Lockeed Breaks

[Van]

Do any of you have experance with Lockeed breaks? I would like to find out about them for use on my 82, GS1100GKZ. Are they better then stock breaks? Is it worth the upgrade? Who sales them?
Van

[rapidray]

If it were my bike, I would just install the Nissin 4 piston calipers from a late 80s/early90s GSXR 750 or 1100. They are LOTS cheaper, not hard to adapt, & WAYYYYY easier to find & get parts for than the Lockheeds. Ray.

[Nessism]

If it were my bike, I would just install the Nissin 4 piston calipers from a late 80s/early90s GSXR 750 or 1100. They are LOTS cheaper, not hard to adapt, & WAYYYYY easier to find & get parts for than the Lockheeds. Ray.

Dream on Ray. Salty Monk (Dan) has done tons of work studying brake system upgrades and he uses two piston Kawasaki calipers because they are the most realistic upgrade. I'm not an expert but seem to recall that opposed piston calipers won't fit on a GS unless you perform a complete front end swap.

Regarding Lockheeds, I've never seen a GS with one but would be interested in finding out if anyone has done it. They would be very expensive so not feasible for most people but it would be fun to watch someone else spend their money.

[Billy Ricks]

Regarding Lockheeds, I've never seen a GS with one but would be interested in finding out if anyone has done it. They would be very expensive so not feasible for most people but it would be fun to watch someone else spend their money.

There is an old magazine that did a piece called Power of the Poconos that featured some wild bikes for their time. An RC51, a CBX, two or three other bikes and an '83 GS750. It had Lockheed brakes, Dymag wheels, the swingarm had been braced like Yosh did, it had a Yosh Stage 1 head and 29mm smoothbores. Compression I beleive was bumped to 10.25:1. I'll see if I can dig up the article and post it.

[rapidray]

Dream on Ray. Salty Monk (Dan) has done tons of work studying brake system upgrades and he uses two piston Kawasaki calipers because they are the most realistic upgrade. I'm not an expert but seem to recall that opposed piston calipers won't fit on a GS unless you perform a complete front end swap.

Ed, would you care to open your mouth to change feet now?!!! These are on GregB's 1150 with a STOCK front end & he posted these pics on THIS site a few months back! You got the "I'm not an expert" part right! In case you want to argue that the rotors aren't stock, those are stock replacement EBC rotors. Ray.

[Nessism]

Ed, would you care to open your mouth to change feet now?!!! These are on GregB's 1150 with a STOCK front end & he posted these pics on THIS site a few months back! You got the "I'm not an expert" part right! In case you want to argue that the rotors aren't stock, those are stock replacement EBC rotors. Ray.

Hey Ray,
You might want to check the OP's signature, he has an 1100, not a 1150. The 1150 already has opposing piston calipers, and a wheel with wider rotor spacing, so going to a different style is doable with that model...but not with any other GS bikes without machining some special adapters and changing the rotors.

[Van]

Sounds like I might be best to stay stock. I don't want to put somthing on it I can't find parts later.
Van

[russr33]

I had contacted AP brakes awhile back to enquire about their lockheed reproductions. They referred me to their US distributor. Here's his email to me:

Russell
Thanks for the inquiry! AP has plenty of those calipers in stock in the U.K. I could have them this side of the pond in 1-2 weeks time. Price is $195.00 each. Should you decide to order email your billing and shipping details and call me with a credit card number. Thanks again!!

--
Regards,

Garrett KLEENB.R.I.T.S INC.21881 8th Street EastSonoma CA 95476gkleen@britsinc.com707-935-3637 office707-935-0942 fax

[Commodus]

Do any of you have experance with Lockeed breaks? I would like to find out about them for use on my 82, GS1100GKZ. Are they better then stock breaks? Is it worth the upgrade? Who sales them?
Van

Used to be the hot ticket, way back in the day. As has been alluded, AP started reproducing them a few years back.

I've never used 'em myself, but have always heard good things and have never had any reason to doubt it.

Most people just use late model stuff (like from a GSXR or whatever) because it's cheaper and easier to find, and works very well.

[Van]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

Van

[first timer]

I can post some pics of lockheeds on gs later tonight.

thewiz has a nice period gs1000 race bike with lockheed type brakes on it.

Russ, i'll keep your connection in mind, after i am done with the motor brakes are next. Any idea where i can find some 13" period brembo type discs?

[salty_monk]

I suspect an opposed piston caliper could be used if you disregarded the existing fork mounts (i.e. the caliper would be bolted to a complete new mount on both holes with that adapter bolted to the forks like the one in the picture) so you could move the caliper out & used a different rotor.
Stock 1000/1100 rotor wouldn't allow you to get full pad contact at a guess no matter where you put the caliper & there may not be enough clearance at the wheel side for the back of the caliper (you'd have to check). You may be able to use a 550 rotor & space it forward.

To be honest Jeff (8Trackmind) did the initial work with the opposed piston calipers & then settled with the one I use, I have not tried to fit up an opposed piston caliper personally.

Dan

[first timer]

here are a few pics I was talking about







These are a few pics of the wiz's ex race bike

now if i can onlt find some discs like that

[Billy Ricks]

Here's the old magazine article about an '83 750 with Lockheeds and other goodies.

[rcp]

Thanks for the photos and article. The Dymags, lockheed calipers and big disks would be just the ticket for my vintage racer. (Indeed, I've idly been looking for some). On a bike that doen't need to be period correct, however, I think it's far more economical to adapt modern calipers and disks.

The Lockheeds are nice in that they can generally be mounted with nothing more than a flat plate - the modern calipers would usually need an offset adapter. But the 4-piston Nissin and Tokicos are a lot cheaper and more plentiful, and the price difference should cover the cost of maching the adapters.

Note: be aware that the first-gen GSXR calipers, are thick, blocky and tall and thus harder to sandwich in between disk and rim - might work on 18" wheels, but require a lot a disassembly if used on 17".

Here's an example of an adapter block to fit a four-piston Nissin onto a 90s GS500:





Now, if anyone knows of Lockheed calipers (or Dymag wheels!) at a good price, please let me know! That Toronto, ON turbo-bike interested me just for the wheels, but I wouldn't know what to do with the rest.

- Richard