Fitting front XS drum to GS550

kltrkmpf

kltrkmpf

New Member
hi guys,

I'm new to the forum and new to bike building as well, gonna need a lot of help and advice from everyone! :) :)

I've got this GS550 recently restored and moded recently, however it is far from complete ... my next step is to make both front and rear 19", ideally replacing the original double discs to a XS drum
GS5508.jpg


GS5509.jpg


GS5510.jpg


GS5511.jpg


GS5512.jpg


GS5513.jpg


problem is I only managed to get the wheel set, and apparently the XS axle is larger than the GS's, so is the best solution is look for a complete XS front end? Or can I use the smaller GS axle and make an adaptor for it so it will hold the XS hub?

Thanks guys! :) :)
 
Skip the XS drum unless you already have it. Save your pennies and invest in a Suzuki 4LS drum brake.

I had the XS drum on my XS650 briefly and then got the Suzuki - night and day. The 4LS brake is on par with my single disk setup on my BMW R75. Looks better too, and I look at it as an investment - the value of the drum will only go up over time and they become more and more scarce.
 
VonYinzer said:
Easiest route? Complete XS front end with a bearing kit from AllBalls.
Click to expand...

thanks bro ... after some thoughts i think i'm just gonna give up the idea, parts are not easy to come by here in Malaysia ...
 
Tim said:
Skip the XS drum unless you already have it. Save your pennies and invest in a Suzuki 4LS drum brake.

I had the XS drum on my XS650 briefly and then got the Suzuki - night and day. The 4LS brake is on par with my single disk setup on my BMW R75. Looks better too, and I look at it as an investment - the value of the drum will only go up over time and they become more and more scarce.
Click to expand...

you're right man ... but is the Suzuki 4LS a direct fit? triple width and axle size and all that? i did came across a few Suzuki 4LS on ebay but damn they are really expensive ...
 
Hey man, I love your bike. Very well done. And great pictures too.

I have a GS 550 too, I have nothing to offer in terms of advice, but I would love to find out more about your build.

Do you have more details on your seat/seat pan/hoop build? I want to essentially do EXACTLY what you've done with your seat solution.

Also, those headlight ears are gorgeous. Where did you find those?

Beautiful bike, very inspirational.
 
How things change over time...Everyone wanted disk brakes in the 70's. Car's, bikes, etc.... While the early single disk's were kinda lame in the braking department, the later models and dual disk setup were much better. A dual disk setup like that is superior to drums, all other things being equal. Only in this community would we want to downgrade braking and handling.

Not telling you not to do it, just surprised that you want to.

You should really try working out a swap with someone. there are some who would want the whole fron end, dual disk and forks and triples. They are usually the ones with the drum setup in front. If I had a drum front bike, I'd be looking for a swap like that...


At least save some money on it...
 
Yep - the 4LS is expensive.

Looking at your bike again, I'd keep the dual disks. They better suit the overall styling of the bike.

I put a 4LS on my XS650 because a) at the time the style of the bike was important to me and I was influenced by 1950's Nortons and b) I got a good deal on one.

It brakes very well when set up properly and with fresh braking surfaces. On par with a single 70's disk I'd say. But, it's stupid heavy and as you say, expensive.

If it was my only bike, it would definitely have disks - most likely higher performance floating rotors and good calipers. However, its not my only bike. My BMW has a stock disk setup, my SR500 has a 320mm rotor with a 6 pot caliper on a GSXR front end, and my XS650 rigid bobber will have a crappy front drum brake from an XT500 in a 21" rim. Different brakes for different purposes.

If I was you, I'd invest my money in improved braking performance, not a heavy lousy performing drum.
 
egetron said:
Hey man, I love your bike. Very well done. And great pictures too.

I have a GS 550 too, I have nothing to offer in terms of advice, but I would love to find out more about your build.

Do you have more details on your seat/seat pan/hoop build? I want to essentially do EXACTLY what you've done with your seat solution.

Also, those headlight ears are gorgeous. Where did you find those?

Beautiful bike, very inspirational.
Click to expand...

hey man thank you so much for the kind words! and sorry for the late reply...

I wish I can show you pictures of the building process but i'm afraid I didn't built the bike myself, though i wish i can do it but i don't have the time and tools for it, so i painted a picture and hire a professional builder to do it. =) However I can take a couple of pictures to show you the seat assembly, but the bike is not with me right now, soonest i can get it is over the weekend, but I will post the pictures as soon as possible. :)

The headlight brackets are from http://www.motolanna.com/ =) :)
 
mydlyfkryzis said:
How things change over time...Everyone wanted disk brakes in the 70's. Car's, bikes, etc.... While the early single disk's were kinda lame in the braking department, the later models and dual disk setup were much better. A dual disk setup like that is superior to drums, all other things being equal. Only in this community would we want to downgrade braking and handling.

Not telling you not to do it, just surprised that you want to.

You should really try working out a swap with someone. there are some who would want the whole fron end, dual disk and forks and triples. They are usually the ones with the drum setup in front. If I had a drum front bike, I'd be looking for a swap like that...


At least save some money on it...
Click to expand...

I wanted the drum because like Tim said, style is important to noobs at one point and I'm currently at that point, but hey, it's too much hassle and obviously it dosn't worth all the troubles! So thank you so much sir for the wise advice, I shall go with the original dual discs then and keep the drum for something else. :)
 
Tim said:
Yep - the 4LS is expensive.

Looking at your bike again, I'd keep the dual disks. They better suit the overall styling of the bike.

I put a 4LS on my XS650 because a) at the time the style of the bike was important to me and I was influenced by 1950's Nortons and b) I got a good deal on one.

It brakes very well when set up properly and with fresh braking surfaces. On par with a single 70's disk I'd say. But, it's stupid heavy and as you say, expensive.

If it was my only bike, it would definitely have disks - most likely higher performance floating rotors and good calipers. However, its not my only bike. My BMW has a stock disk setup, my SR500 has a 320mm rotor with a 6 pot caliper on a GSXR front end, and my XS650 rigid bobber will have a crappy front drum brake from an XT500 in a 21" rim. Different brakes for different purposes.

If I was you, I'd invest my money in improved braking performance, not a heavy lousy performing drum.
Click to expand...

Yes sure sir I shall keep the dual discs then! =)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

DTT Light or Dark

  • DTT Light

    • Spread the Love

    Back
    Top Bottom