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Mean Streak rear wheel/brake mod

bikerhawk

Kansas AAD
Member
Here's my version of the C10 Mean Streak 17" rear wheel conversion.  Credit to Yamahawk for the inspiration.  I had time to mock this up while waiting for a new driveshaft to arrive.

I had difficulty finding a machine shop with the equipment to machine the wheel, so I went with using the MS rear caliper, disc, and bracket.  I was able to take off the necessary material from the bracket myself.

I found an extra C10 brake stay with the plan of fabbing up a longer version to clock the caliper back, per Yamahawk's installation.  To my delight, I discovered that since I run a Givi saddlebag/Happy Trail rack setup, I had plenty of clearance to leave the caliper in the stock C10 location.  So all I had to do is cut off one ear of the stay, drill out the hole, and get a shorter M12 bolt (trimmed to approx. 22.5mm) to fasten stay to bracket.  The pic of the trimmed stay is at a bad angle & makes it look like it's touching the disc, but it's not...it's even with the inside of the bracket.


The brake line is a bit long since I had ordered one with the idea that I would have to clock the caliper back, but it still works.  The stock C10 line is a couple inches short.

The nice thing is I can throw the original C10 parts back on in no time at all, should I ever have to get rid of the bike.
 

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Are those Soupy's lowering links? Loved my MS wheel conversion. I end up powder coating both wheels when I got done with the 17" conversion front and rear.
 
Jim Snyder said:
Are those Soupy's lowering links? Loved my MS wheel conversion. I end up powder coating both wheels when I got done with the 17" conversion front and rear.

They are Soupy's. I love the adjustability, especially as I keep screwing with my suspension geometry/ride height/weight load. I had them a bit too low on my trip and was bottoming out once or twice. I adjusted them to sit higher with the lower MS wheel (170/60-17 Metzeler vs. 160/80-16 Dunlop Elite 3), but I went a bit too far.

Will adjust later when I go back & tweak the brakes. Still have air somewhere...the twin pot Tokico with 2 bleeders seems a bit tricky to get all the air out.
 
Swapping in a Mean Streak 17" rear wheel will be my first mod (I got the wheel ordered and on the way). I've located a MS rear rotor, bolts, caliper, and mounting bracket (brake stay). I figured why put in a Mean Streak 17" wheel using the stock brake, plus going to the expense and hassle of finding a machine shop that will do the machining when you can use a bigger rotor and better dual piston caliper (without machining). I have studied TXfatboy's and Yamahawk's pioneer efforts into making the MS brake fit without machining the wheel. Another forum member made an adapter out of aluminum for the stay to relocate bolt holes. I was looking  for a simple way to do this and Bikerhawk wins the prize for least complicated. My main question for this method is this: worse case scenario is that the factory right side bag might rub, right? I think I'll try this route and then go from there. If the bag does rub, I'll figure out some way to mod the thing to make it work. I might as well get the rest of the MS brake parts ordered. Thanks for blazing a trail, Bikerhawk.
 
Jim S will probably post soon.
He's been using a front caliper {from a C-10} on the rear of his bike for some time.
All that is necessary is to weld on a tap for mounting.

He did the mod for my bike. Works fine.
We both have 4 pot Tokico's on the front.

Ride safe, Ted
 
I was notified the Mean Streak rear brake parts I ordered were shipped. The donor bike only had 5k miles. Currently, the plan is to use JMD's method of installing a MS rear wheel without machining. That seems to be the "cleanest" way to do it. It does require modding the brake stay and shortening the axle spacer.  Bikerhawk's method is the easiest, but I decided I didn't like grinding the stay ear off of one  side. I'm no engineer, but I figure this was designed like that for a good reason.

Hey Ted, on the early C-10 are there options to upgrade the front brakes without swapping in a different wheel? I might consider a 17" front wheel eventually. Can Tokico dual piston calipers be easily adapted? I suspect an adapter plate or mount is probably needed at the very least.

Last question: are good braided brake lines worth getting?  They look good and I'd always heard that they work way better than regular flex lines (because they won't balloon as much). Any idea how long the line needs to be for the MS rear brake? Maybe something like 20", 21", or 22" in length?
 
batboy said:
I was notified the Mean Streak rear brake parts I ordered were shipped. The donor bike only had 5k miles. Currently, the plan is to use JMD's method of installing a MS rear wheel without machining. That seems to be the "cleanest" way to do it. It does require modding the brake stay and shortening the axle spacer.  Bikerhawk's method is the easiest, but I decided I didn't like grinding the stay ear off of one  side. I'm no engineer, but I figure this was designed like that for a good reason.

Hey Ted, on the early C-10 are there options to upgrade the front brakes without swapping in a different wheel? I might consider a 17" front wheel eventually. Can Tokico dual piston calipers be easily adapted? I suspect an adapter plate or mount is probably needed at the very least.

