I've been wondering about the sicom rotors. The braketech ceramic matrix ones allegedly were better especially initial bite. I call the braketech guy awhile ago to ask if anymore were going to be made and he said that his supplier (a defense company Gruman?) was no longer interested due to the low volumes. From what I've read about the sicoms you get less brake torque and poor initial bite and they're seriously expensive. But they're so much lighter. So what's been your experience with them? I like the race galfers really linear but haven't tried the versahs.
I actually love the Sicom setup, 5 pounds of rotating mass removed from just the front end over steel rotors, which definately makes the whole bike feel more alive and nimble. Compared to steel rotors with the Z04 pads that have a much more progressive initial bite but they ramp up quick, I would not run the Sicoms at track without also having a really good brake MC on the bike at a minimum, and an upgraded caliper too at best, the upgraded Brake MC helps mitigate the progressiveness of the initial bite with the Sicom setup and makes the overall brake torque or stopping power higher with them. It’s a very forgiving system that allows for easy modulation and control especially on trail braking.
The Z04 with steel rotors can be modulated well and trail brake well, but require a more finessed touch and are less forgiving of little rider input errors, the overall stopping power is higher, as is initial bite, but if you over due it just a little bit with the lever you muck the corner, they require a much finer touch from the rider inputs on the lever. Overall they are more challenging for the rider to finesse but very rewarding when you get it right, if maximum stopping power is paramount they are better than the Sicom rotors and pads.
But the Sicom still stop VERY VERY good, are a more forgiving pad/rotor setup, and the MUCH lower rotating mass makes the bike feel more alive and controllable especially through switchbacks and chicains.
I’m 6 of one and half dozen of the other on whether to go back to the Sicom setup or stay with the Steel rotors and Z04’s, they are just so different they are hard to compare point by point, too much ‘apples and oranges’ versus comparing apples to apples.
it took me all day to get the feel of the bike back last track day when I switched from CF wheels with a 120 front tire and the Sicom rotors/pads to the Magnesium wheels with a 125 front tire and steel rotors with Z04 pads, felt so different that I didn’t feel comfortable on the bike until the last session of the day, and even then my best lap was 4 seconds slower than my best lap with the Sicom setup…but that’s largely due to my timing being off on corner entry, I was constantly over braking with the Z04 setup and entering the corner slower than I do with the Sicom setup, part of that is that I’m just more comfortable trail braking the Sicom setup versus the Z04 setup, and the bike is more flickable with the Sicom setup. BUT, a lot of that is just a function of getting used to the Z04 with more laps on them.
One final factor that’s not likely to be a big issue now but could be down the road, with the Sicom rotors and pads you will NEVER have to worry about brake fade, they actually get slightly better the hotter they get, with the Z04 setup on steel rotors brake fade will happen eventually.
For now I’m going to transfer my steel rotors over to my CF wheels and run the Z04 pads for a few track days, to see if I can get as comfortable with them as I am with the Sicom stuff…if so then I’ll use them moving forward, because while they are more challenging to use well, and less forgiving if you get it a little bit wrong, they are more rewarding when you get it just right.
I still torn though, because the combination of CF wheels and the Sicom rotors makes the bike feel like a 600 cc bike in the corners.
