Custom

People who choose a custom motorcycle don’t like to leave anything to chance, and that includes clothing and helmet. The same attention to detail characterizes the replacement parts they choose for their motorcycle: they’re no impulse purchases, but the result of analyzing the available alternatives on the market, often asking for advice from people who share their custom culture.

The importance they attach to style – unique and refined if possible – mustn’t distract from the fact that these are brake components, however. That means that performance and reliability can’t be undervalued. Fortunately, the products in Brembo’s Custom UPGRADE line are second to none on that score.

BRAKE MASTER CYLINDERS:

TO MEET EVERY TASTE

There can be plenty of surprises in store when you ride in the city, amid tracks, manholes and scooters, as well as out of town. Without the advantage of the pickup you get on supersport models, on custom motorcycles you’re left with only the brakes to get out of a jam. That makes having a really high-quality brake master cylinder essential.

The RCS master cylinder stands out from the crowd through the use of the Brembo-patented RCS system for adjusting the lever offset, which helps achieve the perfect feel of the rider for their motorcycle. It guarantees maximum power and perfectly modulated braking in all conditions.

It takes just a few seconds using a normal screwdriver to turn the dedicated adjuster for a more aggressive and responsive braking system, using the 20 mm (13/16") option, or softer and more modulated instead, using 18 mm (11/16").

It means that changes in the asphalt and the weather will no longer be a problem when it comes to braking. And moreover, the RCS brake master cylinder features a clamp with a special shape so that it can also be adapted to custom handlebars with a one-inch diameter.

THE ALTERNATIVES

If instead you’re longing for more decisive improvement, you can turn to the outstanding RCS Corsa Corta, which also lets you choose the free play by using a selector to adjust the bite point.

Another great alternative for custom motorcycles is the MCS (Multiple Click System) with variable distance, with the best choice for rear brake master cylinders being the aluminum SRM with built-in reservoir.

CALIPERS:

WHAT A LOOK, AND WHAT COMFORT

Some people have a motorcycle with lines, details and chrome plating to be envied, but generic brake calipers that mean they might not get the appreciation they hope for. It’s a more common problem than you might think, but if once a lack of alternatives meant that nothing could be done – that was then, this is now.

Brembo UPGRADE calipers heighten the character of the custom motorcycles where they’re fitted through their refined design, in terms of both form and surface detail. But they don’t stop there, because they also aim to ensure the utmost comfort and best braking performance available.

Aimed at the world of custom and of café racers, the 484 café racer owes its name to the unit displacement of a single caliper piston (there are 4 × 32 mm [11/4"] pistons per caliper) in cubic inches, the system used in the world of custom to indicate the capacity of U.S. two-cylinder V engines.

The 484 café racer caliper is made of racing aluminum, machined from billet using CNC equipment. The two halves are combined using three steel screws located within the wheel side. The oxidized finish on the caliper body is anthracite black.

The radial-mounted 484 café racer, which is interchangeable with most production calipers, is also joined by the axial 484 logonero and 484 logopuro calipers with anodized anthracite black body finish. These models are distinguished only by the color of their Brembo logo.

THE ALTERNATIVES

Those who are looking for another particularly lightweight radial caliper can turn their attention to Stylema: in addition to having a 9% lighter caliper body compared to the previous street-legal models with the same rigidity, it boasts an 11% higher average friction coefficient and decrease in brake fluid temperature of up to 10%.

Enhanced performance and safety are also guaranteed by the other UPGRADE 4-piston monobloc front calipers, in aluminum: the M-50 with 30 mm (11/8") pistons still heading up the category today in terms of weight and rigidity, like the M-4, weighing a little more for 34 mm (13/8") pistons. The concept for the GP4-RB and GP4-RX is instead different, made up of two parts obtained from a single billet of aluminum.

Those who choose to stick with axial calipers, on the other hand, can cater to their tastes with the P4-40R and P4-40C calipers, all sold with sintered pads but distinguished by their finishes: black for one, and gold for the other.

