Combining brakes to the hand brake lever

[shootdaroc]

I have a 1995 GL1500 Aspencade with a Motortrike trike kit. As a disabled rider I am trying to combine most (if not all) of the brakes to the hand lever. Originally the hand lever only worked the right front disc brake. Last winter I had my mechanic route a new brake line to work the two drum brakes on the trike. He felt the hand lever master cylinder would support either the two front disc brakes or the two drum brakes in the back. I didn't think I would want both fronts only in an emergency situation, so opted to have the two rear drum brakes. I now find that the stopping power of only the rear drum brakes is not adequate. Not even as good as the original right front disc, so I need to add at least one front disc brake to the equation.

I have already tried to use a double banjo bolt with:
1) the new rear brake line to work the two drum brakes along with the original line to the right front disc brake.
Result: brakes were Very soft and in a simulated emergency situation the lever went back to the throttle as the front master cylinder could not push enough fluid...
2) rebuilt the front master cylinder
Result: no change...
3) bought a new OEM brake line to work the right front disc brake.
Result: no change...


4) placed a 10 psi residual valve at the front of the metal line going to the two drum brakes.
Result: no change...


So, right now I am back to just using the two drum brakes on the trike and down shifting a lot.

Has anyone accomplished this type of brake setup?
Is the Front master cylinder from a GL1800 bigger than the GL1500?
Does Honda make a bigger front master cylinder that will work?
I read somewhere that possibly one of the trike kit companys can bore out the front master cylinder and use the piston from the Valkyrie.
What about using a slave cylinder to actuate the Rear master cylinder, since it is already setup for the 2 rear and the left front brakes?

Any help would be most appreciated... Ron

[Gorilla]

welcome aboard I hope someone has an answer for you

[stinger608]

What I did on a pal of mines, it installed an adjustable proportioning valve. We ran the lines from the rear to the proportioning valve, fronts to the same, and then up to the master cylinder on the handlebars.

We had to mess with the adjustment on the proportioning valve to keep from the front wheel locking up is about all. It has worked great now for 2 years.

Might not be street legal in your state, though. You would have to check first.

[Lee H. Mann]

Ron, you have a PM sent

[desertclassic]

Hope it gets worked out. Let us know the results. Jim

[shootdaroc]

To stinger, what type of trike did you make that modification on? My whole issue has been the master cylinder not pushing enough fluid to work at least three brakes and I'm not sure a proportioning valve would solve that. It may be worth a shot though!! Thanks for the suggestion...

[stinger608]

To stinger, what type of trike did you make that modification on? My whole issue has been the master cylinder not pushing enough fluid to work at least three brakes and I'm not sure a proportioning valve would solve that. It may be worth a shot though!! Thanks for the suggestion...

It is on a Harley trike. We had to purchase a larger bore master cylinder to solve that issue. Seems like we got a 7/8" bore master cylinder. I'm pretty sure we purchased it from J & P cycles.

They had the masters for 7/8" and 1" handlebars.

[shootdaroc]

I decided to update this post (again) with what I have "learned" through this entire process over the past 4 years in case it helps another disabled rider as I now have Very Good brakes!

2 years ago I replaced the rubber line going to the back brakes with a steel braided line and connected that to the 10 psi residual valve and could now lock the rear brakes up at will and no longer pull the brake lever to the throttle!! Yeah...

Now, just because I can lock up the rear brakes doesn't mean it stops real quickly as you really need the front stopping power too, as the trike weighs about 1200 pounds without rider(s).



Soooo...

1) This past winter I had a steel braided brake line made for the right front brake caliper.

2) Hooked up front steel braided brake line and the rear steel braided brake line with double banjo bolt - Still not enough pressure! Could pull lever to throttle and brakes would not lock up.

3) Finally by researching what size piston is in the GL1800 master cylinder on eBay I accidentally found an exact Goldwing replica master cylinder with 5/8” (15.8 mm) piston for $28!! Found the same master cylinder on Amazon so I bought it from there in case it needed to go back.

4) Hooked up the 5/8” master cylinder with the front and rear steel braided brake lines with a double banjo bolt and finally I have adequate volume to work 2 rear brake cylinders and a front disk caliber together!! Hooray!

Notes:

1) The 5/8” master cylinder did Not come with 2 switches, only a brake light switch and the lever was over an inch shorter. Since I like to use the cruise control sometimes, had to use the OEM brake light and cruise cancel switches and also the OEM lever to cover both switches. Also had to "build up" the "tab" to get it to push the cruise cancel switch in so the cruise control would engage.

2) I can feel the back brakes come on first and then the good stopping power of the front brakes as I pull the lever.

3) I can lock-up the rear brakes at will if I pull the brake lever hard!

4) My brakes now work as good as my cars!!

5) I was very reluctant to put my faith in a $28 master cylinder, but I have put over 2,000 miles on this season and have not seen any leaking brake fluid and now ride with confidence.

Parts I needed to accomplish this:

1) Steel braided rear brake line (hooked to the 10 psi residual valve)

2) 10 psi residual valve (placed between the steel brake line (in front of the left wheel) and the steel braided rear brake line))

3) Steel braided front brake line to the right front brake caliper

4) Double Banjo Bolt - 10mm (width) x 1.25mm (thread pitch)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002O ... UTF8&psc=1

5) 5/8” (15.8 mm) piston brake master cylinder (replaced the OEM 1/2" (12.7 mm) brake master cylinder)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DM ... =UTF8&th=1