[ferraiolo1]

Since there seems to be quite a few people on here who aren’t quite sure about the differences between solid, semi floating, and full floating rotors. I’ll give three examples.

This is my girlfriends cbr. It has a sold rotor. Note there is only a bolt that pinches the rotor fast to the wheel with zero movement.

This is the ftr, exact same setup as the challenger and other bikes that share this rotor. It has a bolt, and a spring washer, the rotor holes are also elongated to allow for thermal expansion. There IS lateral movement.

Here is a rotor off my other bike. As you can see the rotor hub is hard mounted to the wheel. Then there is a set of floating rivets that holt the outer portion of the rotor in place, that is where the movement takes place.

There is debate over floating and full floating, full floating is clunky sounding and generally only used on race bikes.

Hope this was some what educational. As I can see how people confuse semi and non floating rotors.


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[Caprock]

My Springfield isn't a "race bike" and doesn't have "clunky sounding" rotors, but it is the best stopping large cruiser that I have owned.

 

[ferraiolo1]

Yes. Those are your typical oem floating rotors, like pictured in the last example.


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[Max Kool]

To add to the FTR’s front rotor section. There is a stand-off spacer between the bolt head and the wheel. So the spring washer does not fully compress when you tighten the bolt.

 

[Max Kool]

To add to the FTR’s front rotor section. There is a stand-off spacer between the bolt head and the wheel. So the spring washer does not fully compress when you tighten the bolt.

 

[gilroychief]

Did you mean to say the phrase “full floating” was clunky sounding, or the brakes themselves?

 

[Max Kool]

Full floating is typically referred to rotor/heart combinations that do not have spring washers in the bobbins. Remove the spring washers from the FTR or the Challenger and you have full floaters too.

HOWEVER!

Pro of full floaters the rotors have full freedom to move and expand.

The Con of full floaters is that on long stretches of not using the brake during a ride (freeways) they can push the pads/cups further inside the caliper, making the first grab scary -no brakes!-. Especially when the bobbins wear and allow more side to side play.

Btw, you only see fixed rotors on brakes that have the caliper mounted on slide pins, with pistons only on one side of the caliper.