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The brake shoes may have become glazed/shiny or they've just worn out. Take them out and as long as there"s enough meat left on them, scuff them up a bit with a rough grade of abrasive paper. Assume your brakes are made with asbestos unless you know they are not and take appropriate measures, or buy new shoes. There is a leading edge and a trailing edge on shoes. The leading edge kind of self servos as you squeeze the lever the leading edge digs in and increases the braking. If your shoes are good and deglazed then try v-brake levers for more pull. My old moped in 1976 had shitty drums which always improved with a file and emery paper and holding my breath.
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As constable savage said, also give the drum a light rub to get rid on any pad residue off the drums. Have found cleaning the whole lot out with brake cleaner and then wiping the drum and shoe material with celulose thinners really improves the brakes.
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Constable_Savage
lynx
@Vesalius
Have a drum brake on the rear wheel of my tandem, seems to require a ridiculous amount of squeeze on the brake lever to do anything noticable on braking power.
Is there anything I can adjust/do to improve the braking? The cable is not slack etc