| EBC XC-Series Brake Rotors |
| Author: Barry Cowart |
Putting square pegs in round holes to stop you faster
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It was the middle of July but felt like Christmas morning around here when the UPS man showed up with my new EBC X-series brake rotors. As I tore open the box and got a look at all that gold and silver, my eyes nearly bugged out of my head. It was like looking at jewelry, albeit motorcycle jewelry. |
With a manufacturers suggested retail price of $240.00 per rotor, the X-Series features EBC’s most current innovation, the unique and patented S-Drive rivet system. These high-performance brake disks are at home on the street but thrive on the track as well, just the thing for riders who use their machine for double duty.
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What makes these rotors different from anything else on the market is their square rivet design, which is claimed to totally eliminate the dreaded rivet lock. What is rivet lock? Glad you asked. I didn’t know either, though now I’m pretty sure it’s what killed my stock disks. Rivet lock occurs when a brake rotor heats up and expands under extreme use, causing the blade to contact the floating rivets which separate it from the inner mounting hub. |
| When this happens, the rotor blade, rivets and hub all lock together. With no room left to float, the blade begins to distort, causing severe issues with brake performance, feel and reliability. The rider notices this as fade coupled with a worsening vibration in the brake lever. One hundred percent of rotor failures due to distortion are the result of rotor lock. The new EBC S-Drive system completely eliminates this problem area.
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EBC cautions that installation should be done by a competent, professional, motorcycle mechanic. After all, your brakes are seriously important bits indeed. Since I never pay attention to directions or warnings anyway, I pulled out my best rock and sharpest stick and had at it. If you’re already comfortable with removing and installing your motorcycle’s wheels, swapping in a new set of rotors is about as simple an upgrade project as you could wish for. Just be sure to follow the directions, tighten the bolts to factory specs and use thread locking compound if specified.
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While swapping on these X-Series rotors, I noticed how much lighter they are when compared to stock. EBC claims that this is because their S-Drive technology allows them to use six rivets while comparable rotors may use as many as twelve. Since brake rotors are unsprung, reciprocating weight, a reduction here will do more to improve handling than anywhere else on the bike. |
On my big Yamaha FZ1, steering was noticeably crisper after the swap. The initial "bite" of the EBC X-Series rotors is dramatic without being scary and there is no fluctuation or pulsation in the lever, just constant, even feel. These improvements were noticeable enough that I could feel them on a street ride, so I can’t wait to get the bike to the track for a full-out thrash!
Will these disks make you able to outbrake Rossi? No, but with crisper handling, lighter steering and improved braking capabilities, EBC X-Series rotors just might give you the added confidence to leave your trackday buddies behind. |
