I'm very interested in this mod. I have a 2011 Iron, but I've put laced wheels on mine and from what I am reading on the web this mod does not work on 19" laced wheels? Can anyone here shed some light on that?

Thanks!

 

I used the Performance Machine 6 Piston with a 13" Rotor. I replaced the stock 11mm master cylinder with a 14mm master off of a 04 XL1200R. It works great.

 

Rubber brake lines will bulge very slightly with pressure, resulting in a slightly "softer" feel at the brake lever.

Braided stainless lines don't bulge, giving a slightly firmer lever feel that many prefer. Actual brake system performance, however, doesn't change in instrumented tests.

In racing use, braided stainless lines are preferable to standard rubber lines because you're using full braking very often and with frequent and repeated full-pressure stops, rubber lines are more susceptible to weakening and bulging a lot more than rubber would in street use.

On the street, there's little benefit from stainless lines. They do look better, and many people like the lever/pedal feel better, but in terms of actual measured stopping distances there's really no difference. I've heard some people argue that braided lines provide better puncture resistance (from road debris) as well. This is technically true, but I can't recall the last time I ever heard of anyone having road debris puncture a brake line. If you're off-roading a lot, I can see that as a benefit, but for road use I don't think it really makes a difference.

Basically, for street bikes, all you get are looks and a slightly firmer brake lever. There's no increase in actual stopping power.

 

Sportbikes generally run a much more aggressive brake pads.
Before you spend a whole lot of money, try swapping the pads for some performance brake pads. I know it doesen't sound like much, but it makes a big difference in the way the bike stops, and the braking feel, and If youre not happy with them, youre only out about 50-6- bucks.

 

Did you do this? I've been looking into this conversion for my 2013 Iron and foudn a few posts where the caliper has hit the Irons alloy wheels. You need to file down the edge of the caliper to clear it. Click here and scroll down for pictures etc.

I wonder if there is some tolerances in the castings of these calipers as it doesnt appear to affect everyone? ???

 

I'll be going with this Big Brake kit. http://www.arlenness.com/prodcat/02-966.asp

 

All that does it provide a larger rotor. I understand that will disperse heat better and wont heat up the brakes quicker. Idk if you ride canyon stuff and brake really hard or not. It won't make any difference for random hard stops

 

Not true. A larger rotor provides more surface area per wheel rotation. In other words, more distance of disk slides between the pads for each rotation of the wheel. This gives the brakes more opportunity to slow the momentum within a cycle of less rotations.

The same stopping power used with a 15" rotor compared to a stock 11" rotor would result in fewer revolutions of the wheel (shorter stopping distance) with a larger rotor.

Of course some efficiency is lost with the heat building quicker, but I'll overcome that with sintered pads that don't heat up as fast as the stock pads. Efficiency is also lost in flexure due to the caliper being farther from the center. Both efficiency losses do not come close to the gains from a 4" larger disc diameter.

 

No, Ryan had it right, you cant overcome physics. As long as the rotor and pads are of the same make up and equal force is applied, stopping distance will not change just because you have a larger surface area. Dont think thats true? Put a brick on its end, pull it with a pull gauge, lets say it reads 1 pound as you pull it. Now lay the brick on its side, 4 times the surface area, pull again.......it will read one pound. Physics, ya cant get around it

Sportys actually have very good brakes from the factory, they can actually out brake many dual disk, larger rotor, brembo powered sport bikes. But only for a couple of stops because after that the sporty brakes will fade where as the sport bike will continue braking at maximum with no fade.

Every sporty ever made can lock up the front brake, having more braking power than that is pointless. It could probably have 5 or 6 maximum brakes like that before it fades enough to no longer be able to lock the front. THATS when your larger or dual rotor comes into play. They can maximum brake for much longer.

Now Im not saying locking the front is the way to provide maximum braking, just that it takes maximum braking to get there.

 

I don't know about physics and what not. Well not much more than a laymen anyway all I know is that I have 2 Sportsters. A 2013 Café with Performance Machine 6 Piston Front brakes with a 13" rotor and 4 piston rear brakes with a 11.5 inch rotor. I also have a 2012 48 bobber with bone stock brakes. All I can say is that there is absolutely no comparison. The Café build will stop on a dime and give you change with very little effort. The bobber feels like I am in a loaded down SUV. Stock Sportster brakes are garbage