Suzuki GS500 Front Brake Upgrade.

Eric Murray
by Eric Murray

Suzuki GS500 front brake upgrade?

George Benes asks:

Hi, I own a 1993 Suzuki GS500E and was looking at changing the front brakes from a single disk (on the right side) to a dual disk, like many sport bikes, for better stopping power. The lower fork on the left side does not have a mount on it, so can I buy a new right-side tube and stanchion, flip it around and bolt it on in place of the left fork, which doesn't have a brake caliper mount? Also how and what can I use to connect both calipers? Is this a better way to go than upgrading the current caliper and disk setup?

...and MO answers:

You probably can't flip a right side fork leg around and put it on the left; on almost all newer bikes the axle mounts differently on one fork leg (Harley Davidson has such a kit for the 883 Sportster line - editor). Usually the axle screws into one leg and the other leg clamps around the axle. Before you go out and spend a lot of money, I'd start first by making sure that the stock brakes are up to spec and that you have fresh Dot 4 or 5 brake fluid.Making the brake lines wouldn't be a problem; you can make custom lines yourself. Just head on down to the local auto-racing shop that sells Earl's brake line kits and follow the instructions.

What you haven't said is what problem you are trying to solve - do your brakes fade? Are they just not strong enough? Does the lever come back too close to the bars?

Before you go out and spend a lot of money, I'd start first by making sure that the stock brakes are up to spec and that you have fresh Dot 4 or 5 brake fluid, depending on what the manufacturer specifies, preferably a high-temperature variety such as Motul. Rebuild the master cylinder and caliper if they need it. Then make sure the rotor is straight. And definitely make sure the brake system is bled really well - This last item is probably the most frequent cause of poor brake performance. Some systems bleed easily, some are nearly impossible to get completely bled.

Here's a tip: Whenever bleeding a brake system, unbolt the master cylinder/brake lever from the bars and hold the "L" junction (where the banjo bolt connects the brake line and master cylinder) in such a way the air can float all the way up through the joint and into the master cylinder. Then, squeeze the brake lever while lightly tapping the banjo bolt with a wrench. This will eradicate the few air bubbles that tend to get caught here since most of these junctions are at an angle (like "^" instead of "

Eric Murray
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