One of the few complaints I have about my current motorcycle is that the front brake has always been a bit weak. The stock single brake rotor on a KLR650 is 260mm in diameter, while most modern sport bikes use two rotors around 320mm in diameter. The larger the diameter, the more braking force the rotor can apply to the wheel.
My previous bike enjoyed dual 320mm brake rotors, and the braking performance was much, much better than my KLR650 manages, even after I upgraded the brake pads on my KLR650 to the most aggressive pad compound available: Dunlop's HH-rated Dunlopads. I also replaced the standard rubber brake line with a braided stainless steel one. This helped the brake feel and modulation, but didn't do anything for the overall braking power of the system. (I didn't expect it to, though, either.)
For example, with my old bike I could make the front tire howl when applying moderate force with just two fingers on the brake lever. The KLR650? All four fingers, pulling as hard as I can, can sometimes elicit a small squeal of protest. For emergency braking, or for carrying a passenger, I just don't have a lot of confidence in my current setup.
While doing my routine maintenance this past weekend I examined the front rotor and discovered that it had become scored in several places. I don't remember seeing the scoring previously, but this was the last straw. So, I decided to give CycleBrakes a call and order the Galfer oversized (320mm) wave brake rotor and a new set of Galfer Blue pads.
The wave rotor design, if you believe the Galfer marketing, provides better brake feel so that the rider can modulate the brakes more effectively. The irregular cut-outs in the rotor itself provide better cooling and gas venting than the more typical holes or slots as well. Interestingly, the wave design is not intended to be lighter weight, contrary to most observers' first impressions. Galfer says that sometimes their rotors do end up lighter than some of the traditional designs, but their primary goal is better performance.
So, in a couple of weeks I should have the new rotor and pads mounted. Stay tuned for the review.
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