Rick Butlers Brake Mod-and the TCB

[Guest KitCarson]

I have finished with the installation of the Rick Butler Brake Modification and the installation of the TCB in companion with his original installation.

I wish to stress to all of you, either one of these installations, in or by itself or in companion, will not prevent lock up of the rear wheel, as neither will the installation of the TCB on the front brakes.

What these things do is give you great control over the brakes and stop the instant lock-up so common with the rear brake. You will have to practice with these installations...learn their limitations and yours. I am personally delighted with Ricks proportioning valve installation, the TCB devices......used on the front, I give a thumbs up.....used on the back by itself, thumbs down, used in companion with Ricks proportioning valve, it adds a bit of smooth control to the braking.

I only put these things on this afternoon and went to a large parking lot to practice......I kept it down to 35 to 45 mph for a bit........got used to them, then romped it up to 60 and put the binders on, took me a bit to get used to how to use these new installations.......but you have such great control with the use of them.....in the space of two parking lot spaces , I can stop Crickett from 60 mph in that space with the front wheel about a foot past one of the spaces. I had no tape with me and it is those back to back spaces in the middle of a parking lot and I am traveling the full length of the two spaces with an over shot of about a foot. Any harder and the wheels lock up. Thats pretty good folks........somewhere in the neighbor hood of 40 to 50 feet.

I really do wish to stress to all of you.......this is not a magic cure.....it is a means of gaining more and great control of the brakes...you will have to practice with these things......get used to them, and train yourself to use them, I cannot stress that enough...simply bolt them on, do not ever practice and the day you need them......yes the wheels will still lock up, you have to learn how to use these devices.

I tried all kinds of settings......as lowas turning the proportioning valve adjustment out one turn(this was a bit too soft for me) all the way up to three turns out. With the TCB used in companion, I have settled on two turns out on the valve. I tried it without the TCB first and used one turn out......with the TCB installed two turns seems to suit me just fine. I have then safety wired the valve to prevent accidental adjustment of the device.

The bottom line is if you practice with these devices......they do give you great control of the brakes on this bike.......hope the photos turn out, they show the parts.......the valve and the tap and adapters installed into the valve....The TCB installed front and rear and my safety wire job.

 

Kit

[Orrin]

Hey Kit, thanks for all you do and share with the rest of us. Glad this worked out for you.

 

I am still so far out from getting back on a bike that I drooling when I think about you just testing the brakes out. My surgery to fix the collar bone is Wed at noon. I get nervous just thinking about it, but what choice do I have? Can't keep going like this.

 

I gotta get back to Rick and get his set up ordered after the first of the year.

[CrazyHorse]

Thats a pretty nice set you got there. I like to see expanding ones mind with ideas like this. Do you have any pictures that are further away to see how you run the lines etc?

[Guest KitCarson]

Hey Kit, thanks for all you do and share with the rest of us. Glad this worked out for you.

 

I am still so far out from getting back on a bike that I drooling when I think about you just testing the brakes out. My surgery to fix the collar bone is Wed at noon. I get nervous just thinking about it, but what choice do I have? Can't keep going like this.

 

I gotta get back to Rick and get his set up ordered after the first of the year.

Hope your surgery goes well......it is not fun to be sick or hurt. Yes hope it goes well. Kit

[Guest KitCarson]

Thats a pretty nice set you got there. I like to see expanding ones mind with ideas like this. Do you have any pictures that are further away to see how you run the lines etc?

No no photos of the brake line......there is only one.....the stainless steel line you see in the photo. The original brake line is a factory rubber line with molded rubber spacers placed on the line to fit in the anchor brackets on the bike. I simply ran the new brake line in the same route as the old one, and as the steel line is a much better line, and of high quality, simply used the same brackets, bent one of them to fit........and did not re- install the long guard bracket that is just past the master cylinder that was used to protect the factory rubber line.

Just route the new line in the same route as the old line. Kit

[Orrin]

Kit, thanks!

OC

[Guest KitCarson]

Rick.......this is what I got done........was getting lost in the pack....brought it forward so you can see it. Thanks Kit