Commando drum brakes

Thank you for the welcome. I am glad to be able to contribute, but expect to be able to rarely participate due to time contraints, as I am also running 650 Central (YAM XS650 parts), in addition to Vintage Brake. Hopefully, members will ping me if they feel I can add something.

It might be noted that the Yamaha XS650C (1976) had a trailing caliper on the left, while earlier XSs had the same caliper mounted forward on the right. In 1977, the XS went to a trailing single piston on the right. If there is a technical reason for mounting on the left, I would think that race-oriented Yamaha, would have kept it there. Go figure.

I still feel the Norton "pull", having won a National road race championship on a P-11 (!), and having help prep the Monoque for Dave Aldana for Daytona.

MercuryMorse said:

It might be noted that the Yamaha XS650C (1976) had a trailing caliper on the left, while earlier XSs had the same caliper mounted forward on the right. In 1977, the XS went to a trailing single piston on the right.

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Which was far too late to have had any influence on the Norton factory.

As of course the factory closed down in mid 1975, and although a few hundred Commandos were built up from the remaining stocks of parts during the following couple of years, no further research and development was done during that time, which was the reason I mentioned the '72-'75 time period.

Where to get an out-of-round brake drum turned

Never did find anyone willing to turn my out-of-round brake drum. That might have helped a bit.

Love my disk brake, and it wasn't really very expensive, either!
Debby

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Look up an industrial and/or semi truck brake shop in your yellow pages.
They are there down some dusty back alley.
They have the lathes to chuck your whole wheel and will install their brake material or stuff you drop them off.

They usually also glue the material on - instead of rivets and even trim and chamfer the new lining material to suit your drum.

I've had a set of wheels/brakes done in a day. Drop them off on the way to work, pick up on the way home.
Very reasonably priced as well [$cash$ counter sale for a few beer after work] - and most of these places have been doing bike wheels for years.

A lot of these guys get a kick out of doing work for vintage bikes.