Chinese brake rotors from eBay

[Timpo]

Have you ever bought Chinese brake rotors from eBay?
How well do they work? Any reviews?

OEM ones are super expensive and even aftermarket brands like Galfer and EBC are still very expensive.

Thanks!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Front-rear-B...U2VtnA&vxp=mtr

[Triple Jim]

Strange that it says the inner part is aluminum and the outer part is stainless steel, when it appears they're one piece rotors.

[Alex]

Check out the "similar threads" area at the bottom of the page here. Some info on these type of cheap rotors:

https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=256916

https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=174555

[corksil]

Stay away from them. I ordered two (thinking I would like to have a spare). Four showed up.

The first one warped in 1k miles. I replaced it with a second which also warped within 1k miles. I still have two un-used ones because I didn't want to install them and have them warp as quickly as the first two did.

I went with the EBC floating one from andy at cyclebrakes. That guy is on point and very knowledgeable. 818.995.0444

[Triple Jim]

Are they really warping, or are they pulsing due to a thickness variation resulting from non-uniform hardness around the disk? (softer areas wearing faster than hard areas)

[Bob2010]

Warping and run-out

Does the same concept for automotive rotors apply to these thinner-metal motorcycle rotors?

https://www.google.com/amp/www.brake...tors-myth/amp/

[corksil]

Originally Posted by Triple Jim

Are they really warping, or are they pulsing due to a thickness variation resulting from non-uniform hardness around the disk? (softer areas wearing faster than hard areas)

When the front of the bike was lifted, and the wheel spun -- they wobbled from left to right of vertical axis. They would drag slightly, and then free spin for almost a full revolution, and then drag again.

[Triple Jim]

Originally Posted by Bob2010

Warping and run-out

Does the same concept for automotive rotors apply to these thinner-metal motorcycle rotors?

https://www.google.com/amp/www.brake...tors-myth/amp/

Yes, it applies to motorcycle rotors too.

Originally Posted by corksil

When the front of the bike was lifted, and the wheel spun -- they wobbled from left to right of vertical axis. They would drag slightly, and then free spin for almost a full revolution, and then drag again.

That's certainly lateral runout, which could be caused by actual warping of the rotors or something else that makes them wobble. Were they true initially?

[Lazarus]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00RM...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bought these off amazon (link is for front brake only but you can search for rear and it should pop up.)

Ive put about 3000miles on them since September 2016 (bought new pads to go with them, also off amazon) and I have to say I'm very impressed. After bedding them in I have had 0 problems. Actually just avoided getting run over yesterday due to these rotors and pads, worth every penny.

Edit: just saw they are currently unavailable....my bad

[ducatiman]

Though not 250....VFR front rotors OEM from Honda...ouch..$328 *each*
At 32,000 miles I replaced with "far east" wave rotor kit....$206 for front (2) and rear
At that time (2015) I also chose to "rebuild" the calipers (cleaning pistons and internals) and renew pads.

At 40K...8,000 miles on...no hits, no runs, no errors. Still in service, no issues, no complaints. I'll concur...I'm impressed, great value.

[DannoXYZ]

Don't lump all Chinese manufacturers into one pool! They make products to specifications and it's the U.S. importer that defines the specs. Many mass-produced auto-parts retail-stores will request the lowest specs possible to maximize profits and you end up with poor-quality parts.

It's like lumping all U.S. manufacturers into one group as well. There's an electric car-maker that's top-notch and a motorcycle-maker that leaks oil like mad. Can't look at this group and say that all U.S. made transportation is bad because they all leak oil!!!

[Triple Jim]

Good point. There's also a difference between buying directly from a Chinese manufacturer and buying from a reputable US dealer who buys from a Chinese manufacturer. With the reputable dealer, the manufacturer has a lot of motivation to supply good products, because they don't want to lose the substantial amount of sales, and the US dealer has a lot of motivation to do quality control to maintain his reputation.

[DannoXYZ]

Originally Posted by Lazarus

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00RM...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bought these off amazon (link is for front brake only but you can search for rear and it should pop up.)

Ive put about 3000miles on them since September 2016 (bought new pads to go with them, also off amazon) and I have to say I'm very impressed. After bedding them in I have had 0 problems. Actually just avoided getting run over yesterday due to these rotors and pads, worth every penny.

Edit: just saw they are currently unavailable....my bad

There's a new page. They are available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1UU738

Personally, I like abrasive semi-metallic pads like Galfer. I think they break-in a rotor better. With organic/ceramic pads, you have a lot of "filler" materials that melt and transfer to the rotor. This causes stuttering, shaking, uneven heating and eventual warpage.

Uh.. why are some of these sold in pairs?

[Lazarus]

^^ good to know they are still available, not good to see the price is slightly higher...

