Brake swap for 34L?

**xtfrog** · #1 1 Jun 2008

Hi All,

Now I've got the engine of my 34L working so nicely, I find myself wishing I had a better front brake, rather than the pissy little single-piston affair that's currently hauling everything to a sloooow stop.

Does anyone know if any later, twin piston, XT calipers will fit straight onto these forks? Or any other models' brakes, for that matter. It seems likely that Yamaha didn't bother changing the fork bottom mouldings between models, so I'm hopeful that soemone has already found a cheap, workable solution.

Thanks in advance,

**Tenere Tom** · #2 1 Jun 2008

I've been looking into an upgrade too.

Bringing the bike and over 14 stone to a stop is a bit too much for the weedy little caliper!!!

Tom

**Mark** · #3 1 Jun 2008

Hi,

I have a 1990 3AJ tenere and my girlfriend has a 1991 XT600E. I have considered improving my brake too, but comparison of the front brake mounting points on the front forks are spaced differently.

You could probably easily get a an adaptor bracket made to allow the 600E twin piston caliper to be fitted, but if I go to that trouble I will look into fitting somethig different again, as I don't think the 600E caliper has aged well. Even at moderate milage it had enough free play on the slider pins to cause a lot of lever movement before the brake starts to come on, and these parts are not available seperatly. Also at very low speeds it makes a strange clunking / rattling noise despite changing the anti-rattle springs. It is noticably more powerful though!

Mark

**Honybadger** · #4 1 Jun 2008

I've been thinking about uprating my 1990 3aj tenere's front brake too and wondering how much of a super teneres front end would fit to get twin discs, but then my mate said just get a super ten as they have the front end on them.

**xtfrog** · #5 2 Jun 2008

Thanks for the info Mark - that puts a stop to that line of thinking - I'll probably put this in the "too hard" basket for now, in that case.

Just gotta stop myself hooning around instead ...

**xtorange** · #6 2 Jun 2008

Hi,
Don't forget that later XT's have a bigger diameter disc as well, that have 8mm mounting holes as opposed to the early XT 6mm. I know this because i have fitted an early XT front wheel on my 4PT.
I have yet to work out whether i can drill out the 34L hub to 8mm or whether the hub castings are different....