Serious About Motorcycle Parts

 

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How Disc Brakes Work

The disc brake is a lot like the brakes on a bicycle. Bicycle brakes have a caliper, which squeezes the brake pads against the wheel.
In a motorcycle disc brake, the brake pads squeeze the rotor instead of the wheel, and the force is transmitted hydraulically instead of through a cable. Friction between the pads and the disc slows the disc down.
A moving bike has a certain amount of kinetic energy, and the brakes have to remove this energy from the bike in order to stop it. How do the brakes do this? Each time you stop your bike, your brakes convert the kinetic energy to heat generated by the friction between the pads and the disc.

Vented discs

Drilled discs

Floating discs

Wavey discs

Relatively new on the market, ‘Wave’ rotors help with improved braking through lower rotor temps, better cooling & more efficient sweeping/clearing of pad dust. The lower heat creates a reduced chance of warpage. Some riders consider them to be just a styling exercise however.

Well known manufacturer's fitting instruction and warnings

1. Due to production process, disks may contain oil residue. Please clean and degrease with soap and water before use.
2. Remove the original disk and check the condition of the mounting screws. Replace any damaged or worn mounting screws as necessary.
3. Before mounting your new disk remove any debris or residue from the surface of the hub to insure a flat mounting surface for the Disk.
4. Torque the mounting screws to the specifications provided by the vehicle manufacturer.
5. Proper caliper alignment, perpendicular to the rotor is required to avoid wear or excessive drag.
6. Check the general condition of the caliper and ensure it is void of foreign debris, all pistons move freely, and it slides or moves on any pivots or pins.
7. WARNING: Check pad wear when replacing your disk. Excessive pad wear will result in reduced performance and possible damage to your new disk. It highly recommend that you replace pads with your new disk and if you don't it might void any manufacturers warranty.
8. XXXXXX offer a full range of performance brake pads exclusively designed to work with XXXXXX performance rotors!
9. Proper bed-in is essential for optimum performance of your new disk and or pads. Begin by applying the brakes slowly and progressively until you have reached maximum braking. Avoid heavy and sharp braking until bed-in is complete.
10. Periodically check the pads and disk for wear to ensure even and complete contact of the pad and disk.

Fitting advice from our mechanic Norman Grout

Removing Disks Due to both manufacturer's over-zealous lock tightening and reaction between metals in the fixing screws over time, a bit of controlled violence is often necessary to remove the old disk. Hit the bolts hard before trying to undo them and use good quality unworn tools. Sometimes drastic measures are needed, perhaps a small chisel and big hammer. Welding a large bolt to a destroyed bolt head is not unknown. Good luck, take your time, and in the overused words of one major workshop manual publisher it should be easy - 'simply disassemble by removing all fasteners and use opposite process to reassemble.'

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