The GP2-CR (a great match for the 484 café racer) and GP2-SS are instead available at the rear. They both have two parts obtained from billet and 2 × 34 mm (13/8") pistons, like the P2-RS84 and la P2-CR84. All four offer a good combination of light weight and rigidity.

DISCS:

RESISTANCE TO STRESS AND LIGHT WEIGHT

Even before the brake calipers, the most eye-catching component is the rear brake disc: one with the kind of small braking band typical of racing models may mean the motorcycle’s overall design goes to waste and the shine comes off its brilliance.

Apart from the visual appeal, a disc also needs structural characteristics that don’t compromise the joy of riding. You need reliability, performance every time you brake, high thermal resistance and minimal noise and vibration.

Compare to fixed discs, floating ones are lighter thanks to a housing made of a different material and are less subject to thermal-mechanical stress because they don’t obstruct radial or axial floating, even in extreme conditions.

The black 11" disc with 292 mm (111/2") diameter and 5 mm (1/4") thickness belongs to this family. The particularly large stainless steel braking band is connected to the black anodized CNC-machined aluminum alloy housing through ten tough anodized aluminum fastener studs.

70 holes guarantee greater grip and faster, more effective braking system response. The friction coefficient is higher than on standard discs, both in normal conditions and in the rain, because the holes interrupt the layer of water that can accumulate on the surface.

THE ALTERNATIVE

An equally valid solution in terms of both aesthetics and technical content content is the groove disc with CNC brake housing with anthracite black finish enhanced through the contrasting grooves machined after the oxidation process. Some will love it and some won’t go for it, but it will definitely have an impact.

WHEELS:

RIGIDITY COMES WITH AGILITY

One of the most important presences in the Brembo group is the Marchesini brand, a leader in the research, design and development of wheels for motorcycles both for top world championships and road use.

Working together with Brembo on technological innovation, research into materials and manufacturing processes has resulted in iconic products which are sought after by thousands of enthusiasts because of their unique characteristics.

Every motorcyclist knows the importance of lightness and the value of rigidity. Marchesini is a master in both disciplines, but also in design, as demonstrated by the M10RC Kompe: the ten aluminum wheels are made using a multidirectional forging process and are available in a painted and anodized version.

Spokes of varying thicknesses and tapered ribbing make for high rigidity without increasing the overall weight of the wheel. The weight saving is appreciated because, since this is unsprung weight, the wheels have an impact on the overall agility of the vehicle, and therefore acceleration and entering bends.

The ten spokes and chosen colors are a perfect match for the style of nearly all custom motorcycles on the market. All this is done without having to sacrifice anything in terms of safety, guaranteed by the strict controls and numerous tests carried out on each wheel.

The assurance of an Original product

Brembo Check: a new Brembo App that certifies that UPGRADE products are original.

The counterfeiting of Brembo brake systems, as with many products made by the most iconic brands, is unfortunately something that is becoming more and more widespread. In this case, it is something that is potentially much more dangerous because it regards the performance of active safety systems which are vital to the safety of drivers, passengers and other road users.

Brembo has always guaranteed the safety and reliability of its own parts and has developed an app called Brembo Check which can be used simply and quickly to certify that its products are genuine ones.

With Brembo Check installed on your mobile device, all you have to do when you buy an UPGRADE product is use your smartphone to scan the unique QR Code on the label which can easily be seen on the purchased component or on the box, as in the OES range, to know if the Brembo product is original or not.

To prevent tampering, the label is made using a printing and application procedure which prevents it from being removed; if you try to remove it, you damage the QR Code making it unusable. In this way, the label cannot be detached and cannot be affixed to any other products other than the original one.

Click here for more information!

CONFIGURE

CLICK, CONFIGURE, SELECT!

Find out which Brembo brake pads are available for your bike and where you can purchase them.

Custom

CONFIGURE

DISTRIBUTORs