DEVELOPED in the harshest environment on the planet, Galfer Floatech brake disc rotors optimise brake performance even during the extreme conditions experienced in competition.
The new rotors have already been tested at the highest level, with Dennis Foggia in Moto3 and Steven Odendaal in WorldSSP 600 having already experienced the effectiveness of the new system.
What are Galfer Floatech rotors and how do they work?
Before we get into the actual design of the discs, a little bit of background. High-performance brake rotors come in two parts. The carrier – normally brightly anodised and bolted to the wheel – and the friction material or the disc part that the brake pads bite down on.
High-performance brake rotors are designed in this manner to optimise the brake performance. For the carrier, you need one set of qualities (tensile strength being just one), while the outer requires a completely different set of qualities.
One of the biggest extremes a brake rotor experiences is heat, and with heat comes expansion of the material in all directions. That expansion can sometimes cause an issue in extreme conditions such as riding on the track. Add in some centrifugal forces to push and pull the brake disc in the corners, and you have a recipe for inconsistent braking performance.
To combat this, Galfer has developed an innovative spring and pin system, that connects the carrier to the brake rotor. The system comprises a titanium pin and spring-loaded washers that help to locate the rotor. The spring presses on and fixes the brake rotor so that it maintains the same position at all times and is correctly aligned with the brake pads in any situation. This eliminates the free movement that occurs with the majority of racing disc brakes on the market and avoids the problem of pad knock-off from occurring. The system is also claimed to provide perfect self-alignment while still allowing the rotor to expand as it needs to.
Galfer Floatech brake rotors have already been tested at the highest level by two riders in WorldSSP 600 and Moto3, with Galfer rolling out the tech to all teams this season. After this, the firm plans to make them accessible to the general public on medium to high-capacity motorcycles.
For more information, head to: Galfer.eu
