[Professor]

87 Honda VT700C
Anyone have any experience turning the front disc rotor. Motorcycle shops here refuse to turn them. Machine shops don’t want to handle it. Automotive shops don’t have adapter. Disc thickness getting down to service limit. New disc pretty expensive.

 

[gat803]

Try a transmission shop. You may have to talk to a couple of them before you find one willing, but they do have the ability. (think re-surfaced pressure plate)
It also helps if you make it very plain that you won't hold them liable if they screw up your rotor.

It is more $$$ when these guys do it, as set up time is somewhat longer for this type of work.
I've had several rotors cleaned up this way.

 

[rickbb]

Have been told that MC discs should not be turned/resurfaced.

I was told that when they wear they are already at the min limit and just need to be replaced.

2 different techs at differenet shops.

:?:

 

[bullzeyet]

If it's near the "service" limit you should replace. The "limit size" is cast into the disc center....I think.

Disc's are NOT "turned"...they use a blanchard grinder or using a external/angle head grinder with a "cupstyle or angled wheel" on the grinding machine. This gets the "cross-hatch" pattern that is needed for the brake pads to work properly.

Bullzeyet

 

[Trueseaker]

That cross-hatch pattern is pretty, but is less than .0001" deep and wears off really fast. I can't believe it has any function, it's just what you get from blanchard grinding any metal. I haven't turned motorcycle rotors, but I have turned both car rotors and drums, the hardest part is getting it true before cutting. As long as the rotor is not warped and not subjected to too much heat in the turning process there is no problem.

On the negative side, a friend of mine had her rotor literally explode when she hit the breaks. When I got the car drug to the shop I was using and took the wheel off, all that was left was a starburst of steel, what had been the cast web between the two sides of the rotor. I know my bike rotor doesn't have that web, but it is a lot thinner (thinner it gets the less heat it takes to warp it BTW), and I still wouldn't want to risk the rotor failing at speed... there would be sharp flying objects and a chance of locking up the wheel...I don't know which part would hurt worse.

 

[vt700c]

I have an 85 vt700 and bent a brake disk in an accident. I was able to get a replacement at a salvage yard for $30. Less than the cost of having one resurfaced. You might also check ebay. I believe that your bike has only one brake disk and it would be easier to buy a replacement than mine as it has dual disks. Most yards I contacted wanted to sell both rotors as a set. I was able to find one at Slick's Great Lakes Salvage in Mason MI (www.slickssalvage.com/). Give them a try.

 

[White Knight]

it's not worth killing someone else over just buy a new disc