[MrAtom]

Originally Posted by JacRyann

Don't lump all Chinese manufacturers into one pool! They make products to specifications and it's the U.S. importer that defines the specs. Many mass-produced auto-parts retail-stores will request the lowest specs possible to maximize profits and you end up with poor-quality parts.

It's like lumping all U.S. manufacturers into one group as well. There's an electric car-maker that's top-notch and a motorcycle-maker that leaks oil like mad. Can't look at this group and say that all U.S. made transportation is bad because they all leak oil!!!

I get what you're saying, but so much of this junk comes from our buddies out east (Japan and Taiwan make really good stuff in my experience, of course). Blanket statements like this are an effective way to make a purchasing decision, and not intended to hurt anyone's feelings.

I have a Thrunite flashlight. It's very well made. I love this flashlight. It's made in China. Sure, not everything made in china is junk, but if it's important to me not dying, like in the case of brake parts, I'll pay more money to have a better product.

[DannoXYZ]

How long does the factory front rotor lasts anyway? I've got 8k-miles of racing miles on my bike and it still looks brand-new after 3-sets of pads. Perhaps I should pick an extra up to put into the spares box?

[vkuchhal]

Even i was planning to post something similar for a feedback or review from aliexpress to know how good are they.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Moto...00014.6.bLhFdw

Any one tried things from aliexpress??

[ducatiman]

^ Not familiar with your particular vendor...aliexpress

these were used on my VFR...superb value and with great success...vendor skywave-us.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/For-VFR800F-...UAAOSwWTRWz73f

Also using a "far east" rotor ...approx 1 year in service now...I replaced a front single disc EX500, cleaned caliper/pistons, new seals and pads and a stainless steel brake line..owner reports zero issues.....rock solid, hair trigger lever....
A badly gouged GSXR750 rear disc replaced last year...Suzuki $ was extreme...for under $75 the owner opted to replace... new pads, calipers and pistons cleaned too. .zero issues since.

My experience with "far east" rotors from various vendors, on various machines has been positive.

Take into consideration..these are streetbikes...not looking to outbrake the starting grid into turn 1 at Daytona. Agreed in that application, a top line name brand would be called for.

[Pig]

Originally Posted by vkuchhal

Any one tried things from aliexpress??

Aliexpress is sort of like Amazon but Chinese based. It is run by the Alibaba Group, a company bigger (in gross merchandise volume) than Amazon & eBay combined.

So, your question reads: "Anyone tried things from eBay?"

It's not enough to just say: "Chinese crap!" It's all relevant.
Chinese manufacturers make HIGH-QUALITY products; the problem is weeding out the good from the bad. And that can only be done through ACTUAL experience.
Also, what might be good quality from one seller or even one manufacturer one day, might suddenly change in quality because of different sub-suppliers, change in materials or change in manufacturing processes, etc.

Overall, it is safer to source such important things as brake parts from a trusted source or better yet, from the OEM, IMHO.

[DannoXYZ]

On related note, China has surpassed the U.S. in GDP. So saying Chinese-made products is crap is like saying entire U.S. economy produces nothing of value. Some of us were around when similar things were said about Japanese products...

[Panda]

Originally Posted by JacRyann

On related note, China has surpassed the U.S. in GDP. So saying Chinese-made products is crap is like saying entire U.S. economy produces nothing of value. Some of us were around when similar things were said about Japanese products...

Does this mean the fake Chinese X5 is better than an actual X5 since China's GDP is higher?

[DannoXYZ]

Originally Posted by Panda

Does this mean the fake Chinese X5 is better than an actual X5 since China's GDP is higher?

You did not read and comprehend what I was saying. I'm commenting on others' remark of:

"All Chinese products are crap"

which is a black-and-white, all-or-nothing conclusion that's just as correct as saying:

"All US-made products are crap"

That has no bearing whatsoever on the Chinese X5 vs. original. It's not as good as the original, but it's not crap either. Think shades-of-grey... not black & white.

[Panda]

Originally Posted by JacRyann

You did not read and comprehend what I was saying. I'm commenting on others' remark of:

"All Chinese products are crap"

which is a black-and-white, all-or-nothing conclusion that's just as correct as saying:

"All US-made products are crap"

That has no bearing whatsoever on the Chinese X5 vs. original. It's not as good as the original, but it's not crap either. Think shades-of-grey... not black & white.

On related note, China has surpassed the U.S. in GDP. So saying Chinese-made products is crap is like saying entire U.S. economy produces nothing of value.

[SpotTheDogg]

My $0.02 on this old thread: Arashi make nice rotors and are available for a good price from China. Any Chinese floating wave rotors I have bought from China have served me well on the racetrack.