 Galfer :: The Innovator
Galfer Brakes was founded in Barcelona, Spain in 1946 as a brake pad supplier for major European motorcycle and auto makers by Maffio Milesi. For the most part, Galfer was unknown in the United States until 1992 when Giorgio Milesi (one of Maffio Milesi’s three sons) moved to Santa Barbara, CA with his son Sandro to open Galfer USA. Sixteen years and 2 locations later, Galfer USA resides in a 12,000 square foot Oxnard, California warehouse that services North and South America, Australia and the far east.
US Patent 6,386,340.
Galfer’s wave rotors were first introduced to the Motorcycle Industry for Trial bikes and then Snowmobile machines, soon to follow were Sport Bikes and ATV’s as well as Off Road applications. All Galfer Wave rotors are laser cut and made of a unique high carbon 420 stainless steel material that has been pre-heat treated and parallel double disc grounded to assure perfect flatness and the most efficient contact surface between pad and rotor.
Galfer :: Proven Performance
Mat Mladin, Ben Spies, Tommy Hayden, Ruben Xaus, Doug Chandler.... Recognize these names? Know what they all have in common? Galfer G1003 Brake pads. Introduced to the general rider 2 years ago, this compound remained an exclusive item for our top race teams. Now, you can have the same compound that wins championships and helps to make these riders legends. The G1003 compound features a laser cut backing plate for EXACT fitment and limited stress to the material. This differs from anyone else because most backing plates are stamped. Laser cutting allows for higher consistency which makes the difference. Our backing plates are then heat treated and double disc ground just like our rotors, making them perfectly flat. This helps by almost eliminating plate warpage and allows the pad compound to remain in better contact with the disc.
This proven compound can reach friction levels as high as .72u!!! Very progressive and work better the hotter they get. Available for most modern OEM 600/750/1000 machines and Brembo Calipers. Not recommended for street use or for a bike under 600cc.
Galfer :: Components for the Real World (Todd's take on it, at least...)
It's not just about "peak performance"....it's about how it all works in the real world. So let's look at the most important aspects of improving the performance for the street rider, canyon carver, or track day rider...
Let's look at the steps to improve performance:
- Galfer's braided stainless brake lines: Replacing the OEM 3-line kit, the Galfer kit vastly improves brake lever feel and is a night-and-day confidence boost for performance riders. Galfer brake lines have a lifetime warranty against failure or color fading...even if you crash your bike! And Galfer lines are seen on bikes in every class of racing! - And we suggest Motul 5.1 Brake Fluid for street riders and track day junkies, or Motul RBF600 for racers.
- Galfer's performance brake pads: OK...here's the deal. OEM brake pads are semi-metallic compound. Fine and good for longevity, primarily because they're fairly hard, have little feel as a result, and have tremendous fade. It's not an indictment of OEM pads...it's just the way they are. You're just stuck with that fact. So...your first choice is to upgrade to Kevlar (organic) pads, like the 1532 Galfer compound. Good balance of feel, reduced fade, and performance. From there, you step up to the 1370/1375 compound, which falls in the HH friction rating with .7u (15% higher than the "other HH pad brand"...BUT...with the 1375 compound, Galfer has cranked up the heat with the addition of ceramic spray backing which further prevents heat bleed-through to your caliper pistons and fluid (which degrades quickly when cooked to boiling of course).
- Radial Master Cylinder: There are a couple we like. First, the Brembo forged 19mm unit. We usually suggested the 18mm lever offset for feel, and now with Brembo releasing the RCS 19mm by 18-20mm adjustable kit, it's what we prefer (IF they will just make them fast enough!). We also like the Nissin radial kits...they are a great price-conscious alternative, and Todd has used them personally on both street and track and feels that they're a solid performer for the money. (Ask Cal-Sportbike about ordering one via our online store)
- Galfer's Wave Rotors: We hear more and more about the bike manufacturers doing "petal" rotors or "shaped" rotors. OK...looks nice...but is it a GALFER patented design and GALFER quality? Nope. Let's break it down...
First, the material used...Galfer only uses an extremely high carbon steel. Anyone who has ever chosen a "Cold Steel" knife knows why you want high carbon steel ...STRENGTH....STRENGTH...STRENGTH. So when other manufacturers shave their rotors thinner to try to match Galfer's low weight, THEIR rotors don't hold up.
Second, the production process...they are pre-heat treated, laser cut, and double/parallel disc ground for uniform flatness. This all serves to prevent premature warping, early excess scoring, or other issues that can plague OEM rotors.
Galfer :: The Best Choice for Riders, the Best Choice for Dealers
Riders: As you've seen us outline above, it's not just about the looks of wave rotors, or the looks of colored braided lines...it's about CONFIDENCE. A confident rider will beat a rider on a higher power bike hands down. And compared to getting more power out of your motor, brake upgrades are very affordable. Galfer...62 years making riders better...legendary....
Dealers: Let's look at your options..here is the innovator and inventor, and there are the copycats. Galfer continues to lead the industry with Superbike and Tsunami rotors and class-beating brake compounds. And instead of dealing with large cumbersome distributors, Cal-Sportbike offers you an extremely agile response to your needs, from custom line kits to a much-reduced lag time for special orders. We also offer tiered margins for volume, MAP policies to protect dealer's profits (we know you need to feed your families...not sell motorcycle parts as a "hobby"), and Todd Robinson as an industry expert and published magazine writer and recognized article contributor is here to provide a high personal amount of technical support to our dealers (try getting THAT from the grumpy guys manning the tech desks at big distributors)
Dealers...email us for a current dealer catalog, dealer application, and pricing/marketing data.
WHERE TO BUY GALFER PRODUCTS
Here are some recommended volume Galfer dealers who stock many Galfer products (in alphabetical order);
- Ballz Motorsports (MO): Tel: 816.539.0123
- Pashnit Tours (CA): Tel: 530.391.1356
- Shallbetters (CO): Tel: 970.566.3258
- Solo Moto Parts (CA): Tel: 714.434.3730
- Superbike Store (KY): Tel: 502.419.9082
if one of these dealers above does not have what you need in stock, you can order direct from the Cal-Sportbike online store or by calling Toll Free 877.234.5150 x1.
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