Jump to content
IGNORED

Galfter Wave Rotor install on an R1100RT


Lone_RT_rider

Recommended Posts

Lone_RT_rider

My 1999 R1100RT is a lunch ride shy of turning over 99,000 miles and the rotor buttons were once again rattling like a model T so I decided it was time to change the entire rotor assembly out. So after much dilemma (about 30 seconds worth) I thought about possibly seeking some aftermarket options. I have purchased many sets of pads from Cycle brakes so I decided to give them a call and discuss the EBC replacement rotors that many have talked about on this site. I was actually trying to find out if I could get the aggressive version of the EBC pro-lite contour rotors but after Cycle brakes called EBC they found out there were not offered for the R1100RT. So instead.... I now have Galfers .

 

417498697_w6aJn-XL.jpg

 

It was a very straight forward install. I also put on a brand new set of HH compound pads. The only adjustment I had to make was taking out 2 of the 4 shims on the ABS sensor in order to adjust the gap to specification. Once that was complete I took the bike for a leisurely spin and started to seat in the pads ever so gently. The ABS seems to go through its re-set quicker than it used to and the brakes are already seeming to be more responsive. Overall I think I just upgraded to some hefty brakes with a new set of pads, all for about 200 dollars less than just the replacement rotors from BMW. This was definitely a good move. :grin::thumbsup:

 

Shawn

Link to comment

Shawn, as long as the ABS braking still functions at design intent they look good.. There is always the possibility that playing with braking friction coefficients & rotor recovery friction can cause ABS issues during an ABS event on a slippery surface.. I guess you will know the fist time you lock a wheel on a rain slickened road at speed..

 

Twisty

 

Link to comment
Lone_RT_rider

If you look past the wheel in the picture you can see leaves all over the ground. We had quite a bit of rain in the past 2 days and I got the privilege of testing out the ABS on my downhill drive after the break-in ride. The ABS work fine. I have been running the HH level pads on the stock rotors for over 80,000 miles without ABS issues either.

 

Shawn

Link to comment

Hey Shawn......I'm assuming (by your picture) that they come complete with the outer ring, inner ring, and bobbins? Also, did the rotors come complete with a new ABS ring, or did you have to swap your original one over to the new rotors?

 

My rotors original rotors have 106K+ miles on the them, and I'm pretty sure they are warn down below minimum specs. Maybe one of these days I'll get around to actually measuring them. Until then......at least I know what direction to go.

 

BTW.....they look great :thumbsup:

Link to comment
Lone_RT_rider
Hey Shawn......I'm assuming (by your picture) that they come complete with the outer ring, inner ring, and bobbins? Also, did the rotors come complete with a new ABS ring, or did you have to swap your original one over to the new rotors?

 

They came with everything except the ABS ring. I removed the old ABS ring from the old rotors and it was a direct bolt on to the new Galfer rotors. Both rotors on either side are tapped for ABS ring screws. It's really a well thought out set-up.

 

Shawn

Link to comment

They look great! I am afraid I will be displaying my ignorance, but what makes wave rotors function better than regular flat, round rotors? I have done a little reading on the subject, but I am not putting it all together. Anyone?

Link to comment
They look great! I am afraid I will be displaying my ignorance, but what makes wave rotors function better than regular flat, round rotors? I have done a little reading on the subject, but I am not putting it all together. Anyone?

 

In the dry, nothing. In the wet a marginal improvement in water clearance. In short, they look pretty.

 

Andy

Link to comment
Lone_RT_rider
In the dry, nothing. In the wet a marginal improvement in water clearance. In short, they look pretty.

 

Andy

 

I respectfully disagree. It's fairly common knowledge that brake slotting disperses built-up heat & gasses & refreshes the brake pad surface. Optimizing the outer diameter of the rotor as an extra variant uses those waves for the same functionality. Will this make a difference for most BMW riders? Probably not, but I tend to be hard on my brakes. I have already experienced brake fade on the stock rotors of my other bike (R1200RT) in the twisty North Carolina roads just north of me. I'll take any edge I can get, every pun intended.

 

Shawn

Link to comment
It's fairly common knowledge that brake slotting disperses built-up heat & gasses & refreshes the brake pad surface.

Standard brake slotting does this but everything has its limit and it's very questionable whether the increase in the effect caused by wave rotors has any effect whatsoever in anything less than race conditions. The strongest claims I've seen concerning wave rotors for street use is that they at least don't hurt braking, but that's about it. I've yet to find any reputable source (meaning something other than manufacturer's claims) showing that their effect is anything more than cosmetic on the street. But hey, they do look good.

Link to comment

Certainly cosmetic for street use.

 

"refreshes pad surface" = increased pad wear, but since the stock rotors are drilled the effect is less pronounced.

 

I prefer plain blank rotors in general, but they dont make them for the bike.

Link to comment
They look great! .... but what makes wave rotors function better than regular flat, round rotors? Anyone?

Nothing.

