Caliper in front/behind fork

[lakeview]

I have been refreshing a set of 34mm forks for my titled '76C. I have spare bits in boxes, so I found a set of lowers that had been chromed and a set of chromed headlight ears and reassembled them with a spoke front wheel. Appears that the lowers were from a '75 or before so that if I continue with this set up, I will be mounting the caliper in front of the fork. I have a '75 that I can use these on so it is not work thrown away, but does anyone know if any early '76's came like this. The VIN is 447-20528x so it looks like it is about half way through the production cycle, date of manufacture might be 11/75, but it is hard to read with certainty.

The bike is meant to be sold this spring after I ride it for a bit, so it will be easier to sell if it is correct in at least the major parts. I do have set of spare 35mm forks I can use on it, but none in chrome. All my other 34mm legs are pitted and rusty.

Picture of the test fit is coming next post.

 

[lakeview]

Here are two pictures to assist. Yes, everything is still loose as a test fit. I took the paint off the top triple to see what it's like, may put some chrome polish on it and leave it without paint.

 

[XSLeo]

Those chrome parts are not stock. The 75 used polished aluminum forks with the caliper mounts on the front. 76 was a one year only set up that had the caliper mounts on the rear. Other than that they were the same as the 75 forks.
The 35 mm forks started in 77. They used a different caliper than the earlier years. Early was a two piston caliper that mounted right on the fork, The 77 up had a single piston floating caliper that mounted to a bracket, then the bracket mounted to the fork.
The early used a two piece rotor, the later used a one piece rotor with a different
offset.
The rotor and calipers are not interchangeable. Early only mounts to early forks and only works with the two piece rotors. Later only works on later forks with later one piece rotors.
Leo

 

[lakeview]

Thanks Leo, I did not know that '76 34mm fork were one year only, which I why I asked the question.

 

[650Skull]

lakeview, the euro 75B and 76C had the 34mm forks swapped over so the caliper was mounted behind the fork. looking at brochures and a discussion with an English member, the big tell is, the axle clamp bracket is on the right side of the wheel and there are two brackets, for the brake hose, on each fork. One facing back and one facing forward. yamaha must have welded a bracket on the fork lower to take the speedo.

As XSleo says the US and some other destinations had a one year only, 34mm fork made for the XS76C where the axle clamp bracket is on the left side as per all other XS650's

 

[lakeview]

Thank you Skull, I definitely have only 1 brake hose clamp mount per leg so no Euro import here. What got me scratching my head was that the only way to mount that particular set of lowers would have the caliper up front, which would have confused any potential purchasers if they knew what they were looking at and cast a pall over the rest of the work I had done to bring it back from a rusty hulk.
I am in the process of cleaning up the original fork set, especially the lowers and replacing the seals, so that even as a bitsa, it will mostly be year correct.

 

[650Skull]

I realize yours wasn't an import. Just saying Yamaha did the fork swap, side to side, on the B and C so if you did mount the calipers to the rear you would be technically correct