MotoGP riders on the brakes for one third of the French GP

5/11/2021

A guide to Brembo pads for MotoGP and street bikes and for use in Le Mans

According to the Brembo engineers who work in close contact with all the riders in the MotoGP World Championship, the Le Mans Circuit falls into the category of circuits with a medium difficulty level for brakes. On a scale of 1 to 5, it was rated 3, the same as 8 other tracks.

Although it has a straight before the finish line that is only 674 meters (737 yards) long, there are other ones which ensure cooling of the carbon discs. In order to prevent the risk of not reaching ideal temperature, riders may use brake discs with a low braking band, but still in carbon, also preferred in the event of rain.

Brembo brake pads for MotoGP up to 800°C (1,472°F)

The friction material used for the Brembo MotoGP brake pads is carbon. The outstanding friction coefficient and constant performance when hot together guarantee powerful, even and stable braking without any fading (the "lengthening" of the lever or pedal).

Compared to the brakes on a street-legal sport bike, the weight, duration and even the maximum temperature are different. The Brembo brake pads for a MotoGP bike weigh just 50 grams (1.8 ounces) - less than half the weight of the street bike version - whereas the duration is no higher than 900 km (560 miles) and the maximum temperature that can be reached is 800°C (1,472°F).

All the pads for street-legal bikes

For those who only use their bikes on the road, Brembo has 4 versions available: the organic CC for softer and more modulated braking, the sintered SP (specifically for the rear wheel), SA and LA. The highest performance of these is the SA, with friction coefficient that increases as the pad heats up.

Unlike the LA and SA pads, the versions for track use are not suitable for street use because they are only moderately effective at low temperatures. The highest performance of the lot is the organic RC pad, in carbon tech, available for all supersport bikes and the most aggressive sport naked bikes. One of its characteristics is its consistent performance, especially at high disc temperatures.

To remove all doubts about the right pads for your bike, have a look at our special.

One third of the race on the brakes 

For each lap on the Le Mans circuit, the riders use the brakes 9 times for a total of 31 seconds, which is no small thing when you consider that this is the third shortest track on the 2021 calendar. The braking system is in operation for 34 percent of the race, a percentage that is also reached in Jerez, Valencia and Misano Adriatico.

On 8 of the 9 braking sections, the riders are subjected to deceleration of at least 1 G. On 5 of them, the value is no less than 1.2 Gs. There are 3 corners, on the other hand, where the braking system exceeds 10 bars (145 psi). Last, but not least, the total load on the brake lever that each rider applies from start to finish is extremely high: 975 kg (2,149.5 lbs).

Deceleration of 1.5 G at almost 300 km/h (186 mph)

Of the 9 braking sections at the Le Mans circuit, 2 are classified as demanding on the brakes, 5 are of medium difficulty and the remaining 2 are relatively light.

The most difficult braking section for the MotoGP bikes is on turn nine. The bikes go from 295 km/h (183 mph) to 108 km/h (67 mph), thanks to 4.5 seconds of braking, while the brake fluid pressure reaches 13.6 bar (195.8 psi). The riders apply a load of 6.4 kg (14.1 lbs) on the brake lever, undergo deceleration of 1.5 Gs and travel 239 meters (261.4 yards) in the meantime.