Need advise on R90 /6 brakes or lack of

[JWhitmore44]

You tweak it until the pads run parallel with the disk.

[Beemerboff]

Make certain the pin with the slot in the end is free and well lubed - if it is as free as it should be the calliper should centralise itself when you apply the brake.

I tried a few different pads , best I found were EBC , but there may be better around , they are real low tech old style organics.

Problem with the handlebar master cylinder is the dont make one small enough for a single disk.

I have a special sleeved down 11mm handlebar MC and it works well with a twin disk/ ATE set up, but I dont think a stock 13 mm would be much of an improvement with a single disk.

[PaulRS]

Originally Posted by JWhitmore44

You tweak it until the pads run parallel with the disk.

That pin is eccentric.

Remove the pin (there's a threaded hole in it to fit a 8mm bolt as a puller)

With the pin removed, center the inner pad to the disk and hold it against it, insert pin without moving the caliper.

As a check, pull brakelever and check if the pin is still loose.

Paul.

[Humungus]

Originally Posted by PaulRS

That pin is eccentric.

Remove the pin (there's a threaded hole in it to fit a 8mm bolt as a puller)

With the pin removed, center the inner pad to the disk and hold it against it, insert pin without moving the caliper.

As a check, pull brakelever and check if the pin is still loose.

Paul.

Tks guys. I will have a look today.

[Hawk Medicine]

Well, I think that everyone pretty much said everything except this....

Some guys are of the opinion that brake pads break in best with several hard stops but my experience differs.

I use EBC pads and when I swap pads, I check everything. I make sure that the calipers are operating correctly, lube the pins, adjust the caliper angle, check the Master cyl. Do a full "top-down".

When it's time for me to break in my new pads, I take it pretty easy at first and slowly increase my brake pressure. Remember, youre forming the pads to the disks and it won't do any good to burn em before they have a chance to wear in. If you rush it, you'll just burn the pads at the high spots and they never will reach thier full potential. If youre in a hurry, sometimes when youre riding down the highway, just touch the brakes lightly for a few seconds and then get off of em, so that they can kool down. Thats the best you can do.

It takes me about 400 miles to fully bed in new pads. If you have new disks with no grooving, they'll break in faster but it's still best to take things easy.

Please don't expect your single ATE disk to give you decent brakes. It won't. At best, with good pads, a fresh ungrooved rotor, a freshly rebuilt master cyl, a good MC cable and a braided brake line, you'll be able to squeel the front tire but if you practice hard braking often, the singles just won't hold up. They appear to generate too much heat and the pads glaze.

Those BMW single disk brakes are notoriously inadequate in stopping power and they can easily get you killed. No kidding... Believe me... I'm not just saying this... I've ridden more than 2000,000 miles with that brake system and it placed my life on the line more times than I can remember. Fortunately, I was very very lucky.

FACT: For several years my R-90/6 bike sat in the garage unused, because I was tired of risking my life every time I took it out for a ride. When I finally got around to rebuilding it, the first doner bike I bought had the dual 40mm front brakes and the correct MC. I added braided lines and rebuilt everything when I moved the parts over to my bike and the bike stops way better.

Swap out that single disk system for duals, as soon as you can afford to do so. Two ATE brakes improve your braking by 300% and thats pretty good brakes. Not great by any streach of the imagination but pretty good.

[Humungus]

Originally Posted by mymindsok

Well, I think that everyone pretty much said everything except this....

Some guys are of the opinion that brake pads break in best with several hard stops but my experience differs.

I use EBC pads and when I swap pads, I check everything. I make sure that the calipers are operating correctly, lube the pins, adjust the caliper angle, check the Master cyl. Do a full "top-down".

When it's time for me to break in my new pads, I take it pretty easy at first and slowly increase my brake pressure. Remember, youre forming the pads to the disks and it won't do any good to burn em before they have a chance to wear in. If you rush it, you'll just burn the pads at the high spots and they never will reach thier full potential. If youre in a hurry, sometimes when youre riding down the highway, just touch the brakes lightly for a few seconds and then get off of em, so that they can kool down. Thats the best you can do.

It takes me about 400 miles to fully bed in new pads. If you have new disks with no grooving, they'll break in faster but it's still best to take things easy.

Please don't expect your single ATE disk to give you decent brakes. It won't. At best, with good pads, a fresh ungrooved rotor, a freshly rebuilt master cyl, a good MC cable and a braided brake line, you'll be able to squeel the front tire but if you practice hard braking often, the singles just won't hold up. They appear to generate too much heat and the pads glaze.

Those BMW single disk brakes are notoriously inadequate in stopping power and they can easily get you killed. No kidding... Believe me... I'm not just saying this... I've ridden more than 2000,000 miles with that brake system and it placed my life on the line more times than I can remember. Fortunately, I was very very lucky.

