The “360 Brake” was designed in late 2005, and became an “instant’ success.  BWDC began taking orders and selling brakes incredibly fast during late 2006 and early 2007. The reality, however, was that the company infrastructure could not keep pace with sales and production.  The prior management was never able to structure a sustainable production and marketing method, and the foundation for future success was not included in the commercialization model of the company. While the “360 Brake” was great, there were long lead times, significant back orders, and “custom” demands from customers which took internal focus off the core product. In short the company began a difficult slide out of control.

In late July of 2007 the shareholders voted in a new Board of Directors, in hopes of redirecting the efforts of the company, and saving the product from falling victim to the apparent insolvency of BWDC.  In quick fashion, the Board found that orders for non-standard brakes were being taken, custom installations that had not been well thought out were occurring, some customer complaints that had not been investigated were filed without follow-up, and there were over 120 brakes on back order. The new management team moved to put an end to the above actions.  Members of the previous management were released and all brake sales stopped as of 7-29-07. Our focus was simply to investigate the overall condition of the brake, the existing market strategies that were in place, and the opportunities that were available to properly serve our customers and to save the company.

In September 2007, the new management sent a letter to all distributors, customers and dealers, found below under "For Your Information", explaining that the brake was sometimes being misused or improperly installed, especially in certain unique custom applications. We have been accused of not caring about our customers. To the contrary, we sent our letter PRECISELY BECAUSE WE DO CARE.  We truly care about our customers, value safety over sales, and wanted to be absolutely sure that the improper use or misuse of our products did not result in harm or injury to any rider.  We are huge motorcycle fans and riders and we are part of the biking community.  You are our biking “family,” and we want everyone to be safe.  Although the “360 Brake” is an innovative and amazing product, it has limits, as does any mechanical device or braking system.  There were rumors that the “360 Brake” could stop almost any bike traveling at any speed.  We felt a responsibility to make sure that no one would rely on those rumors and misuse our product.

 We do not blame any motorcycle magazine or publisher for printing representations made by third parties about the previous Baldwin-Wilson “360 Brake”.  Publishers cannot control the rumor mill any better than Baldwin-Wilson could. We apologize to anyone that has taken offense to our letter.  Our intent is not to place blame but simply counter the rumors and prevent the misuse of our product for safety reasons.

The truth is that how well a brake will perform, depends on how well it will convert kinetic energy to thermal energy, i.e. weight, speed, conditions of the brake, the riders braking tendencies, riding style, etc. We became concerned that many installations were not well thought out, and were overtaxing the brake.  Different applications require different brakes, despite what the rumor mill promised about the Baldwin-Wilson brake.  Our letter to the biking community was an attempt to explain this so that our products were not misused.

The letter we sent was an attempt to educate and answer questions.   We have spoken personally to many happy customers with many different set ups. Our “700 pound.- 70 mph” numbers have built in safety factors, and were chosen carefully. We will not advertise the brake for speeds that encourage anyone to break the speed limits and we cannot know for sure if someone is a casual rider or a mountain road street racer.

Is the Brake Safe?

Answer: Yes, if used properly. A brake system is nothing more than a device that converts kinetic energy (motion energy) to heat energy. EVERY brake system has its limits, the 360 brake included.  If you try to use a brake system to stop more weight or from higher speeds than it was designed for, at some point that brake will fail. Example: A single 360 brake,   was not designed to stop a Gold Wing hauling a trailer and two people from 120 mph speeds down a mountain pass.  An analogy is that a .22 is a darned good squirrel gun, but not so good against buffalo or elephants!  The original 360 Brake IS fully capable of stopping a 700 pound bike from 70 mph, in a repeatable fashion and that includes a safety margin that we are comfortable with.

Does the safety margin mean that the brake actually has more stopping capacity?    Safety margins are there for a reason.  We will not at this time make any claims as to whether or not it will perform at energy levels above those described in the "For Your Information" section below. We, the new guys at BWDC, have not done the series of tests that we would need to perform in order to make such a statement.  We sent a letter to our customers, because third-parties were making performance claims beyond the safety margins that gave us comfort.  The letter was the correct and responsible thing to do, and was not an attempt to “blame” magazine publishers or others.  In short, only we have the right to describe the proper uses and installation requirements of our products, and we had the right and responsibility to correct rumors claiming unreasonable performance characteristics of the brake.

Has the Brake Passed Any Tests?

Answer: Yes, but not every test. The original BWDC staff performed their own stopping tests, as well as let many custom builders and biker magazines do their own testing.  We also have the experiences of 1000 or more riders who have put 10,000’s of miles on these brakes.  There is a tremendous amount of evidence showing how well this brake performs.  In "normal" riding conditions, which also included high speed panic stops, on a variety of bikes, the original brake has performed very well. Also, the feedback received from over 1000 customers has shown primarily "annoyance" issues, such as squeaking, flaking chrome, difficulty bleeding, and installation confusion.  By all accounts, the brake has some unique features that are not exhibited on a typical motorcycle disc brake.  The “crouching effect,” which seemingly pushes the bike down to maintain more tire friction is a great example of the brake’s several advantages.

