On unfamiliar ground in Argentina: a track for the tough (brakes included)

10/12/2021

Braking at the Circuito San Juan Villicum and the benefits of Marchesini wheels for track and road motorcycles.

For the first time this year, the World Superbike Championship ventures beyond Europe, touching down in Argentina, already the venue for two rounds in 2018 and 2019. According to Brembo technicians, who work closely with 17 World Superbike riders, the Circuito San Juan Villicum is a highly demanding circuit for brakes. On a difficulty index scale of 1 to 5, it gets a 4 – only the Barcelona and Donington tracks get a higher rating.

The starting straight is only 546 meters (597 yards) long but turns seven and eight are separated by a 1 km (0.6 miles) straight. This allows the Superbikes to reach speeds of more than 310 km/h (193 mph); in 2019, Ducati hit 313 km/h (194 mph). Next comes a long series of turns, forcing the riders to brake frequently and making cooling problematic – with obvious risks.

Marchesini, what else?

Marchesini has been part of the Brembo Group since March 2000 and shares the same production plant. Once again in the 2021 season, Marchesini forged magnesium wheels will be used by 70% of the bikes competing in the World Superbike Championship with 5-spoke and 7-spoke lightweight Y design wheels at the front and 7-spoke lightweight wheels at the rear.

These wheels are crafted by 3D closed-die multiforging and heat treatment and provide maximum rigidity and minimum inertia. The weight saving provided by Marchesini wheels (which, together with the tires, are the most significant non-suspended rotating mass) boosts the motorcycle's acceleration and handling during direction changes and enhances brake response.

Lightness and less inertia for road motorcycles, too

Marchesini not only gives professional riders an exhilarating experience but develops solutions that ensure high performance for road motorcycle users, too. With their unique style, they are made using cutting-edge design, structural analysis, and testing methods.

The M10RS Corse 17 inch multi-forged magnesium wheels have ten Y-design spokes and come in three different colors: glossy black, matte black and gold. They reduce weight by 25 to 40% and reduce inertia by approximately 30% compared with the original wheels.

Have fun with the Marchesini wheel configurator.

900 kg (1,984 lbs) in 45 °C (113 °F) heat 

At the Circuito San Juan Villicum, the Superbike riders use brakes in 9 of the track’s 17 turns. That’s a total of 29.7 seconds a lap: the equivalent to 30 percent of the race duration. However, in four of the nine braking sections the brakes are used for fewer than three seconds, aided by deceleration at those points of no more than 75 km/h (47 mph).

In the 21 laps that make up the traditional two races, the brakes are used for just under 10 and a half minutes. This, combined with the high temperatures that the asphalt reaches – 45 °C (113 °C) in 2019’s Race1 – has the potential to cause a dangerously high increase in the temperature of the steel discs. From the starting line to the checkered flag, each rider exerts a total load of 900 kg (1,984 lbs) on the brake lever – a considerable effort.

A short straight but almost five seconds of braking 

Of the nine braking sections at the Circuito San Juan Villicum, three are considered highly demanding on the brakes and six are of medium difficulty.

Hardest of all is the first turn. Here, the riders lose most speed and exert the greatest load on the brake lever for the longest time: going from 261 km/h to 74 km/h (162 mph to 46 mph) means using the brakes for 4.9 seconds with a load of 5.2 kg (11 lbs). In that time, the deceleration is 1.3 G and the motorcycles travel 223 meters (244 yards).