1980 550 Brake Rotor

[cowboyup3371]

What would I have to do to clean this up well enough to use?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1980-Suzuki-GS550-80-GS-550-Front-Brake-Rotor-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem43a8a4f448QQitemZ290592191560QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

[FiremanBob]

It doesn't look badly grooved at all. I'd just clean it up with some fine sandpaper on an orbital sander (which puts friction-inducing swirls on the rotor) or even by hand, or with a Scotchbrite pad. Get any dirt off it by wiping it down with some Brakleen first.

To really refinish it, it has to be ground down with a stone. Regular disk cutting tools are made for cast-iron disks and will chatter on the hard steel of a motoroycle disk. There is a place in Michigan that will do it for about $45, plus shipping both ways. I had a local machine shop do one for me, but they charged $75 and a week later it's grooved again so it wasn't worth the expense.

[Nessism]

Scott,
Thought your bike has 750 forks? If so, you need the smaller rotor from a 750, or maybe 1000 (not sure). 550 rotors are larger since the bike only came with one.

[cowboyup3371]

Ed, I'm changing over to Salty Monk's twinpot upgrade on my brakes so I'm going to throw the older 550 rotors on and go from there. I already have one from him but need another.