldbikemart |
9 comments:
https://www.classicracer.com/classic-racer-machines-kawasaki-kr250-350-developing-the-tandem-twins/
I believe Dunstall were the first to come up with this scheme for the Commando
in 1970 (?). The supposed drawback is brake heat transfer to the fork oil.
As with pretty much any disc setup, you can switch sides by turning the fork leg
180° if that's what is meant. Guzzi did this when the Le Mans came out, placing the
calipers behind the fork legs, thereby "lowering the C of G" (yeah, right...).
No big deal, but the drain plugs ended up on the wrong (upper) side of the leg.
Thanks, Anonymous, for that most excellent link.
Something I read there: "During my time in Europe with Rod Gould and Yamaha, I had got to know Dr Gordon Blair at Queen’s University, Belfast ..."
Dr. Blair and his students seem to come up an awful lot in stories about '60s-(?)'80s two-stroke development. He/they must have been a swell resource.
https://daro.qub.ac.uk/pages/2016-rebrand/news/obits---all/obits-professor-gordon-blair
Now that you mention it, the Norton forkleg does seem familiar...
JP, at least they put drain plugs there! As for possibly simply reversing the leg, that's partly why I'm looking for more pictures!
Mr G, it's not the Norton fork leg I had in mind but the DUNSTALL one...
https://www.oldbikemart.co.uk/dunstall-discs-iconic-accessories/
Not early Lockheed either...I was thinking of yet another early caliper used on British bikes, an elaborate bracket that LOOKED kinda like an integral caliper.
Early Triumph disc brake setup is what I was thinking of.
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