AJS & Matchless Owners Club

Hi,
I recently acquired a G15CS which seems in useable order, apart from the quite ineffective TLS brake. The drum seems true (no vibration at speed or symptoms of ovality at low speed) but the braking effect is poor. Does anyone know what make it is and offer advice on fettling it?
Cheers
John

If you have just acquired the bike, maybe its been standing for ages? Have you done many miles on it? If you answered yes & no, perhaps the linings have got dirty, WD 40 spayed on the bike, got on the linings etc. They may only need a good clean. Brakes on my bikes are not at their best having been standing a while. I'll ride round the block with brakes on to burn off the muck usually works. You should feel the brakes start to bite. I always do that, so I know they will work when I need them to. You do need to adjust that front brake up about right so they are both shoes are equal.

Doesn't look like the Norton tls brake.
Could be from one of the Norton specialists, RGM/Norvil/John Tickle ?

Interesting design - I don't recognise it.
Is the air exhaust out of the bottom of the brake flange? Also, how is the flange located? I can't see a torque bar, so presumably it locks onto the fork stem?

Usually, on that type of TLS it should work fine as long as both levers are parallel AND the levers are aligned with the dots on the shafts (if present).
Some handy adjustment hints here: http://victorylibrary.com/brit/2LS-c.htm#adjustment

Thanks for the replies so far, the bike has been regularly used - 6,000 miles in 4 years according to MOTs. The brake's exhaust is at the bottom yes and its anchored on the leg. Next step will probably have to be a strip and clean and re-lube pivots, a new cable and re-adjust, but I doubt this will make the required difference and I think the shoes will need to be re-lined. Having only just got a bike back on the road though I was hoping to avoid downtime!

If anyone does recognise what this brake is then please let me know.
Cheers
John

If you re line the brakes you will have to do about the same as I suggested, as your brakes are now. New linings will need to bed in. If your bikes been standing the brakes wont work very good until they get used again. Drums get surface rust lining get oily. You may be surprised. Driving round the block with your brakes on will remove surface rust and clean up the linings. The surface drum surface rust actually used to clean the linings up. This action has revived brakes quicker than when I have fitted new linings. Unless everything was very clean, including your dirty greasy hands, when fitting new linings.

Hi Rob,
Have tried driving with the brake on but to no avail, so I'm sure its not down to the drum being rusty. I will repeat this a few times over the next couple of days to see if there is anything to 'burn off' the linings.
Cheers
John

That's a shame. I assume it is adjusted up OK. I would had thought the brake would have been better than the standard type. Just one other thought. Are you comparing the brake to another 60+ year old bike, or a modern bike??

It looks very much like a John Tickle one to me, if you search Google images for "john tickle brake" you may be able to decide (ignore the RE ones with a different torque mounting), a good clean and setting up so that both shoes engage at the same time should give you an effective brake unless the linings are contaminated.

Thanks Duncan, you are correct it seems to be a John Tickle brake - thanks for your detective work!

Rob, the brake has much less braking effect than a standard SLS brake on my G80TCS. Hopefully I can get a set of re-lined shoes from somewhere and then adjust it in to something much more efficient than the SLS? Are there any suppliers of Tickle equipment still?

Cheers
John