Fixed rotors will warp, I have a set of Heathens on their way back to Performance Machine under warranty.

 

I dont know about that. 80,000 miles on thies rotors and no warping?

 

Bingo.That is really the only reason that floating rotors exist is the heat factor that makes solid rotors warp due to the area under the pads expanding so much faster than the other areas not under the pads in a high performance braking application using solid rotors.

 

I wouldn't agree that is the only reason or even the most important reason. I believe more importantly the rotors give way slightly allowing full & even contact with the pads.

 

I warped my front rotors on my 07 just about every 12k miles. I finally put hd floaters on as my 3rd set.. they fixed my warping problems. I loved them.

 

They must have changed by 06. The HD floating rotors I got when I bought my Streetglide are the real thing, buttons, outer disc, etc...

 

My '03 is pretty old compared to the new gear, so I imagine HD changed the hardware connecting the outer disc to the inner carrier. The drive pins connecting the inner carrier and outer rotor on the White Lightning are spring loaded and allow the disc to move side to side. The HD buttons holding the two units together have no such feature. No side to side movement. However they will allow the outer part of the rotor to expand with heat without any warpage you would get with a solid rotor. So I get half the benefit you have with actual full floaters.

 

I have to retract my statement. I grabbed the rotor like you described and no side to side movement.

 

when I installed floating rotors I felt it was the best ugrade I ever made
Stock frot disks always had just a slight warp to them wich you could realy feal a slow speeds. the new floating rotors are always smooth as can be, I love them

 

ya, unfortunately the hd floaters are just for show. i warped my stockers on my '02 and replaced with hd floaters in '07. they were better than warped rotors but no better than non warped stock rotors.

fact is harley charges a premium for everything, are they really gonna come out with a true floating rotor that is cheaper than the actual floaters made by lyndall or progressive or brembo or what have you.......