Technical Information

Composite Motorcycle Brakes Competitive Edge

As Leaders in metal matrix composite technology REL, Inc. is a powerful partner in advanced technologies offering weight and performance benefits. Our ability to apply this technology to braking systems offers the motorcycle industry and bike riders the ultimate experience in performance and customization backed by a company required to consistently deliver advanced superior product solutions and technological advances to some of the USA’s most trusted entities who rely on proven innovation.

Metal Matrix Composites

Through the integration of engineered technology and full manufacturing facilities composite motorcycle rotors & brakes are the latest innovation in braking technology. REL, Inc. has developed and perfected a Metal Matrix Composite (MMC) braking system. The result is a lightweight fully-floating (a carrier that is completely independent of the friction ring. The carrier is attached to the friction ring via buttons with low pressure spring washers and c-clips. On a fully floating rotor, all three of these pieces will move independently of each other will 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) brake rotor offering performance and customization characteristics that represent the Future of Braking Technology. Matrix Brakes proudly stands behind every brake rotor blade with a life time warranty.

Quality comes as a piece of mind when you purchase a brake rotor from Matrix Brakes. With traceable serial numbers, Matrix Brakes tracks every rotor through the production process. This process ends in a non destructive testing technique, FPI, which is an effective method of finding surface flaws or cracks.

Matrix Brakes  motorcycle rotors are made from an aluminum-ceramic composite material. Metal Matrix composite is developed to have specific qualities such as high temperature capability, high stiffness and strength as in the requirements for space system applications.

Metal Matrix Composites are an ongoing development at REL, Inc. Lightweight composite materials including metal matrix composites, ceramics, and metallic foams are the focus of REL research. These matrix composites are developed for "tailored" material performance, including selective stiffening, selective strengthening, and machining characteristics. Custom-engineered materials like metal matrix composites can be used in various industries: automotive, aerospace, telecommunications, semiconductor, medical, and military.

For more information please see:

• Matrix Brakes Technology Overview
• Matrix Brakes Rotors