Galfer Floatech Brake Discs and G1310 Racing Pads Track Review

To put the latest race brakes from Galfer to the test, we sent Toad to Parcmotor in Spain for a track ride on the new Floatech discs and G1310 racing pads

Member for

54 years 8 months

Simon Hancocks

27 Jun 2022

Brand

Gaerne

Sessions 1 & 2 | Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja | Galfer G1310 Pads | Galfer floating discs

For the first sessions out on this brand new (to me) circuit I jumped on the 2022 Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja. Its fairly soft delivery and easy-going riding style made it the perfect bike to use as I got to know the 4.1-mile Parcmotor circuit. And while we are on the subject of the track, what a place! Huge elevation changes, motocross levels bumps that have you rodeo riding the bike, and lunar landscape to enjoy between sessions – stick it on the bucket list if you are into Euro track days! It’s not the first place that springs to mind when you think of tracks around Barcelona – but in hindsight, it was a great place to test the latest kit that Galfer had to offer.

Riding on track on a Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja

The last time I ride the 2022 ZX-10R was the slightly less sunny and scenic press test at the Bedford Autodrome in April 2021, where I was impressed by the suspension tweaks made by Kawasaki for the new model. It dives more than the previous generation, allowing you to work the front tyre into the track surface. Impressive feel aside, there was still some brake fade at the end of the sessions, with a spongy front brake appearing after towards the end of the later afternoon sessions. I was keen to see if the G1310s and road and track discs could help to sure that.

the front brake of a Kawasaki Zx-10R using Floatech discs and G1310 pads

Trundling down the pitlane I settled into session one, letting the quick lads and locals disappear so I could get some quiet track time and a chance to learn the layout. After about four laps in the baking heat, it became apparent that I needed to totally re-calibrate my braking points for pretty much all the corners. I was getting on the anchors far too early, scrubbing off too much speed in a straight line and not carrying the braking event into the corner as you should. The pads feel substantially more powerful than stock, with a nice and progressive lever feel and not too sharp of an initial bite – something that surprised me given these are a ‘race’ product. It also became clear that the slight brake fade and flaccid lever I encountered late on at the launch were completely resolved.

The Kawasaki Zx-10R Ninja on track at Parcmotor

The sintered compound of the Galfer G1310s has been designed to provide more consistent braking at the very highest level. They have been tested on track in the like of Moto2, Moto3, World Superbike, Superstock 1000 and Supersport 600. Now, I’m in no way trying to claim anywhere near the ability of the riders who have helped to develop these pads – quite the opposite in fact, although even in my humble opinion, they did massively improve the stopping power and consistency of the ZX-10R.

For more information on the new G1310 racing brake pads, head to: galfer.eu

A Floatech brake disc for a Moto3 race bike

Sessions 2 & 4 | Yamaha RM – Superstock 1000 Race bike | Galfer G1310 Pads & Floatech rotors

For my final two sessions on the track, I took a punt on a Superstock 1000 race bike prepared by the Spanish national endurance outfit SMT. There was more to the decision than simply ticking the ‘I’ve ridden a race bike on track’ box, the R1’s brakes caught my attention on the press riding launch back in 2019, and not for the right reasons. Of all the 1,000cc+ sports bikes, the R1 and R1M have the worst brakes of the bunch. It’s also just about the only bike in the pack that doesn’t use Brembo calipers, instead opting for Advics – a relative unknown in the motorcycle field.

On the road and track, the R1’s brakes have a wooden feel at the lever, no masses of initial bite and inspire very little confidence. And when the rest of the competition is shod with the best brakes in the business, that’s a big problem. To see if the situation could be improved with some cost-effective upgrades and elbow grease I clambered aboard the R1 which was shod with the G1310 race pads and Galfer’s new Floatech discs. And before you say, ‘that’s not a fair comparison – race bike versus road bike’, the rules in this Spanish championship are super stringent, with only fork internals, and exhaust and air-filter changes being allowed. The engine and electronics are completely stock from there.

A Yamaha R1 race bike cornering on track

The first laps out were again a learning curve, it’s been a while since I rode a bike fitted with race-shift gears, so it took a few laps to find any sort of rhythm. Once I’m a bit more in the zone I start to get a feel for the brakes on the bike. The lever feel is still not quite as progressive and inviting as on some of the Brembo-fitted bikes in the class, but the wooden feel of the stock bike is all but eliminated. There is also a significant amount more initial bite than on any R1 or R1M I’ve ridden in the past had, although still not so much that riding the Parcmotor track became cumbersome or clumsy. All in all, I managed about 20-laps across the two sessions, riding a track with lots of heavy braking zones and sizeable bumps, all in searing 35-degree temperatures. During this time the R1s brakes were improved massively with the upgraded kit from Galfer’s engineers performing perfectly. Not only did they massively improve the feel and performance of what I think to be one of the weakest braking systems on a modern sportsbike, but they also proved their worth in some of the most extreme temperatures I’ve ever ridden a motorcycle in.