Drum vs. disc brakes?
I have a 1984 TT600 (AHRMA classic BTW) and a 1986 XT600 with a Tenere tank. I'm not one into major restorations to have a garage queen of a TT, so I just want to take the nice suspension of the TT and toss it in the XT. The rear suspension looks like a drop-in swap (right?), and adds 1" of travel and a lot of adjustment.
The front also adds 1"...but I also would be forced to switch to drum brakes up front, instead of the fairly beefy front disk on the XT600. I'm hesitant to just swap the rear, because that would reduce trail, whereas a full suspension swap would increase it.
I can see the simplicity and reliability of the drum being a plus, but...will it stop me fast enough? I'm not doing any motard and typically run knobbies. Is it ok off-road? Is it safe around town or on the highway? Fully loaded with fuel the bike weighs 350lb, plus 150lb for me, with the possibility of another 50lb in gear.
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