Why MotoGP bikes brakes longer than Superbikes at Aragón

9/7/2021

The importance of Brembo carbon fiber brake discs for prototypes and top-of-range road motorcycles.

After five races in Europe, MotoGP returns to Spain for its regular September fixture with the Aragón GP. According to Brembo technicians who work closely with all the MotoGP World Championship riders, the MotorLand Aragón is one of the most highly demanding circuits for brakes.

On a scale of 1 to 5, it is rated 4 on the difficulty index, the same as Jerez. The track is the same as the one used for the Superbikes which, however, are 2.3 seconds slower since they are less powerful as shown by a top speed which is much lower and the use of steel brake discs instead of the carbon fiber used in MotoGP.

Ten: the perfect number of Brembo discs for MotoGP

Brembo has a wide range of brake discs that are available to the teams. Each MotoGP rider can choose from five different disc geometries and two material specifications are available for each one - High Mass (with high band) and Standard Mass (with a low band) - for a total of ten solutions.

Furthermore, for each disc format, two different carbon compounds are available, distinguished by their initial bite and their resistance to high temperatures.

Different material but the same care and attention for street bikes

Street bikes and bikes used on track days clearly do not have carbon fiber discs. However, this does not mean that the experience in MotoGP has not had a positive effect on factory production. A good demonstration of this is the T-Drive disc with its steel braking band and billet aluminum housing.

The T-Drive system gets its name from the eight T-shaped pins on the disc which, along with the same number of outlines on the housing, eliminate the need for fastener studs. This results in both axial and radial floating, increasing resistance to the thermal-mechanical stress and the braking torque transmitted.

Discover the different varieties of sport discs for the most popular bikes.

3 seconds more than Superbikes

At MotorLand Aragón the MotoGP riders use their brakes on 11 turns, one more than Superbikes: the most advanced prototypes in the world use them on turn 4 too. On every lap, the MotoGP brake systems are in use for 33 seconds, 3.5 seconds more than the superbikes.

The series of braking events over the first intermediate timing point (i.e. turns 5, 7 and 8), where braking system pressure exceeds 8.5 bar, can make things difficult for the brakes. The total load exerted on the brake lever in one lap is also higher for the MotoGP motorcycles at 43.3 kg (95.5 lbs) compared with 40.3 kg (88.8 lbs) for the Superbikes.

After one thousand meters, speed drops by 200 km/h 

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

Unlike the Superbikes, the most demanding braking for MotoGP bikes is on turn 16: after a 968 meter (1058 yard) straight section, the MotoGP bikes go from 339 km/h (210 mph) to 138 km/h (85 mph) in just 4.5 seconds. To do this, the riders apply a load of 6.4 kg (14.1 lb) to the brake lever and are subjected to 1.5 G deceleration while the brake fluid pressure soars to 13.8 bar.