Round 5 of the World Superbike Championship at Aragón according to Brembo

9/1/2020

A guide to the Brembo braking systems on production derived machines and their use for the second visit to MotorLand Aragón

After the spectacular show provided by the three races last weekend, MotorLand Aragón is now hosting the 5th round of the World Superbike Championship. It's an enticing opportunity for many teams to improve not only their lap performance but also their consistency over the entire race.

According to Brembo technicians, who work closely with 17 World Superbike riders, MotorLand Aragón is a very demanding circuit for brakes. On a difficulty index scale of 1 to 5, it earned a 4 - equaled only by the Jerez track.

The advantages of Marchesini wheels

50% of Superbike riders use the forged magnesium wheels supplied by Marchesini - a Brembo Group company since 2000: there's a 5-spoke Y version and 7-spoke lightweight version for the front, with 7-spoke lightweight for the rear. They're all created by means of 3D closed-mold multiforging and thermal treatment.

The main characteristics are maximum rigidity and minimum inertia. The weight saving ensured by Marchesini wheels (which, together with the tires, are the most significant unsprung rotating weight) boosts the acceleration of the bike and its handling during changes of direction, and enhances the brake response.

Brake use during Round 5 of the World Superbike Championship

In each of the two main races (not the Superpole Race), every rider uses his brakes for 9 and a quarter minutes from the start to the checkered flag. That means 31 seconds per lap, compared with the 33.2 seconds at Jerez (a track that's actually shorter by a good 600 meters that is 0.37 miles).

In three throttle-off moments on the Aragon circuit, the bike braking distance is over 200 meters (reaching 230 meters, or 755 feet, in some points), whereas it's less than 90 meters (295 feet) on another five sections. As they reach higher speeds however, the MotoGP bikes also need a longer braking distance: more than 240 meters (787 feet) in two cases, with one of these getting up to 286 meters (938 feet).

The longest braking section of the Aragón Round 

Of the 11 braking sections at MotorLand Aragón , 2 are classified as very demanding on the brakes whereas 5 are of medium difficulty and the other 4 are light.

The one where the braking system works for the longest time is on the first bend: the Superbikes come into it at 269 km/h (167 mph) and then brake for 4.6 seconds over 212 meters (696 feet) to lose 184 km/h (114 mph) and take the bend at 85 km/h (53 mph). The load on the lever is 4.8 kg (10.6 lbs), with a pressure on the brake of 10.3 g.

of 10.3 g.