Back in February, we mentioned the patent application for reverse rotating brake rotors. The idea is to cancel the gyroscopic precession generated by the wheel with the reverse rotation of the rotors enabling much faster lean angle changes and the elimination of the tank slapper.
Robby Kasten, the man behind these rotors, has been doing quite a bit of work on the prototype and has had a bit of track time testing out the concept, which seems to be working very well. The website has a lot of photos and video so you can see how it looks.
As some of you may also recall, Tony Foale is giving a seminar the Monday and Tuesday following the vintage races at Mid Ohio and Robby Kasten will be there with his reverse rotating rotor prototype. He will give a short talk and will be available to answer questions. Pretty neat, and one more reason to register for Tony’s seminar, but you better be quick if you plan to go.
Link: Reverse Rotating Rotors
The Kneeslider: Reverse Rotating Brake Rotors
The Kneeslider: Tony Foale Seminar at Mid Ohio
Dante says
about the reverse rotating rotors
I have to rain on someone’s parade here. The system was introduced in 1973 by an unknown motorcycle wiz in italy at a motrocycle show. As I remember correctly, the system was pretty close to the one presented inhe above article, with some differeces due to the lack of, call it “technology” of the day.
Great stuff, but, why the “invention” was ignored and is now resurfacing with such zeal…. My friend would be quite impressed to see that maybe there is a future to this.. or is there?
thanks for this great web site
dante
Ton says
As already reported this system was already tested in races the 1970ties by Cagiva. If I remember corrrectly they abonded the system because the unsprung weight was too high and the gears in the hub were too noisy.
Also the braking did not improve.
Nice website
Ton, the Netherlands