[pmkls1]

I saw somebody said that a kat had 4 piston calipers, I dont know about the pre- '98 models but all 98+ models have dual twin piston sliding calipers. As far as aluminum being strong enough, if you have the right alloy and the right thickness aluminum is more than strong enough to handle the relatively small loads that the calipers would demand on a 460 lb bike. And I say relatively small load meaning that on an automotive application stopping a 4000 lb car they use aluminum caliper mounts made of no more than 3/4 inch aluminum all day long. As far as the stock brakes on these being good, they may be adaquate but they can definately be improved even if it were just braided lines and better pads......

[Black_peter]

My 95 has 4 piston calipers,,
not twin sliders..

[pmkls1]

oh ok, well the 98+ has twin 2 piston sliders in the front and 2 piston opposed in the rear. does your 95 have a single front rotor or dual ???

[Black_peter]

My 95 has dual front rotors..
Oh and a caliper for each rotor.. So If your anygood at math that means 8 pistons..

Wow no wonder my brakes work so good!

[pmkls1]

yeah I would say that is an explanation for your brakes working well, i just wonder if your 4 piston calipers would fit a 98+ model, if so that could be a possible upgrade for the newer kats..................

[The CyberPoet]

yeah I would say that is an explanation for your brakes working well, i just wonder if your 4 piston calipers would fit a 98+ model, if so that could be a possible upgrade for the newer kats..................

If you go that route, you need to also swap out master cylinders valve assy, as the master cylinder pump assy is designed specifically to match the travel of the existing calipers.

PS - I'm not convinced that 4 pistons is necessarily any better than two, as long as they are both maintained fully; the amount of pressure they can modulate onto the brake pads should be equal.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[pmkls1]

Well I definately agree that master cylinders need to be changed in relation to the type of calipers used, however, in theory the more pistons a caliper has the more clamping load it can produce effectively. And the change in size isnt related to the amount of fluid displaced by the pistons in the calipers vs. the amount of fluid the master cylinder displaces. It would be the mechanical equivalent to using a longer bar to gain leverage, the longer the bar the more leverage, however, the drawback is that the travel distance becomes longer in relation to the length of the bar, therefore you have to have a cylinder that displaces enough fluid to move the pistons in the right amount of travel but not displacing too much as you would lose the mechanical advantage needed to apply enough pressure. I do understand that it may not be necessary to change calipers to upgrade the performance on the brakes on these bikes but it can add performance as long as all of the components are properly matched.......

[The CyberPoet]

...however, in theory the more pistons a caliper has the more clamping load it can produce effectively...

Since either caliper design can induce enough clamp-load to produce a stoppie (the reasonable user limit of application of brake clamping force), I can't necessarily see the advantage of adding pistons between the two stock set-ups.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[pmkls1]

well the only advantage would be dexterity and/or the ease of which a stoppie could be executed. but with my stock setup i cant do that, or at least i havent been able to thus far........... but my point about the clamp load extends to applications beyond our bikes to virtually anything with disk brakes on it. it just may not be necessary in our particular situation......

[The CyberPoet]

I can make a stock Kat do it, but swapping out to some HH-rated pads will make a stoppie a three-finger job (two finger if you're determined). I use EBC HH pads and am hyper-pleased with the stopping power.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[pmkls1]

I can make a stock Kat do it, but swapping out to some HH-rated pads will make a stoppie a three-finger job (two finger if you're determined). I use EBC HH pads and am hyper-pleased with the stopping power.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

well i never debated that statement at all and I actually just carried out the debate mostly to see just how smart you really are and like I thought I am not disappointed at all with your wisdom. I am still going to try the braided line and HH-rated pads to see how i like and i am cinfident i will be pleased with that. however i do think i am going to trade for a zzr 600 next spring because i my thirst for power is never satisfied..........

[Black_peter]

well i never debated that statement at all and I actually just carried out the debate mostly to see just how smart you really are .

That sort of thing isn't what we do here..
Maybe there is another forum that will serve you better..
Katriders isn't about testing members...
It's about sharing what we know and what we like about Katanas
It's about helping each other..

[pmkls1]

well i never debated that statement at all and I actually just carried out the debate mostly to see just how smart you really are .

That sort of thing isn't what we do here..
Maybe there is another forum that will serve you better..
Katriders isn't about testing members...
It's about sharing what we know and what we like about Katanas
It's about helping each other..

perhaps you misunderstood my statement there but i didnt mean that i was testing him i started the thread looking for information and during the process a harmless debate began over there being a need for the better calipers. and you did get it right this forum is about sharing information and that is pretty much what a debate is is the sharing of information between people which is not to be mistaken as an arguement that doesnt go anywhere.......

[ThAzKat]

well i never debated that statement at all and I actually just carried out the debate mostly to see just how smart you really are .

That sort of thing isn't what we do here..
Maybe there is another forum that will serve you better..
Katriders isn't about testing members...
It's about sharing what we know and what we like about Katanas
It's about helping each other..

perhaps you misunderstood my statement there but i didnt mean that i was testing him i started the thread looking for information and during the process a harmless debate began over there being a need for the better calipers. and you did get it right this forum is about sharing information and that is pretty much what a debate is is the sharing of information between people which is not to be mistaken as an arguement that doesnt go anywhere.......

HMMMM, can I be tested

I think if someone is willing to give out info and other's agree, what more do you need?

[pmkls1]

i think a good civilized debate is a good thing because it ultimately leads to a lot of facts, information, and opinions being shared and all involved parties generally come out smarter or at least better educated hence the saying two heads are better than one.........