Galfer unveil MotoGP-derived Floatech disc with clever new pin system for better road braking

The MotoGP paddock has always acted as a crucible for the development of parts and systems that, once proven, make their way from the track, through mass production and eventually onto the street.

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Spanish brake component manufacturers, and wavy disc pioneers, Galfer are proof of this and have today (May 7) unveiled an all-new disc design called Floatech – the core concept of which remains consistent with those used in international competition.

Following extensive development (and fitment to Ai Ogura’s 2024 world championship winning Moto2 racer) the patented technology within the Floatech disc revolves around how the floating outer track, which is the area that contacts with the pads to create friction, and the fixed inner carrier are fitted together.

Key to this is the design of the anchoring system, which includes an innovative retaining pin and washer to connect those elements of the disc assembly.

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Floating discs are nothing new, in fact they’ve been around since the 1960s, but it’s worth a recap from the man behind the Floatech project – Galfer’s R&D and Race Engineer Marc Esteve – to explain the reason for this new design innovation.

“In a braking system you need to have some flexibility. You can’t make it too rigid, because it’s so difficult to keep all the tolerances and dimensions the same.

“With a fixed caliper, the pads are always in the same position, so you need some float-ability in the disc to compensate for this and allow it to move freely. If you don’t have the caliper in perfect alignment, the disc will fail to give good performance.”

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Unlike most floating discs, where the track sits entirely around the outside circumference of the carrier, Floatech features a tongue and groove type design with rectangular appendices that extend inwards from the track to slot within the carrier.

This is to provide a greater contact area under braking than with a conventional system, intended to reduce wear and thus minimise play over a longer period of time.

Thermal dissipation is another area where Galfer have made improvements. A huge amount of heat is created from the friction between disc and pad under braking, and the shape of the track ensures that this is optimised in such a way that the material cannot expand to interfere with the carrier and become blocked, which would have a negative effect on the bike’s braking efficiency.

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It’s the riveted pin and washer system at the heart of the assembly that makes the Floatech system unique though. Unlike the racing design, the road product includes a spring to keep the braking track in perfect alignment with the pads, which should improve component life, offer a more precise response and reduce noise.

Products destined for competitive track use also differ from those for the road in the manufacturing process and their intended lifespan with road kit lasting longer.

Both formats essentially use the same materials, stainless steel for the braking track and aerospace aluminium for the carrier, but whereas the race parts are CNC-milled for a more complex, lightweight design, street components are laser cut to a simpler pattern for robustness and durability.

From track to road

Galfer’s R&D and Race Engineer Marc Esteve talks us through the considerations of developing a road-friendly product.

“On the road the most important thing is not just performance, although of course it has to perform well, but you have another important aspect, and that is economy,” he explained. “So, we take all the things that we know work in racing and adapt it for the street.

“First we have the flow technology, where the geometry of the braking track is such that even when it reaches high temperatures and expands, it can never be blocked in the carrier.

“Then we adapt the pins with a spring, because in racing discs there are no springs – the braking track is completely free, which helps the pads to return.

“But on the street this would not be comfortable at all, as it would introduce noise and affect the feeling of the brakes. Also, you need to make street parts homologated, so for that we changed to a fixed, riveted pin, because the racing system can be disassembled.”