The North/South Divide

[Bob B]

OK, just to throw a spanner in the works, when the matter of dual circuit brakes was first enforced a good number of years ago I asked ACU how that could be done with an outfit with drum brakes - took 'em almost six months to sort that one out. So, does a machine like RP's BSA for example conform to the rules? Just askin' ...

[Triplebrew]

Bob surely as Rolands drum brakes are operated by seperate cables and the front by its own lever and the rear by its own pedal this would equal two seperate systems?

[Bob B]

That's how it was settled - eventually But what a farcical situation in the first place

[Triplebrew]

Quite agree and clearly by those who knew little about the pedigree, historical interest or even the basic workings of such outfits.

[RP]

I still don't understand. Most outfits pre-1972 did not have hydraulic brakes. Our outfit (as far as I am aware) was the first to be fitted with a hydraulic disc font brake. Most of the other outfits were using 7R font brakes and Manx rears. Sidecar wheel brakes - you are having a laugh!

[Bob B]

We had a hydraulic rear brake in '66-ish. The Reliant brake backplate fitted very snugly into a Dommi rear hub Had probs initially with fade before we discovered the srong brake fluid was being used and after a few laps it was boiling so no brake.

Then at Purton (Perton?) more probs with the pedal slowly going down - belled out and it was OK. Same again several times in the weekend. Other drivers said it was common there and to float a piece orubber on top the fluid the same size as the cylinder. That circuit was so bumpy the fluid was aerating

You blokes have it easy today ...

[sidecar bloke]

My Banshee big-wheeler started off life in 1959. I believe when Doug fitted the DKW in '60 something he fitted a Morris Minor front twin leading shoe. It was an Arial rear wheel and he fitted the back plate with the twin leading shoes slipped into the 7" diameter drum of the Arial. This caused great aggrevation when we started racing with the CRMC as we had a hydraulic operated drum on the back, cable operated drum on the sidecar and cable operated drum on the front.

It was stated by the scrutineers that the ACU insisted that if an outfit was fitted with hydraulic systems they must be linked. I argued as I only had one hydraulic component - how can you link one? Fitting a hydraulic disc to the front wheel, which could be linked, finally got over the problem.

Rules is rules!

I still haven't got a difinitive answer to my initial question regarding the number of master cylinders - but I will get there!

Ian

[Triplebrew]

Seems odd to me. I thought that all the rules stated was you had to have at least 2 independant circuits. In your Banshee Imp's case surely that was ok? I.e individually operated cable drums front and side and a hydraulic on the rear

[Eddy Wright]

When I had my brand new Windle imp back in the early 70s. I remember it had one rear brake master cylinder with all three wheels operated by it, with the offside twin disc on the front from the bars. This must have been correct at that time as it was never questioned, and I'm sure Terry would have built the bike to the acu handbook.

I seem to remember the twin braking system being made a rule about the time the TZ750 motor was introduced circa 1974/5