Improved brakes - options for 2001 Vino 50cc

[sdineen]

Riding a Yamaha 2001 Vino 50cc and wondering if anyone can recommend a brake component upgrade that’s a reasonable compromise between price/performance. I’m not planning to put in big block kit in, but the 50cc is unrestricted and feels like the current brakes aren’t quite doing it,…. Just a little slow, a little squishy. Anything out there disk upgrade kit, or maybe just superior brake pad set that are a good upgrade to help get breaking a little tighter?



Thank you!

[ryan_ott]

I don’t think the Vino has any performance oriented brake parts given it’s got drums. You may just be due for pads and cables or just simple adjustments. Cables stretch over time requiring replacements.

[Zino]

gutiwarrior swapped in disc brakes on his vino but this is not a cheap fix .
I have a pipe and 70cc the suspension tires and brakes are a limiting factor on how fast you push the vinos .

[sdineen]

Thanks for the input. I will take a look at the drums. I did build this thing from a mix and match as follows: Flood recovery, all body pieces in tact, engine shot. Fully disassembled vino with title, disassembled down to the bolt (I think the kid had an OCD problem). Used engine on ebay (didn't trust myself to reassemble the engine). came out to exactly $450 total US dollars still so not too bad all considering.

[Lucass2T]

Try to find a complete front fork assembly from a disk braked Yamaha scooter. Maybe a jog or a YA50 axis or some kind of small 10 inch wheel scooter.

I did the same.
I converted my Yamaha YA50 front drum brake to disk brake.
Took the wheel, forks and triple tree from a YA50 Cosmo (those come with disk brake) and made it fit my older drum braked YA50.

With the normal drum brake YA50, the tube thats hold the triple tree and fork legs at the bottom and the handlebars at the top (that part that goes through the frame) had quite differt dimensions from the disk braked YA50's one.

Needed to cut free this tube and the fork legs from the old triple tree (they're welded in there) and swap it over into the disk braked ones triple tree. I hope you get what I mean. It was quite a hassle actually.

But with other models it might be as simple as a plug and play swap between drum and disk brake parts.

[sdineen]

I do for the most part. Definitely sounds like work, but will keep my eye out for basically someone scraping their old scooter, or just the front end and see if I can make a score. It does happen and I'm not in a huge rush. Thanks!

[willie678]

Squishyness can mean old brake fluid if the brake uses it. My dirt bike recommends you change the fluid ever year. You clean out the reservoir and bleed new fluid all the way to calipers.

Use a new bottle, as brake fluid doesnt store well once opened

[snaker]

Apr 9, 2021 10:09:13 GMT -5 ryan_ott said:

I don’t think the Vino has any performance oriented brake parts given it’s got drums. You may just be due for pads and cables or just simple adjustments. Cables stretch over time requiring replacements.

Yep, cables and cable assembly's don't last forever.
You can feel a definite difference with a new set.
Something that could be worth picking up if you can still get them, maybe 2 sets, because the mfg won't make that set forever.

Your controls can make a difference also.
Some have a better leverage/ratio than others.
There were some motorcycle setups that used some sort of mechanical advantage at the lever.
But it required more lever movement for the equivalent force, (large hands).

Clean up, new shoes, all helps

One problem that comes up is a worn drum, maybe grooved, especially if it see's dirt and pebbles.
Best performance would be to smooth out the grooves.
Unfortunately that involves removing metal, and there is only so metal that can be removed till the drum becomes out of spec.
Going with aggressive shoe material can improve performance, but that is usually at the expense of wearing out the drum faster.
But what you gonna do?