Even on the track you will see that it isn't conclusive. They do offer more wind resistace with all those non aerodynamic surfaces jutting out tho'!:thumbsup:

 

Andy

Link to comment
Overall I think I just upgraded to some hefty brakes with a new set of pads, all for about 200 dollars less than just the replacement rotors from BMW. This was definitely a good move. :grin::thumbsup:

 

Shawn

 

Hi Shawn, in an earlier post it may have seemed as if I was being negative WRT your brake rotor change.

I wasn't, and the fact that you have effectively halved the price of a brake rotor replacement is indeed a very good thing.

So wavy, holey, smooth or grooved. If they do it for you and present an economic saving, good on yer!

 

Andy

Link to comment

 

Shawn,I think the "new look" is just great on an "old" RT,...especially if its cheaper than stock stuff.

 

 

 

 

Standard brake slotting does this but everything has its limit and it's very questionable whether the increase in the effect caused by wave rotors has any effect whatsoever in anything less than race conditions.

 

 

A spirited ride coming down a narrow twisty NC mountain road on the BHP ( big heavy pig )can be pretty close to equaling race conditions.Not that anyone would ever ride one that hard. :grin:

 

 

The big advantage of wave rotors,is weight reduction in both the sprung and unsprung categories while maintaining good braking. Probably not even worth mentioning on the RT,but makes a huge difference on light weight bikes.

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
The big advantage of wave rotors,is weight reduction in both the sprung and unsprung categories while maintaining good braking. Probably not even worth mentioning on the RT,but makes a huge difference on light weight bikes.

Not according to Galfer...

 

"I get e-mails constantly from people asking me how much lighter [a wave rotor] is than stock," Milesi says. "Well, sometimes it's not lighter than stock. That wasn't the idea. I have never told our designers the weight of a stock rotor. Because if we're going to design a rotor based on that, just being lighter, you are jeopardizing so much; it's not worth it. It wasn't part of the idea behind wave rotors."

 

But the article does provide some insight into what they believe are the advantages of wave rotors (and even Galfer notes that they don't have much advantage on the street.)

 

But they still look good. :grin:

 

 

Link to comment
Lone_RT_rider
But the article does provide some insight into what they believe are the advantages of wave rotors (and even Galfer notes that they don't have much advantage on the street.)

 

Define Street use.....

Link to comment

 

 

 

It would seem that not everybody is on the same page..

 

 

 

Waverotors.com is a website dedicated only to the sale and technical help for Galfer wave rotors. (US patent # 6386340).

 

 

The WAVE rotors are clearly a step forward on rotor technology. Galfer wanted to achieve less unsprung weight as well as faster heat dissipation.

 

From here..

 

http://www.waverotors.com/

 

Link to comment
It would seem that not everybody is on the same page..

Let's see... the General Manager of Galfer, or some ad copy on 'waverotors.com'... take your choice as to which page you want to read from. Besides, the difference would only be a matter of ounces at best and that's just not going to generate a significant handling improvement under any kind of street (street, defined as 'not race') conditions.

 

"Naturally other benefits will be less unsprung weight, and very cool looking rotors !!!"

 

Well, at least they're half right...

Link to comment
russell_bynum
But the article does provide some insight into what they believe are the advantages of wave rotors (and even Galfer notes that they don't have much advantage on the street.)

 

Define Street use.....

 

One would think that if they offered any advantage in performance, you'd see them at the pinnacle of the sport.

 

You don't.

 

RC211V

0704_sprp_02_z+rc211v_side_view+.jpg

 

YZR-M1

yamaha_yzr_m1_rossi_01.jpg

 

Desmosedici GP8

Ducati-GP8.jpg

 

ZX-RR

MotoGP%20Kawasaki%20ZXRR1.jpg

 

Not a wave rotor to be found.

 

 

Link to comment
russell_bynum

Before anyone says "That's different, those are carbon brakes"....

 

From World Superbike:

 

Haga's R1

wsb-haga.jpg

 

Bayliss' 1098

wsb-bayliss.jpg

 

Carlos Checa's Fireblade

wsb-ccheca.jpg

 

It does look like Makoto Tamada's got waves on his ZX-10R

wsb-tamada.jpg

 

If there was a performance reason for waves, you'd see them on all the top bikes. Right?

Link to comment
Unhofliche_Gesundheit

amazing the rear disks are really really small compared to the front. :eek:

 

in the RC211V cant see any rear brake at all. :lurk:

 

not a hijack - just an observation - return to previously scheduled argument please. :grin:

Link to comment
russell_bynum
amazing the rear disks are really really small compared to the front. :eek:

 

in the RC211V cant see any rear brake at all. :lurk:

 

not a hijack - just an observation - return to previously scheduled argument please. :grin:

 

Short wheelbase and not much weight on the rear means it doesn't take much braking before the rear is unweighted and the front is doing all the work. That's even more true with race bikes where there tends to be lots of very hard braking.

 

Long wheelbase bikes like ours with much more weight on the rear have much more use for a rear brake, so our rotors are generally bigger.

Link to comment

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...