15 bikes out of 19 of the Superbike field will be equipped with Brembo brakes: here are the trends of the braking systems for the 2019 season
Brembo, world leader in the production of high-performance braking systems for motorbikes, continues as the major stopping partner for the Superbike World Championship. 15 of the top competitors, out of the 19 bikes that will compete in the 13 world races, have chosen to rely on Brembo braking systems, this is a presence of 80%.
Brembo continues its progress in the Superbike World Championship, confirming a particular feeling between Brembo braking systems and one of the most important World motorbike Championship. As a supplier of the series’ top teams since the first edition, Brembo has equipped the winning bikes of 710 races, taking 31 Superbike World Rider Championships and 31 Manufacturers Superbike World Championships from 1988 to today.
For the 2019 season Brembo engineers expect the team to focus on the use of two types of steel brake discs: 338.5-mm diameter discs for the most severe circuits and 336-mm diameter discs for the remaining tracks. The adoption of a double diameter option combined with different thicknesses, four in all, will allow the teams and riders to have a wider choice of tune depending on the severity of the rounds.
Brembo expects that in particularly demanding circuits for the braking systems, such as Buriram (Thailand), Imola (Italy) and Donington (Great Britain), riders will tend to favour the thickest discs available. In the remaining circuits, it’s likely that the riders are oriented towards thinner discs, even if the assessment of the most suitable discs will be carried out with the long-run on Friday: after each session Brembo engineers, working on track in close contact with the teams, check pads wear and temperatures reached with the thermo-paints.
In addition to the discs, calipers, and pads, for which the research of increasingly performing friction materials knows no rest, Brembo supplies to the teams the master cylinders too. Brembo signals the increasing spread of the thumb master cylinder which allows the rider to activate the rear brake by pressing a special button on the left side of the handlebar, which help to manage the delivery of the engine torque at curve exit in acceleration. Currently, more than 60% of the Superbike World Championship riders use it, but the estimated percentage is destined to grow during the season.
Finally, Brembo Group will be part of the Superbike World Championship also with the Marchesini forged aluminium wheels: a solution used by 60% of the riders competing in the 2019 edition. Specialised in the manufacturing of sophisticated forged magnesium and aluminium wheels, this brand is one of the most prestigious of Brembo Group. The Marchesini wheels ensure weight savings to the motorcycles, favouring acceleration and handling in changing direction. This year riders will be choosing between two option in the Superbike Championship: 5-spoke Y wheels or 7-spoke light wheels.
Words and Photos: Brembo Motorsports Media Relations
