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Brake rotor resurfacing?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
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Guest

Guest
Hi all. The rear brake disc on my '81 Honda CB900 Custom has become lightly scored from a frozen caliper. Has anyone ever heard of resurfacing a brake rotor for a motorcycle, like you do on cars? Or is mine toast and I need to buy a new one? Any input is appreciated, as always.

Scott
 
There is a guy on ebay that provides the service. Guys around here have used him with good results.
 
Thanks Ed. I didn't find anybody on Ebay that does it, but there is a guy in my own back yard who does. The name of the company is TrueDisk. Here's his website:

https://truedisk.net/
 
Here's an old school trick: Get a piece of coarse belt sander, cut it to fit an old set of brake pads and glue it on. After the glue sets up put them on and do a slow speed cruise with the brakes slightly engaged. It'll take a glaze off quick and the longer you do it the deeper it'll cut.
 
LAB3 said:
Here's an old school trick: Get a piece of coarse belt sander, cut it to fit an old set of brake pads and glue it on. After the glue sets up put them on and do a slow speed cruise with the brakes slightly engaged. It'll take a glaze off quick and the longer you do it the deeper it'll cut.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a great trick, except that my rotor is more than just glazed; I can actually feel light grooves in it. Thanks for the tip though!
 
MI GS850G guy said:
That sounds like a great trick, except that my rotor is more than just glazed; I can actually feel light grooves in it. Thanks for the tip though!
Click to expand...

I f!$ked up my rear rotor in a similar way; neglected to check pad wear. Groovy rear rotor. Luckily, new pads and some hearty braking was sufficient to bring it back to normal. Lesson learned.
 
LAB3 said:
Here's an old school trick: Get a piece of coarse belt sander, cut it to fit an old set of brake pads and glue it on. After the glue sets up put them on and do a slow speed cruise with the brakes slightly engaged. It'll take a glaze off quick and the longer you do it the deeper it'll cut.
Click to expand...
The problem with that is that all the "cutting" just forms new grooves. The shop in the link given actually makes the surface smooth and gives it a crosshatch pattern.

.
 
Some folks like to do things on their own, some don't have much money to spend, still others spend too much. It's up to the person that owns the machine what they choose to do.
 
i wonder if it is worth doing on a rear rotor, the pad will break in to the scoring and you dont generate much braking with the rear anyway so....
 
greg78gs750 said:
i wonder if it is worth doing on a rear rotor, the pad will break in to the scoring and you dont generate much braking with the rear anyway so....
Click to expand...

Yeah, I have considered that. I'll just have to make that call when I get it apart. Mostly what needs to be done is to free up the piston inside the caliper so it doesn't happen again.
 
greg78gs750 said:
i wonder if it is worth doing on a rear rotor, the pad will break in to the scoring and you dont generate much braking with the rear anyway so....
Click to expand...

Exactly my opinion. I've had a grooved rear disc on one of mine for over 20 years. It's not bad, just a bit unsightly if you're being picky. I've never noticed any downside to it, especially after a new set of pads beds in.
The fronts are doing most of the work and I keep a much closer eye on them for cracks, thickness, grooves, etc. One of them is due for replacement soon, but it's on a spare wheel, and I've got other spares, so I'm not worried about that.
 
I think the biggest issue is how bad is it grooved? If theres a deep enough groove that smootjing would take it to minimum thickness...then I would consider another rotor. Anyone ever resurface a car rotor....grooved/rough/warped....only to find the rotor doesnt respond as well afterward?....maybe its only me....
 
Unless you would like it to look pretty, deglaze it with scotchbrite and brake cleaner and run it. Think on the positive side, because of all the grooves you have more braking surface area!
 
It's always seemed to me new pads on a deep-grooved disc are going to take awhile to groove themselves to suit, that's all. Limex's " increased area" is how I see it too though so the two ideas balance each other somewhat to maybe say.."it'll take awhile to get back to full-braking"

supposition too on my part but Probably this wouldn't do from a professional shop. They seem to favour lathing the discs (at great cost) evry time! but....fair to suppose they want a vehicle to leave their shop with better brakes then you came in with! But for us-(well me anyways)- it's a judgement call."just Pads" are so easy to put in....
 
Gorminrider said:
It's always seemed to me new pads on a deep-grooved disc are going to take awhile to groove themselves to suit, that's all. Limex's " increased area" is how I see it too though so the two ideas balance each other somewhat to maybe say.."it'll take awhile to get back to full-braking"

supposition too on my part but Probably this wouldn't do from a professional shop. They seem to favour lathing the discs (at great cost) evry time! but....fair to suppose they want a vehicle to leave their shop with better brakes then you came in with! But for us-(well me anyways)- it's a judgement call."just Pads" are so easy to put in....
Click to expand...

In the car world...a new rotor runs $36ish and to get them turned runs $18....half the cost of a new one. Bike rotors can run more but I'd question what a shop would charge to resurfaace a rotor....then compare said resurfacing cost to the price of a new ir newer rotor. Soul search then deside...
 
80GS850GBob said:
In the car world...a new rotor runs $36ish and to get them turned runs $18....half the cost of a new one. Bike rotors can run more but I'd question what a shop would charge to resurfaace a rotor....then compare said resurfacing cost to the price of a new ir newer rotor. Soul search then deside...
Click to expand...
Well, there you are then. In fact, car-world was what I was thinking because I've just been looking at the entire work history receipts of a dealer-serviced car I just bought and it's just as you say. Mind you, it seems a bit much to me-How do people go through brakes,rotors and drums so often unless they forget the emrg brake or something...but then, I don't use the car that much and I'm a "coaster" anyways...drive like I've got a trailertruck, coasting up to stops ahead etc. :)
 
Haha sorry already said above by 'GBob ..! but
ADD for op..If you gofor "resurfacing" you can only do this once because you've thinned the rotor. It may not even be possible on yours dependending on depth.
I remember considering this on a Honda GL500 I had and rejecting it for those reasons and others too (trouble, $, and of course I feel lucky!-Bike stops well enough until I find an
ebay replacement...)
 
Last edited:
80GS850GBob said:
I think the biggest issue is how bad is it grooved? If theres a deep enough groove that smootjing would take it to minimum thickness...then I would consider another rotor.
Click to expand...
+1....measure your current rotor thickness to see if its even do-able 1st....
 
Those rotors are really thick. I doubt there would be any problems if they were under the service limit.
 
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