An inside look at Galfer's custom brake line operations

Motorcyclist recently had the opportunity to stop in at Galfer’s U.S. headquarters in Oxnard, California to learn about their custom brake line service and take an impromptu tour of the facility. Galfer has been in the brake business for over 60 years, and in that time they’ve established themselves as one of the premier brands in brake pads, brake lines, and wave rotors. The company was founded in Spain in 1946 by Maffio Milesi, and is still owned and operated by the Milesi family, with the Oxnard facility serving all of North and South America, as well as Australia.

[When I showed up at their 12,000-foot warehouse/offices lead Brake Line Tech Robert Davilia was at his desk working on design schematics and instructions for the BMW S1000RR. Behind Robert’s office is the warehouse, where a half-dozen techs were fervently assembling and packing product in preparation for the upcoming MotoGP round in Indianapolis, which is one of the only two events each year (the other being the Laguna GP) where Galfer sells their wares direct to riders.

[Reels of line and bins of fittings and hardware surround the workstation, with head-high shelves of ready-to-ship product filling the rest of the space. There’s cool brake-related artwork hanging from the rafters and streetbikes and dirtbikes parked along the walls and tucked into the shadows. These guys definitely love motorcycles and love what they do.

The original reason for my visit was to pick up a brake line I had ordered. When I looked in to getting a line for my Honda MB5 project bike, I was informed that they didn’t have the part on file. Considering how old and obscure the bike is, I wasn’t surprised. What did surprise me was the fact that they would make me a line – free of charge – if I would lend a hand in making the replacement.

[Galfer has over 13,000 part numbers representing thousands of brake line designs, but they want more. So if you have a setup that they don’t have on file yet, they want it. Here’s how it works. The customer photographs the stock setup, providing Robert with detail shots of the banjo fittings, routing, and any special brackets that will help him optimize the replacement Galfer line and make sure it fits perfectly. Once he’s made a prototype, it’s sent back to you for installation, at which point you take another round of photos which Robert will use to produce the detailed step-by-step instructions that come with every set of Galfer lines. If everything fits perfectly, which it most likely will considering how detail-oriented these guys are, the customer sends back the OEM line to be added to the Galfer reference collection and keeps the new line. It’s a pretty cool program, and one that gives the customer the satisfaction of knowing he has played a pivotal role in the development process.

[ Before you get fired up about free brake lines, keep in mind Galfer has been building brake hoses for decades, so odds are they already have your line in stock and ready to ship. But if have altered your bike and need a modified brake line, say to compensate for clip-on risers or drag bars, Galfer is happy to help. Custom lines are their specialty, and if you can draw it up, they can build it. Custom builds start at around $100 (just a couple bucks more than standard kits), and that price gives you free reign over line length, fitting angles, and colors.

Think you've got a hose they haven't dealt with yet? View an online catalog at www.GalferUSA.com or give Robert or one of the other techs a call at 800.685.6633.