Was the brake given the “DOT test?” 

Answer: It was tested in a simulation test, and it nearly passed that test, failing in the final 10% or so of the test.  The original brake was never designed to pass the “DOT test,” because the DOT test is actually a test of a bike-brake combination.  The original brake was an after-market product that could be applied to a number of custom bikes.  The “DOT test” is defined by the bike, not the brake. 

Then Why Was the Brake “Simulation” Tested?

Answer: The brake was tested in the “DOT simulation” to create a baseline measurement of how close the brake was to OEM production levels.  The company wanted to see how close the brake was, in its original form, to passing the test and being ready for production bikes of a certain size/type.  ANY company developing a new product would test a new product and expect test failures.  Test failures are a normal part of product development and are fully expected.  In fact, in a very real way, you want to see failures during testing to identify design issues to be corrected before production begins.  No company has ever designed a new product that passed every test without design changes.  Testing is an integral part of the design process, not the ends.  Moreover, the DOT test is brutal and simulates some of the toughest braking conditions imaginable.  The safety margin on that test is enormous.  By pushing the brake through the DOT simulation test, we have gathered a huge amount of data that we have used in the refinement of the brake.  The simulation test failure was a good thing that, in an ironic way, and has made the brake better.    

To all Customers, Dealers and Distributors,

It has come to our attention recently that the 360 motorcycle brake (the “Brake”), developed and sold by Baldwin-Wilson Development Corporation, is being improperly installed and used.  We want to inform you that improper use, installation or maintenance of the Brake could result in serious bodily harm, property damage or death.

Some of the problems with the installation and use of the Brake are the result of third-party misrepresentations about the Brake’s capabilities.  Unfortunately, the motorcycle industry, particularly for after-market products, is fragmented, diverse and full of bad information.  The 360 Brake is a revolutionary motorcycle product that has generated a great deal of industry excitement and publicity.  We have been unable to control all of the magazine articles, reports, television shows and other industry news sources, as they report on and describe the Brake.  False promises of performance have been made by parties outside of our control.  Additionally, we have inspected brakes that were improperly installed, taken apart and reassembled improperly, or used on motorcycles that weigh too much or go too fast for the Brake.   The 360 Brake is not a racing product.  We are asking you to follow these instructions:

·        If you own a motorcycle with a 360 Brake, immediately have the Brake and your motorcycle inspected by a professional mechanic familiar with the Brake’s design, proper installation methods and braking limitations.

·     Standard dual brakes should never be replaced by a single 360 Brake.  Use dual brakes to replace dual brakes, always.

·         If your motorcycle weighs more than 700 pounds (riders and all equipment included), with a single 360 Brake installed, DO NOT USE THE CURRENT VERSION OF THE 360 BRAKE.  Under no circumstance should anyone use the 360 Brake to stop a motorcycle traveling faster than 70 mph.  Obey all speed limits.

·      Watch the Brake for signs of excessive wear and tear, overheating, chrome flaking/cracking or other problems.  Most of the problems with the Brake are associated with improper installation.  We will provide detailed, written installation instructions to anyone who contacts us.  We will inspect any Brake or parts you ship to us (shipping at your cost).

·   If your Brake was improperly installed or is experiencing any performance issues, please immediately stop riding your motorcycle until the Brake is repaired or replaced with a different brake.

·       If you sold or installed a 360 Brake, get a copy of this letter to the owner or rider immediately, or provide us with the owner/rider’s contact information.  We will be happy to send them a copy of this letter.

Thank you.

Baldwin-Wilson Development Corporation

Baldwin Wilson Development Corporation has entered into a partnership with a group of local businessmen and investors. They have formed a new company that will be called "360 Brake Company". The new 360 Brake Company will manufacture and distribute a new model of the "360 Brake."

Since July 28, it has become clear to them that there is a market segment requiring a bigger brake.  So, they have done two things.  First, they have redesigned the original brake to add more stopping capacity.  They will be introducing that new brake design after the New Year. They have been very methodical and very careful in this redesign process, and are extremely excited about the new design.  Currently, they are testing the heck out of this new brake design. Secondly, they have started designing the “big bike” brake, as they are calling it around the shop.  They have not yet tested that brake and, therefore, have not determined the safety margin.  That will be accomplished in early 2008.

It is their goal to return to the market as soon as possible with improved safety margin, fill the back orders, create an exchange and/or upgrade program, and service the motorcycle industry with an outstanding product.  Their business and customer-oriented approach herald a new day for the “360 Brake”.  360 Brake says "We appreciate all the support we’ve received from publishers, customers, distributors, etc., and we pledge excellence in all our future dealings in the motorcycle community.  We are not simply “under new management” - we are a completely “new” company that has taken a great product and made it better as well as safer for all riders."

If you are interested in finding out more information about the new 360 Brake please visit

www.360Brake.com

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