FACT: For several years my R-90/6 bike sat in the garage unused, because I was tired of risking my life every time I took it out for a ride. When I finally got around to rebuilding it, the first doner bike I bought had the dual 40mm front brakes and the correct MC. I added braided lines and rebuilt everything when I moved the parts over to my bike and the bike stops way better.

Swap out that single disk system for duals, as soon as you can afford to do so. Two ATE brakes improve your braking by 300% and thats pretty good brakes. Not great by any streach of the imagination but pretty good.

Great advise tks mate. I actually had the closest call with the grim reaper just yesterday in 27 years for no other reason but that /6 motor was calling me like the sirens calling a sailor at night & i couldnt stop at all for a stopped van.....i did however, manage to pull off the fastest swerving manoeuvre of my entire riding career though. Hell its just such a sweet running donk that you want to keep her spinning along.

Good fast hard lesson that got burnt to my hard drive. Im cool with the bike now. Dont let the motor beckon you onto that shallow reef.

[Wirespokes]

I second the data on dual discs. I haven't ridden two million miles on them, but I believe in having all the brake possible. I haven't had any close calls, but then I take it pretty easy around town too. Dual discs are quite an improvement over the single, and when they're working right, they're every bit as good as the two piston Brembos.

[Hawk Medicine]

Loll!!!!

I got happy with the numbers (Numbers drunk?)

That should read two-hundred-thousand miles.

But I really did retire that R-90 because of the crappy brakes. Thats simply too much motor for those brakes and I ended up hateing em for scaring me so many times.

[PaulRS]

Same here.

I had an A1 R90S in Daytona Orange which I sold after a few scary moments.

Years later I bought another (against better knowledge) with the intend to upgrade the brakes.
Plan was to fit a complete front-end off a K11 while keeping the spoked wheel.

Somehow I never got going with the project and ended up selling the whole lot

But the idea still lingers in the back of my head

Paul.

[crazydrummerdude]

I don't doubt the stopping power of dual discs. I don't doubt that people can out-ride and out-perform single discs.

But, geez, you can die eating a sandwich.

This is Old Skool. Ride your Old Skool bike.

[PaulRS]

I ride, don't you worry

But a R90S or /6 is too much motorcycle for those poor ATE brakes if things get a little 'inspired'.

I think it is nice to have a decent brake when blasting trough the Ardennes or Alps.

Paul.

[jedcaum]

Originally Posted by crazydrummerdude

I don't doubt the stopping power of dual discs. I don't doubt that people can out-ride and out-perform single discs.

But, geez, you can die eating a sandwich.

This is Old Skool. Ride your Old Skool bike.

Amen!

An airplane will stall if you raise the nose too high - shouldn't fly?

Motor'll blow up if you floor an engine too long - shouldn't drive?

You'll capsize if you turn too sharply in a speedboat - shouldn't boat?

Don't push a device beyond it's limits if you don't want to get burned by it. That's the beauty of these old bikes as far as I'm concerned. They're well-engineered for the day, but not overengineered to remove all the guts like a lot of modern bikes.

You can get in trouble. You should know better. Know your limits and those of the machine before doing something stupid that it can't handle. Learn the hard way sometimes. I know I do.

The margin of error might be smaller with lousy 30 year old brakes, but then we knew that going in, right?

[Ray of Sunshine]

The ATE calipers were and early attempt at ABS braking systems. They are good brakes for 30+ year old brakes, but if most of you recent experience is on more modern bikes, your going to have a period of adjustment. Leave a lot of braking room.

Dual front discs is the holy grail of /6 owners. One of the downsides I have heard of is spokes breaking under the added load. Stainless lines, I have thought of a speigler disc, and EBC pads all help.

Mostly, it is an okay braking system for a mid 7's dirtbike. You don't want to have too much front brake on the dirt.

[Hawk Medicine]

Originally Posted by crazydrummerdude

I don't doubt the stopping power of dual discs. I don't doubt that people can out-ride and out-perform single discs.

But, geez, you can die eating a sandwich.

This is Old Skool. Ride your Old Skool bike.

I ride my "Old School" bike with the best period brakes available, because its impossible to ride an Old School /6 safely in todays environment.

IINM, BMW was the first manufacturer to offer disks on bikes. That was good.

Unfortunately. BMW designed and installed those brakes during a period when they were worried about being sued by owners who might have launched themselves over the bars, by using the new disk brakes. Therefore, BMW's single disk brakes ended up being less powerfull than the drum brake that they replaced. That was bad.

The situation can be remedied by simply (But expensively.) adding the second caliper and disk, with the correct plumbing, as many others have done.

Of you or anyone else chooses to ride a bike as powerful as an R-90 with inadequate brakes, go right ahead. Youre all grown up and your safety is your business.

[crazydrummerdude]

Originally Posted by mymindsok

its impossible to ride an Old School /6 safely in todays environment.

I guess after 200,000 miles on your bike, you'd know.

I only have 20,000 on my daily rider, so what do I know?