These values are made possible by the incredibly light weight of the Brembo brake components and the Marchesini wheel rims: A set of 17’’ magnesium forged rims weighs just 6 kg (13.23 lbs), whereas a pair of 4-piston monobloc calipers for a MotoGP motorcycle is no heavier than 1.5 kg (3.31 lbs), since they are made from a block of aluminum-lithium.
In a stoppie, the front wheel remains solidly on the ground while the rear wheel catapults skyward. Doing one does not require high speed which, to the contrary, is counterproductive for good acrobatics. Any stuntman will tell you that you can do one even at just 40-60 km/h (25-35 mph).
The first to do it frequently in the last two-year period was Toprak Razgatlioglu, initially with the team Puccetti Kawasaki and then with the Factory Yamaha. His control of the motorcycle is unquestionably exceptional, as demonstrated by the numerous stoppies he does where he manages to turn the motorcycle 90 degrees on the front wheel.
His usual plan of action includes entering pit lane at 80 km/h (50 mph) in second gear. Then he applies 12-14 bar (174-203 psi) of pressure on the front brake. When the rear wheel lifts, Razgatlioglu reduces the pressure to 2-3 bar (29-43 psi), maintaining his balance. Then he downshifts to first and uses the rear brake to return to the ground.
The challenge was accepted by Jack Miller with his team Pramac Ducati Desmosedici in the February 2020 Sepang tests and subsequently in the January tests in Jerez by Stefan Bradl with his Honda R213V. They were joined by Lucas Mahias with the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR. All of them have one thing in common: A braking system with discs, caliper, pads and master cylinder by Brembo.
This is yet another confirmation of the confidence all the best riders in the world have in the performance and reliability of Brembo brake components, not by chance used by all the MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3 and MotoE riders and by most of those who race in the World Superbike Championship.
Clearly, to do a stoppie, you have to be decisive on the front brake and ignore the rear. The body position is also rather important, starting with your elbows, which shouldn’t be locked, whereas the knees should be squeezed together almost as if you wanted to hug the fuel tank.
As the tenths of a second pass, pressure on the front brake should be progressively reduced to avoid flipping over. In these phases, the rear wheel is off the ground and the rear brake should be used only when it begins its descent.
Using the rear brake in the initial phases of the stoppie would instead block rotation of the rear wheel, impacting the overall motorcycle-rider balance. It would also be a mistake to lean the torso forward in an unnatural position, because it would throw off the overall rider-motorcycle center of gravity.