Last question: are good braided brake lines worth getting?  They look good and I'd always heard that they work way better than regular flex lines (because they won't balloon as much). Any idea how long the line needs to be for the MS rear brake? Maybe something like 20", 21", or 22" in length?

As your SC, there is a member (Pbfoot) in the Houston area that machine's the mean Streak wheels.
He has done several..
He and Jim S, can advise you about the MS Wheel.

Pretty EZ to add Tokico 4 pots to the later model C-10' front.
Some tried the 6 pot, but they feeling was the 4 pot was best.

I built my own brackets, (using a std size rotor) but this guy is currently selling one.
http://forum.cog-online.org/c-10-emporium/brake-upgrade-brackets/msg647603/#msg647603
  I am not sure if his adapter is for a std or larger Rotor.
  He can answer your questions.

Jim S originally built, and later bought adapters to install Radial design Tokico's.
The ease here is it is adaptable to either diameter Rotor by adding a spacer.
  I like the radial design as it's EZ to adapt for either size Rotor, but more expensive than buying this used one.

I did not extend my rear brake line with Connie Front Rotors on the rear.

I did go to braided lines.
  They are an improvement, but not a huge improvement.
    Yesterday I was looking at an old discussion about my brackets with photo's.
    In it is a list of Calipers and rotors that will fit the C-10.
http://forum.cog-online.org/concours-c10-zg1000-general-chat-and-tech/brake-brackets-for-2003-connie-anyone-interested/msg323653/#msg323653

Here again, Jim is a better help than I.

Here is a discussion including Jim's Radial set up.
http://forum.cog-online.org/tiressuspension-c10/brake-conversion-food-for-thought/msg437736/#msg437736

Ride safe, Ted
 
Ted, thanks a bunch for all the info and links. Although, upon further refection, I think for now I'll just do the Mean Streak 17" rear wheel conversion and rear brake upgrade since I have the parts on the way. Perhaps I should ride the bike for a while and let it tell me what it needs next. The reason why the 17" rear wheel swap was first is because the rear tire is about toast and I didn't find diddley squat I wanted in the 16" wheel size.  I've settled on Michelin Pilot Road 3 for the front (120/70ZR-18) and Michelin Pilot Road 4 for the rear (170/60ZR-17).
 
I have a zx6d rim and spacer for the front swap if you’re interested. It’s listed in the classifieds.
 
Hi guys,
It’s been awhile since I logged in, and I am a paid member of COG now. Good to see that there is a following of the Mean Streak conversion, using the brake parts from the Meanstreak, and making a longer brake stay. I could have used the stock length stay, but the caliper would have hit the right bag on bumps, so I clocked it back about 8:30-9 o’clock.
Now, after 20k+ miles on the rear conversion, and at least two rear tires, I would say that it works very well. The first rear tire I used was a 170/60-17 Conti Motion, and the second one was a 150/70-17 Conti Motion. I am due for another rear tire, so I will look for a 160/70-17, in another brand of tire as Continental doesn’t manufacture one in this size. (I really love the Conti Motions, they wear well, and grip very nicely in the wet and turns- and they are inexpensive!)
I used my little Sherline mill to take about 3/16” off the caliper bracket to use the Meanstreak brakes, and I used the rear Meanstreak rotor, too. The 2 piston caliper and larger rear rotor is well worth it. I am glad that my conversion has helped out a few fellow COGgers.
God bless!
Charlie
 
I was fortunate enough to find a local machine shop that would mill the 0.300" off the flange and I re-used stock everything else. The guy was even contientious enough to drill / tap the rotor mounting holes another 0.300" deeper too.

you might get some analysis done on taking that one ear of of the reaction rod. that bolt is supposed to be in shear only, and the force is supposed to be in a straight line. with one ear cut off now the bolt also has a twisting moment added to it. this might deflect things a bit.

if you don't use your rear brake much, this may not matter. Your bike, proceed however you see fit.
-tdbru
 
you might get some analysis done on taking that one ear of of the reaction rod. that bolt is supposed to be in shear only, and the force is supposed to be in a straight line. with one ear cut off now the bolt also has a twisting moment added to it. this might deflect things a bit.
After running with it for 3 years now, I feel really good about my setup. The caliper bracket mates up nearly perfectly with the end of the stay. My mechanical analysis is that the force of braking is transferred forward into the stay, and the bolt does more in holding the pieces together than it does in dealing with braking forces.

This was evidenced when the bolt fell out on me somewhere in Iowa on the way to the Gathering on the Green. :oops:

I didn't discover the missing bolt until getting home safely. Hmmm, I wondered why it felt like I lost braking when rolling backward...but I thought something was wonky with the pedal pivot. Going forward, the brakes worked just fine. Obviously not optimal, however, and another bolt with copious amounts of Loctite went in straightaway.
 
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