Aragón: MotoGP brakes longer than Superbike

9/13/2022

Critical braking moments at MotorLand Aragón for the Brembo braking system which with its Upgrade Racing options is useful for anyone who uses their bike on the track

Already a venue for the opening round of the World Superbike Championship, MotorLand Aragón will host the last MotoGP event in Europe before moving to another continent and returning to Europe for the final round. According to the Brembo technicians who work closely with all the MotoGP World Championship riders, the Spanish Circuit is a moderately demanding circuit on brakes.

On a scale of 1 to 6, it is rated 4 on the difficulty index with only the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya being more difficult of the Spanish tracks and rated 5. The MotoGPs take two seconds less per lap than the Superbikes due to the higher top speeds. For both bikes, the first part of the track, which is full of bends, makes it hard for the discs - steel for the Superbikes and carbon for the MotoGP bikes - to cool down.

Brembo components for MotoE too

The 4th season of the FIM MotoE World Cup, with 18 Ego Corsas built by the Energica Motor Company in the line-up, came to a close two weeks ago in Misano. All these bikes have a Brembo brake system which includes 336 mm (131/4") diameter, 7.1 mm (0.28") thick T-Drive steel discs.

The monobloc front calipers machined from billet with 4 different diameter pistons in titanium, Z04 pads and the radial master cylinder machined from billet with a 19 mm diameter and 18 mm wheelbase (0.75 and 0.71") are also Brembo made. All these components link MotoE more to the World Superbike Championship than MotoGP.

Brembo Upgrade Racing for anyone who goes on the race track 

Anyone who is involved in Superbike racing knows that before seeking more power and torque, the braking system must provide maximum braking efficiency. The reason is obvious: even the best performing systems have significant margins of improvement thanks to the products in the Brembo Upgrade Racing range.

When on the track, the heavier weight is an obstacle because it increases lap times. For this reason, an increasing number of enthusiasts prefer discs with a low braking band such as the PISTABASSA brake disc, a disc with a reduced height braking band which is therefore lighter than one with a conventional band.

Discover the different brake components for those who use their motorbike on the race track.

5 more than the Superbikes 

Compared with Superbikes where the riders use their brakes on 10 of the corners on the MotorLand Aragón circuit, the MotoGP riders use them on 11 occasions: corner 4 is the one that makes the difference and the prototypes come onto it at a higher speed and are forced to brake to reduce their speed by 37 km/h (22.9 mph). The MotoGPs also use their brakes for 35 seconds per lap, 5 more than the Superbikes.

The gap between the load on the brake lever is even wider: 42.5 kg (93.7 lb) per lap for the MotoGPs and 35 kg (77.2 lb) for the Superbikes. The 6.1 kg (13.4 lb) on the first corner are decisive as well as the 222 meters (728.4 feet) of braking distance. The 4.8 seconds needed to brake on corner 12 where the MotoGPs cover a distance of 213 meters (698.8 feet) are also significant.

Featuring the number 2

Of the 11 braking sections at MotorLand Aragón, 2 are classified as demanding on the brakes, 7 are of medium difficulty and the other 2 are light on the braking system.

The most complex braking episode is on the last corner: the MotoGPs reduce their speed by 191 km/h (118.7 mph) going from 336 km/h (208.8 mph) to 145 km/h (90.1 mph) in 4.7 seconds while covering a distance of 273 meters (895.7 feet). The riders are subjected to 1.5 G of deceleration whereas the brake fluid pressure reaches 12.3 bar due to a load on the brake lever of 5.7 kg (12.6 lb).

And what about the video games?

When taking on the last corner on the MotorLand Aragón track in the MotoGP video game, don’t overaccelerate because you risk going straight on even if the escape lane is tarmacked. Start braking as soon as you reach the yellow and red curb on the side of the track and then move down into 3rd gear. Many riders lean into the inside curb and then widen up to take on the second part of the corner.