I’ve spent nearly six months testing the newer Magura’s SL.2 lightweight brake rotors on my superb Ibis RipMo 29er equipped with a set of Magura’s excellent four-piston MT5 brakes using their all-around 8.P brake pads. The SL.2 rotors provide outstanding all-around performance and durability in a lightweight package. In contrast, the 8.P Performance pads feature their resin base with suspended brass particles for a responsive bite and aggressive power with good longevity.
For additional information, refer to Magura USA and Magura
Features
The Magura Storm HC brake rotor has a larger braking zone or more significant surface area for stability, power, and reduced pad wear. In contrast, the Magura Storm SL.2 has an increased number of perforations that are more open for weight savings and feel. The Laser cut high-grade steel rotors are 2mm thick for strength and rigidity and come with the ubiquitous IS 6 holes (a centerlock adapter is available).
Compared to their predecessor, the Storm SL, the newer SL.2 has intentionally added benefits of structural strength and heat stability greatly due to the more significantly added material near the hub mounting area. Also, it has a slightly different cutout design compared to its original brethren. The Storm SL.2 rotor combines minimal weight with excellent braking performance and is available in 160mm (100g) and 180mm (118g) diameters, and they’re compatible with both 2 and 4-piston brake calipers.
My test pair of 180mm rotors came in at 116 grams and 117 grams each.
Impressions
The rotors, brakes, and pads were tossed into lots of extreme technical terrain and long steep downhills, requiring precise braking control, power, and fade resistance, allowing to establish repeatable patterns for a baseline. I tend to ride the brakes pretty heavily, so I create lots of heat and torture from near constant feathering and usage, though I still scrub enormous amounts of speed when required.
The rotor’s bite can be felt like a nice tactile feel in the lever and gives rise to superb precision and control. The Storm SL.2 has been reasonably quiet, though they make a slight ticking noise from the interaction of the cutouts and pads. They dried out quickly when wet and quietly squeaked until they reached temperature. The open slots of the Storm SL.2 give the ability to do some excellent feathering, which is helpful in slow technical terrain, or when some speed needs to be drawn down with a small dab of the lever. On long, highly steep downhills, more throttling and hand strength with the levers were required to keep the speed down, but they never felt like they were fading or weak.
The Storm SL.2 rotor design with the additional material by the hub connection area and the new cutout patterns offered up a perceptible increase in power and less fading over the Storm SL predecessor. It was something I wasn’t expecting to be so obvious, and it was quite discernable when you were cranking on the levers.
After six months of heavy use, I’ve just now worn down the SL.2 rotors to their replacement thickness of 1.8mm, and I’ve also been through two sets of the 8.P Performance pads. I tend to lightly ride and feather the brakes fairly regularly during a ride, so if I can make rotors and pads last this long, it’s an excellent sign of the improved longevity and heat characteristics of the SL.2 rotors.
Bottom Line
The Storm SL.2 is a supremely enjoyable rotor with some remarkable characteristics, such as feathering, modulation, fade resistance, and lightweight, and I like how the cutouts look. The additional control they offered in technical terrain was much appreciated, particularly on steep rollers and rock ramps, where they tended not to lock up. Like any cutout rotor type, they wear pads quicker and make a slight tick noise, albeit subtle. The new SL.2 design offers improved power, longevity, and heat resistance and brings them one leap closer to their extreme braking performance Storm HC rotor.
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