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Service special brakes
Service special brakes
Technology brake discs
Ceramic brake discs are the latest hit. MOTORRAD had the opportunity to try them out.
Waldemar Schwarz
04/19/2000
The requirement profile for motorcycle brake discs is high: low weight, high coefficient of friction, absolute dimensional stability and strength up to temperature ranges of several hundred degrees Celsius and good corrosion properties. Most of the criteria are met by the current systems. However, two 298 millimeter discs of a super sports car weigh around three kilograms in the front wheel alone.
That is why the use of the high-tech material carbon fiber began some time ago in racing. The exclusive carbon mix reduces the weight to less than a quarter compared to steel discs. But not only the exorbitant price ensures an outsider role. Carbon fiber needs temperatures of 200 to 300 degrees Celsius to build up a decent coefficient of friction. Therefore, the “black gold” is only suitable for racing motorcycles. The large fluctuations in the coefficient of friction are out of the question for street bikes.
Competition is currently growing in a new material: ceramic is the magic formula. Brake discs made from this material will soon even go into small series in exclusive Mercedes and Porsche cars. The Spiegler company, manufacturer of brake components for motorcycles, is also currently testing brake discs made from a fiber-reinforced silicon composite. Advantages: A weight comparable to that of carbon fiber not only reduces the rotating, but also the unsprung mass. In conjunction with linings made of identical material, a high coefficient of friction should ensure low manual forces and a delay that is largely independent of temperature. The extremely hard ceramic should also offer advantages in terms of wear behavior.
At a Yamaha XJR 1300 assembled, MOTORRAD had the first opportunity to try out the Spiegler system. Although the two ceramic discs on the front wheel are three millimeters thicker than the 5.5 millimeter thick series counterparts made of steel, they are still a whopping 1.6 kilograms lighter.
And the first driving impression is mostly positive. The brake can be adjusted more easily with less manual effort. However, this fact does not indicate a higher coefficient of friction, as there is a different hydraulic transmission ratio due to a radial hand pump and four-piston brake calipers produced by Spiegler.
In terms of fading, the braking system shows its best side, at least in normal road use. Even at high speeds, the effect does not diminish, on the contrary: As the temperature increases, the deceleration increases slightly with constant hand force, but is easily controllable. The only downer: Obviously there are problems with the friction pairing. Two different sets of brake disks were installed and they both exhibited severe rubbing, which probably resulted from fluctuations in the coefficient of friction between the pad and the disk. The Spiegler development team urgently needs to make improvements here. In addition, the high price compared to steel disks stands in the way of the spread of this technology. At the moment, around 2300 marks are calculated for each ceramic disc. Nevertheless, with appropriate further development, this material could become an interesting alternative, at least for sports motorcycles.
BRR system
The latest creation from the Italian manufacturer Braking is the BRR system (brake rotors on rim). Two huge brake discs on either side of the rim are gripped by special brake calipers – which sit in the original brackets. A conversion kit consisting of the rim, brake discs, calipers and pads costs 3590 marks. The original brake lines are retained. So far there are complete sets for the following models: Buell (from model S8), Ducati Monster, 916, 996, Kawasaki ZX 6R, 7R, 9R, Suzuki GSX-R 600/750, Yamaha YZF-R6 and YZF-R1. Unfortunately, a test drive was not possible at the time of going to press, as the systems do not yet have a TuV approval (is in preparation) and the Italians did not want to provide a BRR bike. How well the giant discs brake and how they affect steering behavior can only be shown by a first practical test.
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