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Rotors And Sprockets
Lyndall Racing Brakes

800.400.9490
www.lyndallracingbrakes.com

(Download the article in PDF format here.)

(Click here to read the American Iron Retailer "Product Review")

SELLING ROTORS PROVIDES A unique opportunity to enhance a motorcycle’s stopping performance and its aesthetics at the same time. Nicely finished, high-performance rotors can be the crown jewel on any wheel, and rotors that perform well will bring miles of enjoyment to your highly valued customers.

A dealer needs to give careful consideration to which brands he wants to carry. The most likely candidates will be brands that have been in business for a while, have a reputation for high quality products, and have high marks for customer service. One way to determine a company’s ability to provide a reliable performance product and back it up with customer support is by doing an Internet search of the various motorcycle forums for honest talk from those with hands-on experience: the riders themselves. Also, distributor reps can be a valuable source for informed opinions. Another barometer for quality will be the level to which a manufacturer will stand behind its own products. Some questions to consider include: Does the manufacturer offer a satisfaction or money-back guarantee? How fast can it deliver the product ordered? Does the company offer a warranty?
 

What’s The Difference?
In order to determine which rotor will be right for your customer’s riding situation, it’s important to understand the various types currently available on the market. Motorcycle rotors are typically offered in three different mechanical designs: one-piece, two-piece, and fully floating. One-piece rotors, like the ones that come OE on a Harley-Davidson, are just a solid shape, usually stamped out of stainless steel. Solid rotors of this variety are easily mass-produced. As a result, they’re generally the cheapest on the market. However, they’re limited in stopping performance and service life.

The two-piece rotor has a carrier that is separate from the friction ring. The two-piece rotor is essentially the same as a solid, one-piece rotor because the carrier is attached to the friction ring in a fixed manner.

The carrier and friction ring are bolted together with hardware or rivet and high-pressure cone washer, in a manner that offers zero movement between the two pieces. While the twopiece rotor offers no mechanical advantage over a one-piece rotor, it does allow the manufacturer to offer a wider variety of style options.

Fully floating rotors have a carrier that is completely independent of the friction ring. The carrier is attached to the friction ring via buttons with lowpressure spring washers and c-clips. On a fully floating rotor, all three of these pieces will move independently of each other with little effort. Float, or movement, is about .0020”. Floating rotors offer superior mechanical advantage over solid rotor types because when the friction ring gets hot, it grows in diameter. Keep in mind that the outer diameter of the rotor gets much hotter than the inner diameter. This variance in temperature causes a variance in material expansion. The fully floating rotor design compensates for this variance by allowing room (.0020”) for the friction ring to grow independently of the carrier, dramatically increasing rotor stability, stopping performance, and service life, while also diminishing the possibility of warpage under the most extreme of conditions.

Fully floating rotors have a carrier that is completely independent of the friction ring. The carrier is attached to the friction ring via buttons with lowpressure spring washers and c-clips. On a fully floating rotor, all three of these pieces will move independently of each other with little effort. Float, or movement, is about .0020”. Floating rotors offer superior mechanical advantage over solid rotor types because when the friction ring gets hot, it grows in diameter. Keep in mind that the outer diameter of the rotor gets much hotter than the inner diameter. This variance in temperature causes a variance in material expansion. The fully floating rotor design compensates for this variance by allowing room (.0020”) for the friction ring to grow independently of the carrier, dramatically increasing rotor stability, stopping performance, and service life, while also diminishing the possibility of warpage under the most extreme of conditions.

What Are They Made Of?
Rotors are manufactured of various materials. Most rotors are made of stainless steel, either 410 or 420 grade. Stainless steel is an inherently stable, heavy, and hard material, so it takes a good polish. Some high-performance rotors are made of ductile iron. Ductile iron has the highest coefficient of friction of any rotor surface. But, iron rusts and is not as stable as steel.

Recent advances in metal-matrix composite and the processes associated with manufacturing from this material have made composite materials a newcomer to the rotor industry. Metalmatrix composite (MMC) is a mixture of aluminum and ceramic. MMC is a most interesting material with the measurable ability to shed heat and weight, as well as noise. These advances in material options available for the manufacture of motorcycle rotors allows Lyndall Racing Brakes to m a n u f a c t u re an 11-1/2” fully floating rotor that weighs 1-1/2 pounds, has a coefficient of friction consistent with an iron rotor (but never rusts), and has a durability factor that allows Lyndall the opportunity to

What To Stock, How To Sell
When stocking rotors, dealers should keep in mind that customers replace the front rotors on their bikes compared to the rear rotors at a ratio of approximately four to one. Also be aware that motorcycles manufactured prior to 2000 represent a diminishing market segment. Owners of older bikes are used to the fact that most parts will have to be special ordered, so these fitments don’t necessarily need to be stocked on the shelf. Rotors should be displayed in an attractive and inviting manner, and never out of the customer’s reach or sight. APEX Performance rotors in particular provide a customer wowing experience when picked up due to the extremely light weight of the product.

Potential margins for Lyndall’s rotors are as high as 30 percent to 40 percent, which makes them quite significant profit generators considering they’re high-ticket items usually listing between $300 and $500 each. Sales of high-quality rotors can easily be accompanied by upgrades such as high-quality, lightweight wheels, tires, pulleys, calipers, and brake pads. You’re welcome to contact Lyndall Racing Brakes for answers to any of your rotor questions. You can also download Lyndall’s APEX Performance rotor pro duct catalogue on the composite rotors section of Lyndall’s web site. AIR