Barnett's - July, '07> Product Review

Metal Matrix Composite Rotors Lyndall Racing Brakes LLC 800.400.9490 www.lyndallracingbrakes.com By Mark Barnett Photography: Frank Rangel

So another racing company trying to muscle in on the Harley crowd, eh? Well you better be able to chrome it you say. Now just hold on there, let’s let this guy give his schpiel and then we’ll bolt them on and try them, you can decide then. Paul Kittrell working out of Santa Ana, California is offering metal composite brake rotors and custom pads to bolt right onto your standard Harley models. The rotors are light, a little under two pounds each with their aluminum carriers and titanium buttons. Stock rotors weight 4.7 lbs each, so you are removing about 2.8 lbs of sprung weight from each wheel if you have a single disc set up like the 2006 Harley-Davidson FLST shown here. Just this weight reduction I the wheel area gives better steering, better feeling over rough roads and better braking. Then comes Lyndall Racing’s race-proven rotor design. Made out of a metal matrix of impregnated metal, it offers, according to the manufacturer, unparalleled braking performance when paired with their pads.
Lyndall is not oblivious to the Harley riders’ concern with looks and also offers pads to work with stock Harley rotors plus their own line of highly polished stainless steel rotors for those who need some flash. If you choose to go with the best stopping power like we did, you order the metal matrix discs. You do get to pick the cut and finish of the disc carriers. You can look at all the available designs and colors at www.lyndallracingbrakes.com.
When we got our discs in, the lightness was very impressive, but the proof was to be in the stopping so we headed out onto the greasy streets of El Paso on the windiest day of the year. Real world testing on crappy roads in dusty conditions. Admittedly, I was starting to have second thoughts, as it was my bike the front and rear discs were mounted on and any slide outs or front end tucks/bike dumping would immediately result in a new article, “How to install new fenders and a tank on a Harley Softail.” Don’t laugh, this was almost the case. I did about six runs at 30 mph and seven or eight at 50 mph for each set up, stock and Lyndall, measuring all the stopping distances. I had three front end tucks which resulted in the bars turning left and quick aborts on the runs. I was on the brakes to point of locking both the front and rear each time. You could definitely smell the rubber. I took the best three stops for the stock set up and for the Lyndall Racing set up.
The results were pretty impressive, almost a 20% reduction in stopping distance at both 30 mph and 50 mph. That translates to an 18 foot shorter stopping distance at 50mph, one full car length. This was due simply to materials of the rotors and pads. They worked as advertised: light weight with improved friction. There were no noises or any other problems with the Lyndall Racing Units. And as an old ex-racer, I liked the racy looks, gave the bike a touch of seriousness in my opinion. High technology and safety doesn’t always come cheaply, each rotor is $549 and a set of pads is $59. But if you are planning to build in performance to your custom ride, don’t forget the brakes. Nowadays with distracted drivers, that 18 feet could come in super handy.

V-Twin - August, '07> Product Review

Metal Composite Rotors: The New Lite- Weight Lyndall Racing Brakes LLC 800.400.9490 www.lyndallracingbrakes.com By John Sullivan Photography: John Sullivan

There was a time when using metal to make something implied added weight. With modern technology, there are metal composites these days that weight next to nothing.

When thinking about rotating motorcycle wheels, lightweight is good. So, along comes Lyndall Racing Brakes with rotors made out of the latest metal composites. They are actually made from two kinds of metal: the outer disc is a metal composite; and the inner hub is aircraft-grade aluminum. The formulation that is used for the friction disc not only weights less, but it dissipates heat better and resists warping. The composite disc is secured to the hub with aluminum buttons that allow it to float from side to side. The complete rotor is less than half the weight of a stock stainless steel rotor.

Lyndall Racing Brakes Metal Composite Rotors & pads

LRB offers 11½-inch rotors for most 1984-up Harleys. For our 2006 Street Bob we went with rotors that had the hubs finished in a black powder coating. We also installed a set of their Gold-series brake pads. The installation was a straight parts swap; everything fit like the factory parts. The finished biked stopped with two fingers on the brake lever and looked great doing it.

We attached the LRB composite rotor using the factory Torx bolts, putting some No. 271 high-strength, red Loc-Tite on the threads. The LRB Gold series brakes pads fit the stock caliper. These have a metallic friction material. They will also work with factory stainless steel rotors.

Here we see the finished installation. The rotor's hub complements the spoked wheel.