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Arlen Ness 15 inch brake disc.

  • Far Canal
    Far Canal
    7 months
    Wondering if anyone on this forum has used one of these big brake discs from Arlen Ness and what you think of its improvement over the standard 11.5 inch disc/rotor?.
    I have got the shits with the Performance machine callipers and rotor on my bike. I originally bought a 6 piston PM calliper that used the standard disc but sold that one pretty quickly because if it WAS any better than the original callipers then it was not by enough to notice. Next up I bought a 13 inch PM rotor and 6 piston calliper to suit that and have been using it for some years and am relatively nonplussed with that set up and even considering going back to the stock set up to see if it is any worse than the expensive shiny fandangled stuff. So anyoine tried the Arlen Ness one?.
  • 408
    408
    7 months
    I read articles from a few years back about 4 piston calipers outperforming 6 piston calipers. 
    The tokico 4 piston calipers were popular because sports bike riders were flogging them on ebay after upgrading their brakes. Still a lot better than oem Harley. Radial mount adapters were available to achieve a fit with 13"rotors and supposedly worked well. Might be worth a look given what you have.
  • Far Canal
    Far Canal
    7 months
    Quoting 408 on 09 Apr 2024 10:11 AM

    I read articles from a few years back about 4 piston calipers outperforming 6 piston calipers. 
    The tokico 4 piston calipers were popular because sports bike riders were flogging them on ebay after upgrading their brakes. Still a lot better than oem Harley. Radial mount adapters were available to achieve a fit with 13"rotors and supposedly worked well. Might be worth a look given what you have.

    Strangely enough the single piston callipers on my 84 FXWG and 94 FXR work just as well as the expensive fancy shit I have been trying on my 08 FXST.
  • Hilly
    Hilly
    7 months
    The front brake on my 2016 slim works great, way better than the stock one on my old 2006 wideglide did, maybe that would be an easy upgrade?
  • Stuart
    Stuart
    7 months
    The stock single piston caliper on my 85 FXWG is not as good as the 4 piston stock caliper on my 2005 WG. Not a lot in it to be honest but the later one is better. Floating rotor on the 2005 though - not sure how much difference this makes.

    What shape is your master cylinder in?

    But to answer your original question - no. No experience with Arlen Ness discs.
  • Far Canal
    Far Canal
    7 months
    The stock calliper on the bike concerned, my 08FXST is a 4 piston one. The single piston ones are on my 84 Wide glide and 94 FXR.
    To answer your question Stuart, I think the master cylinder is ok. It does not leak any fluid or anything. I have a notion that the PM 6 piston callipers are not a great design. One pad (the outside one, closest to bleeder and brake line intake) seems to push harder than the other one, always has and dont start me on the bleeder screws!, they are weak as piss with a tiny 1/4 inch nut that strips way too easily if they don't bend first.
  • Far Canal
    Far Canal
    7 months
    Quoting Benno on 09 Apr 2024 11:26 PM

    FC, I put one of these kits on my TC Wide Glide, see below.


    https://hdforums.com.au/Thread/671442/1?postid=688204#688204

    Hi Benno, thanks for that. Trust you are still using this set up?. 30,000ks seems pretty quick to be wearing out a disc though. Has the Arlen Ness one lasted longer than that being a larger one?. Did you up grade the back brake on your WG. The stock back one on my FXST is a ripper but I have ridden a couple of Fatbobs the same year as mine and the back brakes on them were awful.
  • Benno
    Benno
    7 months
    Still running the same front set up on the TC wide glide FC, have done 40k since installing the 15" Ness disc, virtually no signs of wear on it and it is working great. I did upgrade the front suspension with Revtech Gold Valves and single rate springs not long after putting the Ness rotor on, that also made a huge difference.  I upgraded the rear caliper to a PM and installed a new rotor at the same time, big improvement over stock parts. Ohlins shocks also, this thing handles great and is a pleasure to ride now. 
    IMG_3934_1.JPG
  • Lushy
    Lushy
    7 months
    The larger disc is the best $575 you will spend on your bike. We do a fair few of them. I have the O/S kit on my R King and it has turned it into a bike which has good brakes instead of "good brakes for a Harley." 
  • Far Canal
    Far Canal
    7 months
    Looks like I will be trying the Arlen Ness disc then.
    Put new  seals and square rings (like o-rings but square section) in the calliper today and made no difference. Pushes harder from one side of calliper, and on the side that pushes least the brake pad contacts the disc in a very un-flat way.

  • Lushy
    Lushy
    7 months
    I rode a 160hp 2021 Breakout with the big disc kit and the brake genuinely didn't need to be better. No issues losing speed from 200+ km/h with three fingers on the brake. I talk them up because they're good. 👍 
  • Baloffski
    Baloffski
    7 months
    Quoting Benno on 10 Apr 2024 12:20 AM

    Still running the same front set up on the TC wide glide FC, have done 40k since installing the 15" Ness disc, virtually no signs of wear on it and it is working great. I did upgrade the front suspension with Revtech Gold Valves and single rate springs not long after putting the Ness rotor on, that also made a huge difference.  I upgraded the rear caliper to a PM and installed a new rotor at the same time, big improvement over stock parts. Ohlins shocks also, this thing handles great and is a pleasure to ride now. 

    IMG_3934_1.JPG
    Plus, Looks very very Nice. 

  • TJU
    TJU
    7 months
    Gidday Guys ... put a set of the larger Ness rotors on my 17 R G Special ... definitely think they are better, percentage wise is hard to say, but would happily say between 30% and 50% better but definitely not twice as good ... Very expensive but the RG is not a light bike, especially when I am riding it, so any improvement for me is a good thing.

    Would have preferred the wave style but were not available for my bike at time of purchase.

    Stock rears are absolutely crap, so if there was any advice to better improving the rears then I am all ears.
    20220802_151427.jpg
  • crowster69
    crowster69
    7 months
    I put one of these brembos
     on mine with an 11.8 rotor improved the rear quite a bit

    IMG_20240417_132931.jpg
  • TJU
    TJU
    7 months
    Thanks crowster69 ... I will look into that one ... Cheers.
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