Topic: Chromed disc brake rotor

[AndyN]

Hi everyone,

I have seen some bikes with fully chromed disc brake rotors. Has anyone had any experience with this, and if so does the chrome hold up to the brake pads and also is braking performance impacted?

Thank you all.

[Don R]

 I'd say that's just for show bikes but maybe there's a chrome product I'm not familiar with. Our rotors are a grade of stainless it would polish up but with use it will wear off.

[newday777]

Hi everyone,

I have seen some bikes with fully chromed disc brake rotors.

Thank you all.

On a SOHC4 Honda??

I've only seen chrome rotors on Harleys. Chromed rotors don't have good braking power. And, Chrome doesn't hold up to the heat of brake rotors.

[Deltarider]

Chrome brakes?!!! Why not chrome your nose? Always in your view and you don't have to look down. Please post pics.

[BenelliSEI]

This is a show chrome application..... not for real riding. In fact a real improvement on our stock set up is a cast iron disc. Chrome would take you in exactly the wrong direction.........

[Deltarider]

This is a show chrome application..... not for real riding. In fact a real improvement on our stock set up is a cast iron disc. Chrome would take you in exactly the wrong direction.........

Brembo rotors are best. not shiny though.

[MauiK3]

Chrome rotors, terrible idea, it's plated on and will peel off

[Rookster]

Triumph used chrome disks on their 70s twins and triples.  The disks themselves were cast steel or iron (there is some debate about exactly what material they were made from).  The disks then got a layer of hard chrome.  This is a process that uses chrome as a sacrificial layer to prevent corrosion.  The disks were not show polished or triple plated but machined and then chromed.  They worked fine provided the correct brake pads were used.  They needed a softer compound that was not abrasive.  Over time the chrome would wear through and then the disks became terrible in use because the pads acted differently on the 2 surfaces.  I had 2 chrome disks for my T140 where the chrome is completely in tact and they worked fine.  I wanted to use sintered pads so I had 2 older disks skimmed to remove the chrome layer and drilled.  These disks with the more abrasive sintered pads work better than the originals.  Triumph switched to plain cast disks with no chrome layer in the 1980s. 

Original Hard Chrome Disk:


Chrome Skimmed and Drilled:


Scott

[AndyN]

Thank you for the information. I thought I had read that Triumph had done that and went away from it for the exact reasons you noted about 2 surfaces.
Some aircraft rotors are chromed as well for the purpose of standing up to the elements and rust prevention much longer.

[Bodi]

Hard chrome is different from "normal" chrome. It's not super shiny and, as per its name, pretty damned hard. I didn't know brake discs ever used it, but it would be OK I guess.
I believe our fork legs have a hard chrome finish.
I've worked with hard chromed parts in machinery, made to resist wear on sliding surfaces. I have never seen that chrome wear through on parts moved many thousands of times.

Shiny chrome discs... not for me. Doubtful they'd stay shiny long - if actually used as brakes.

I'm not a fan of chrome, anyway. Looks nice in moderation... but it's so very easy to overdo.