The two-piece rotor has a carrier that is separate from the friction ring. The two-piece rotor is essentially the same as a solid, one-piece rotor because the carrier is attached to the friction ring in a fixed manner. The carrier and friction ring are bolted together with hardware or with a rivet and high-pressure cone washer in a manner that offers zero movement between the two pieces.
Fully floating rotors have a carrier that is completely independent of the friction ring. The carrier is attached to the friction ring via buttons with low-pressure spring washers and c-clips. On a fully floating rotor all three of these pieces will move independently of each other with little effort. "Float" or movement is about twenty-thousandths of an inch. Floating rotors offer superior mechanical advantage over solid rotor types because when the friction ring gets hot, it grows in diameter. Keep in mind that the outer diameter of the rotor gets much hotter than the inner diameter. This variance in temperature causes a variance in material expansion. The fully-floating rotor design compensates for this variance by allowing room for the friction ring to grow independently of the carrier dramatically increasing rotor stability, stopping performance, and service life, while also diminishing the possibility of warppage under extreme conditions.
 Here is a stock H-D rotor...  Here is a stock H-D rotor on the scale weighing in at 4.15-lbs. when you times that by three like on a bagger you are looking at 12.5 lbs. |  Lyndall Racing Apex rotors...  Lyndall Racing Apex rotors weigh in at 1.9-lbs, three of the composite rotors would add up to less than 6-lbs. That would cut your rotating mass in half. |  With six different styles,...  With six different styles, chrome or black anodized carrier options, and your choice of polished or satin friction rings, you can custom design your rotor to accent your personal style. |
Some performance rotors are made of ductile iron, it has the highest coefficient of friction of any other rotor surface. But, iron rusts and is not as stable as steel. Metal Matrix Composite (MMC) by definition is a type of material with at least two constituent parts, one being a metal. The other may be a different metal or another material such as ceramic or organic compound. Recent advances in MMC and the processes associated with manufacturing from this material have made composite materials a new-comer to the rotor industry (commonly referred to as composite rotors).
MMC is a material with the measurable ability to shed heat and weight, as well as noise. Now these material options are available for the manufacture of motorcycle rotors allowing Lyndall Racing Brakes to manufacture an 11.5-inch Apex fully-floating rotor that weighs about 1.5 pounds, has a coefficient of friction consistent with an iron rotor but never rusts, and has a durability factor that allows Lyndall the opportunity to guarantee the friction ring for the life of the bike. Furthermore, these APEX Performance rotors can be beautifully finished and customized to match the style and character of almost any customer's motorcycle.
 This is a close-up look at...  This is a close-up look at how the locking notches fit with each other. Also (arrow) you can see where the spiral-retaining ring will lock in place. |  Paul shows how easy the ring...  Paul shows how easy the ring installed onto the rotor, all he did was start the ring at one end and expanded the ring as he rotated the ring around the carrier notches. |  Also for the V-Rod guys out...  Also for the V-Rod guys out there, Lyndall Racing has rotors to fit the new '09 V-Rods. On the left is the rear rotor and on the right the front with custom rotor lugs. |
For Lyndall's Apex rotors aluminum alloy and ceramic particles are used. The MMC ingot is cast using the patented process developed by Swan Metal Composites, Inc. This unique casting process allows for very tight control over the ceramic particle disbursement throughout the entire bandwidth of the friction ring. Fifty percent of the ceramic by volume is concentrated in the outermost portion of the friction ring, where it will see the highest temperature. Fifteen percent of the ceramic by volume is concentrated in the innermost portion of the friction ring where it will see lower temperature. This effectively balances the internal stresses caused by the difference in temperature between the inner and outer portions of the friction ring.
The newest thing from Lyndall Racing is the Lug Drive Rotor. This is a true full-floating rotor made up of a friction ring CNC machined from 420 high carbon steel and fits flush with the CNC machined 6061 T-6 billet aluminum carriers. This setup will work with all '04 -'08 models with 11.5-inch to 11.8-inch rotors and comes in five cut styles in both black anodized and polished finish. How the Lug Drive works is that the friction ring has notches that mesh with the carrier's notches then locks in place with a Spirolox Retaining Rings, also known as spiral retaining ring band. Then to ensure that the two pieces stay in tact the band is heat treated and has a locking notch at the ends. This allows the carriers to be held in place but still has about 0.10-inch movement to grow for heat expansion. From an aesthetics point of view the Lug Drive provides a much cleaner appearance because all you see from the outside is a smooth transition from the carrier to the friction ring unlike traditional floating rotors that have exposed buttons/hardware. All of Lyndall rotors are money back guaranteed and come with a lifetime warranty when used exclusively with our High Performance Brake Pads.
 Paul is showing off the new...  Paul is showing off the new Lug Drive rotor. | 
The '09 V-Rod. |  Here's the custom lugs made...  Here's the custom lugs made for the '09 V-Rod and the CNC machined locking tool, look close you can see how the two fit. |