MXMag visited Moto-Master.
Motocross is a technical sport with many aftermarket suppliers. One of those suppliers is the Dutch Moto-Master. The brand makes many products for your dirt bike and is best known for their disc brakes. We were exceptionally given the opportunity to take a look inside the kitchen of Moto-Master, which is located a stone's throw from the Eersel motocross circuit.
Moto-Master was founded in 1996 by Gaston Veron, a young mechanical engineer and passionate off-road rider. He was unhappy with the performance of the stock brake rotors on his bike and found a solution to change the braking capabilities for the better. The brand's disc brake is now among the world's best, with the so-called "Flame Rotor" perhaps being their best-known product. Unfortunately, Gaston Veron had an off-road motorcycle accident in 2011 and died from his injuries.
However, the spirit lives on and Moto-Master has already won many titles with their products. Jeffrey Herlings, Sam Sunderland and Ryan Dungey, among others, became champions with the brakes of the brand from the small village of Duizel. In the meantime, many factory motocross teams ride with their products. The company has also earned its stripes in road racing and the Dakar Rally. We received an invitation to take a closer look at the company and so we went to North Brabant for a “fun round of Moto-Master”.
As is tradition in the Netherlands, we were warmly welcomed with a delicious cup of coffee. Ample time was taken to inform us about the ins and outs of the company. Moto-Master is part of the metal processing companies Nolde BV and Reny BV. The processing of aluminum parts is done on the left side of the street, the metal on the right side. Producing disc brakes is precision work, but in our conversation with Rolf Verhagen and Ed Nolde we quickly understood that the bar is high.
Three aspects play a crucial role in the manufacturing of disc brakes. Firstly, it is the quality of the steel used. The carbon content and the method of hardening are decisive. Secondly, the production process is important. Joining a steel disc to a piece of aluminum requires precision. A disc must be 100% flat and that is why they are ground on both sides with a tolerance of 3 microns. The aluminum inner rings are CNC milled from a solid block of material. This guarantees good stiffness and fit. In addition, the brake rotor is very light compared to O.E.M. products.
We were taken on a walk through the company. We were shown all departments such as the production halls for aluminum and steel as well as the R&D department. Some people there are constantly working on the development of existing and new things. For example, we found some prototypes of brake calipers on their work table. These would be launched early next year. Many machines at Moto-Master are CNC controlled, with the very expensive laser cutters being particularly impressive. Of course, there is also a warehouse for stock, order picking and shipping of the goods.
Moto-Master's success may have two reasons. The company is located right in the center of the European motocross industry and that is always a logistical plus. Gaston Veron was also good friends with master tuner and team owner Jan de Groot at the time and that was perhaps the impetus for the current success. Jan de Groot was the first to use their products on the motorcycles of the Kawasaki Factory team. The use of these brake discs at the highest level created a lot of “credibility” for the company and the rest is of course history.
The very first pilot to ride with Moto-Master brakes in the Motocross World Championship was Marko Kovalainen. “That was the period when we had to beg the pilots to drive our products,” says Rolf Verhagen scornfully. Their brakes also became known in the US, through the then popular Supermotard competition. This was subsequently picked up by the Timex motocross team including Jeremy McGrath. Together with winning championships, this provided a lot of publicity value.
Meanwhile, Moto-Master is also at home in vintage motocross with disc brakes that retain the OEM appearance but with the improved features that the brand adds. Disc brakes and brake pads are manufactured for almost every type of Evo-crosser. But the company also thinks about the future. We had a very clear conversation with Rolf and Ed about the pros and cons of electric motocross. They also want to manage many aspects related to the sale of their products themselves. So we suddenly found ourselves in a room where their products are being photographed for the catalogue.
Moto-Master permanently has between 12.000 and 14.000 brake discs in stock. The intention is to be able to pick orders quickly and deliver quickly to their customers. Of course, they also make other things than brake discs. The range also includes sprockets, brake pads, steel brake lines, chains and brake disc adapters. The company is rightly a big name in motorsport and this is mainly due to the desire to deliver very high quality. We thank Rolf and Ed for the nice welcome, the explanation about the company and the delicious “cup of coffee”.
Photos: archive and Moto-Master
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