Home Built Disc Brake

[Tremont MC]

Hi, I finished fine tuning this brake I built recently and am pleased with the way it performs. It uses Avid pads and some various specialty springs, bolts and shim material to set it up properly. Total out of pocket was $ 21 for pads. I used a milling machine, surface grinder, and die grinder and put it together in about 2 weeks. I've seen custom motorcycles using the sprocket as the brake disc , and thought I'd give it a try. I found it important that special care be given to position the rear wheel parallel to the frame rail which mounts the caliper anchor. Then, its a simple matter to set caliper position with feelers

 

[wheelbender6]

Great. So your sprocket is your rotor.
I always thought the best way to position the caliper was between the seat stay and chain stay, as you did.
Seems like early disk brake calipers (1970s) from shimano and others were mounted like yours.

 

[Chris Crew]

DIY Disk

Pretty clever, and definitely a tour d'force of shade tree fabrication.

My reservation would be the possibility of grease from the chain or oil from the exhaust messing with your pads.

 

[Tremont MC]

I was skeptical as well, but...

when I first heard of this idea for motorcycles, I thought this is nothing more than a solution looking for a problem, and I worried about chain grease too. But the debris from the chain is thrown from outside the radius of where the pads sit and doesn't get near them. That being said, This seems to be a practical way to get disc brakes while having a chain and sprocket on both sides of the wheel

 

[Happy Valley]

One of the more clever DIY mods I seen here, nice job. Let's us know how it holds up in service.

 

[biken stins]

Impressive. Nice work.

 

[GearNut]

That looks real good.
I have seen many and worked on some sprotor brakes on Harleys and it is true; If you do not get carried away with lubing the chain the sprocket-rotor (or sprotor) will not get lubed up.
However, do not neglect proper lubing the chain out of fear of lubing your brakes.
Doing so will ruin the chain and sprockets.

 

[Tremont MC]

You understand

to give credit, I got my inspiration for this project from a custom motorcycle builder called Exile. As far as I know they were the first to offer a sprocket brake and as you know it was for Harleys.

 

[ratty]

This is very nice work. Very good craftsmanship, if I do say.

 

[Tremont MC]

Thanks...now that I've completed this mission, I await my next.