XJ650 vs XJ750 brakes

Anyone who's ridden both: do you miss the double front disc brakes that the 750 has? I have a 750 and am seriously considering getting a 650. I just noticed that the 650 only has one front disc, vs the two on the 750. The shocks on the rear also look a little different, but I would imagine the 650 still rides nicely.

 

Depends...all my 650's/750' have had twin discs, as did my Maxim.....to me, the XJ's are underbraked......certainly compared to modern,( albeit limited by tyres/grip) i for one would NOT like the idea of single disc....yes, i KNOW we aren't breaking from 100+ MPH often, if at all, but still.....I DO think the rear drum is no where near as bad as some modern Bikes discs!!!

As far as the rear shocks, from what I can remember they ride virtually the same

 

Thanks. On my 750 I had to install stainless steel lines and rebuild the calipers because the braking was very inadequate. I also replaced the rear pad. Now the bike breaks fine. I'm a little confused though why the 82 XJ650 I'm looking at only has one disc up front. (The guy I spoke with at the shop that's selling it said they had to replace the CDI. Apparently that's common on early 80s Maxims. It makes me wonder, though, what else might be wrong with the bike.) As you can see from the photo...it clearly only has one disc up front.

 

Can only be the NA market, ALL my XJ's have had twin disc setups.......

 

Relax many bikes only came with one disk from Kawasaki , Honda, Suzuki , yamaha . Use a good quality pad and rebuild caliper and master cylinder and use stainless braided steel lines . No it will not stop as well as a sport bike with ABS but it will be adequate . I had an 82 Virago 750 with one disk and an 84 Kawasaki 550 LTD the same.

 

Actually, I just saw an XJ650 in the "For Sale" section of this forum and it only had one disc up front. My Nighthawk 750 only has one disc up front. (Actually, I put a stainless steel line on the Nighthawk and now it's too strong; there's no feel -- it's all or nothing now, and very strong.) And my 750 Magna only has one disc up front (of course they're known for adequate at best braking).

The thing is...when I checked the specs for the 82 XJ650 it definitely says dual discs up front.

 

Thanks. As I posted just above, there's an XJ650 for sale on this very forum that only has 1 disc up front.

 

When I bought my Kawasaki GT 750 trike it had a single R1 REAR disc on the front! How it ever passed its annual test I'll never know.

 

Any thoughts on how the bike looks overall? To me, it looks like it's in amazing shape for a 36 year old motorcycle.

 

mostly price points that had to be met to be able to sell afordable bikes in the US market is why it was a single disc.
1 disc vs 2 discs is a simple thing you have to plan your stops and ride knowing how long it takes you to stop.
just like with cars with drums and disc vs disc all around.

rule of thumb don't ride someones bumper or you may kiss it

 

I understand. And I'm more than satisfied with my Nighthawk's one disc up front (at least I was until I added a stainless steel line; now it's too strong IMO). I was surprised to see only 1 disc in the photo, and more surprised to see the site that listed the specs for the XJ650 indicate it came with 2 discs up front. I didn't think someone would "modify" the bike in the above photo to remove a disc; it just didn't square up. I'm still a little confused. I guess the spec site was just wrong.

 

1982 650 seca and euro models all come with dual disc 550 650 ect...
650 maxims have single disc

 

Thanks. I might have been checking out a Euro spec site. Very helpful.

So given that this bike only has one disc up front, would you think it's pretty much a given that I'd have to, at the least, install stainless steel brake lines? And are they pretty commonly available for the 82 650s?

 

Yup. The xj4ever link at the top corner has EVERYTHING you need. Except right side covers. Start a conversation with Chacal to get things started.

 

Thanks much.

 

Not very common actually, unless you screw one up by testing things wrong. And it's a TCI on these, not CDI. Not uncommon for a shop to be unfamiliar with older bikes.

I had an XJ650 and braking was adequate with the single disc. While there are certainly improvements, I find that the stock setup on almost anything is adequate if maintained and functioning properly.

Bike looks great in the pic! I miss mine for sure.

 

Thanks. I know a lot of folks criticize the brakes on the 3rd gen Magnas, but I ride it with stock brake lines, not stainless steel, with no issues, and that's a 525 lb bike with a honkin V4 that really moves. But after careful consideration, I'm going to take the money I would have spent for the XJ650 (close to $2,500 with shipping) and spend another grand and get my buddy's 2007 fuel injected Bandit. He's got a lot of extras on it -- 2 Brothers exhaust, GIVI trunk, Corbin saddle, slightly taller windscreen, GPI, engine guard + highway pegs, plus the bike was tweaked for even more torque than the already full-of-torque 1250 puts out. It's surprisingly heavier than the Magna at 545, but dayum...that bike is fun to ride. At least for me. A lot of folks diss the Bandit; it's too heavy for the sport bike riders and too fast for the cruiser/touring set. But for me...it's the best all around bike I've ever ridden. I don't think I'd put 500 miles/day on it like the Magna, but up to 200 -- no problem. And with FI...no more worries about carbs, cleaning carbs, syncing carbs, etc. So I'll just keep my 82 750, hope the tank doesn't rust through, and enjoy it for what it is.

 

i think in 20 years your thoughts on FI will change a bit

 

they make little things that go on the wheel cylinder to put some sponge back in the brakes. on/off brakes are bad in a panic situation

 

Tell me about it. I was riding over to my buddy's house last year after a morning rain. I specifically went a different way to stay more on main roads because the road surfaces were still a little slick, but I'd never gone that way before. All of a sudden, I saw a stop sign coming off a ramp at around 45 mph that took me by surprise. I panicked and grabbed the front brake. Big mistake. I went sideways and rolled into a ditch before I could say: Uh oh. 3 broken ribs later...

 

here ya go, first i found this
http://www.tcbbrakesystems.com/
then i saw this
https://www.ebay.com/i/222737008095?chn=ps&dispItem=1
then i thought about just cutting the brake lever shorter

 

Thanks. I'll definitely look into this.

 

The TCB is basically a hydraulic accumulator to dampen the initial input from the lever.

If you want the single disc to perform well make sure the rubber line is good and put a quality pad in the caliper (EBC Green).

The braided stainless lines are nice and provide slightly crisper control but remember the OEM lines are wire-wrapped hoses. Just because they are rubber on the outside doesn't mean they are weak. Take age and condition into account.

Cosmetically I like the SS lines.

 

Good points. But on a 36 year old bike, rubber is going to get harder and less responsive, isn't it?