PRISON BRAKE: 8 PEOPLE END UP IN JAIL FOR SELLING FAKE BREMBO COVERS

5/29/2018

 8 great reasons not to use plastic brake covers

​​​​​​​​There are those who end up in prison for murder, others for armed robbery and still others for commercializing counterfeit products. This is a true story about eight Japanese citizens who were arrested for having sold fake Brembo covers originating in China.

 

For those of you who aren't familiar with the term 'cover', it refers to the plastic covers (or on rare occasions aluminum) that are placed over the brake caliper with the intention of improving (?) the overall aesthetics.

 

When these are used, the brake caliper is no longer visible from the outside. The Aichi prefectural police in the Chubu region of Japan have arrested eight people for selling 87 plastic covers originating from China but marked with the Brembo logo.

 

The number 8 is a symbol of prosperity and wealth in China, but this time the desired effect did not come about. Since all of us at Brembo are generous, we want to cheer you up with 8 points that take an in-depth look at the entire incident. We hope you'll be luckier than the 8 crooks who were arrested. ​​

 

​POINT 1: BREMBO DOES NOT PRODUCE COVERS​

 

The most incredible part of this Japanese news item is what actually received the least amount of attention. Brembo has nothing to do with brake covers for the simple fact that it does not produce, and never has produced, covers for brake calipers.

 

Brembo is a world leader in the design, development and production of braking systems. The Brand guarantees the highest levels of safety and comfort as well as improved product performance thanks to process integration and optimization of the entire production cycle – from the design phase to casting the iron or aluminum, and assembly via testing and simulations on bench tests, tracks and roads.

 

The Group has more than 9,800 employees, 10% of which are engineers and product specialists who work in research and development. As you can easily see, the level of technology and research that Brembo applies daily to its braking systems has absolutely nothing to do with trivial pieces of plastic like covers. ​

 
 

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Brembo in brief​​​​

​Brembo is a world leader in the design, development and production of braking systems and components for cars, motorbikes, industrial vehicles and machinery, for the OE market, after-market and racing. The Group has recently branched out into the design and production of safety systems. ​

 
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POINT 2: ALL BREMBO COVERS ARE FAKES​​

 

Our second point is an appendix to the first. Since Brembo does not make covers, all the covers on the market that carry the Brembo logo are fakes. It doesn't matter if you buy them from a hawker or on Amazon or eBay, or even on an on-line store: Any plastic cover with the Brembo logo is counterfeit. Falsification is one of the plagues of the third millennium. Worldwide it costs almost a trillion euros and causes the loss of over 800,000 jobs. Forgers usually take inspiration from highly successful products, copying them down to the smallest details. We're aware that our products are attractive enough to warrant being copied, so a few years ago we developed an anti-forgery card for the components in the High Performance and Racing lines. As for the Brembo covers, these imitations are not linked in the least with the product they are attempting to copy because, as we've already explained, original Brembo covers do not exist. What it boils down to is the counterfeiters know how prestigious the Brembo brand is, but instead of copying one of our calipers (a nearly impossible task), they have settled for producing a substitute: the phony cover. ​

 
 

The Brembo inscription does not guarantee that the product is official: here are all of the tips to figure out when you've got a fake on your hands.​​​​​​​

           
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POINT 3: BREMBO COVERS ARE ILLEGAL ​

 

Putting products on the market that use brands owned by other companies is a violation of exclusive use rights by owners, in this case Brembo.

 

Brands are trademarks used by a company to distinguish its products from those of competitors. Using another company's brand is therefore fraud that damages both the owner of the brand and the purchaser. ​

 

POINT 4: THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES FOR BREMBO COVERS​

 

When you purchase a Brembo product, you are certain to have bought a component that was designed and manufactured to meet the highest level of quality and to be free of material and processing defects. From design to casting, from mechanical processing to tests on test benches and on the road, we pay attention to every minimal detail in order to satisfy the highest qualitative requirements worldwide.

 

Since fake Brembo covers are not developed in our research centers nor made in our production plants, there are zero guarantees. ​

 
 

​​​

The importance of choosing Brembo​​​​​

​Low quality is a fickle saving. Brembo closely analysed the quality of the brake discs and br​​ake pads currently on sale in the market. The results clearly showed that even new components can present faults, and can therefore be dangerous. ​

 
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POINT 5: BREMBO COVERS DO NOT IMPROVE BRAKING, ON THE CONTRARY...​

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MotoGP bikes use covers to prevent excessive cooling of the carbon discs when the air temperature is low or in heavy rain. It is a different story for street cars since brake caliper covers do not offer any performance benefits, which is fairly obvious.

 

So, apart from covering the visible part of the caliper, the covers do not influence braking power in any way, whether looking at it from a comfort standpoint or from a performance standpoint with repetitive use. On the contrary, some fake covers put on the market illegally have proven to limit the dissipation of heat simply because they are made out of plastic. Therefore, they go so far as to be counterproductive. ​

 

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Brembo behind the first MotoGP triumph with carbon discs in the rain ​​ ​​​

​They said it was impossible, but that didn't stop Brembo​​

 
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POINT 6: EXPERT EYES ARE AMUSED BY COVERS​

 

You have to admit that when first seen, especially from a distance, caliper covers immediately catch your eye. It could be because they are large and come in flashy colors. In any case, compared to your commonplace cast iron caliper, the covers give the car a decidedly bolder look. Which is why many people prefer covers to painting the caliper, something we discourage for a whole series of reasons we've listed here.

 

Precisely because they are meant to include the external part of the calipers, the covers appear cheap to the expert eye. Those who are in the know notice right away that the covers don't come in either the shape or the size of brake calipers on the market. They are too round and are lacking the corners and typical ribbing of a real caliper. Instead, the plastic element is highlighted and they can't even be considered for certain types of rims. ​

 
 

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5 reasons not to use repainted brake calipers​​​​​​​

​Painting brake calipers without complying with Brembo's strict industrial procedures may produce a dangerous, unreliable and even aesthetically inferior product. ​​​

 
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POINT 7: BREMBO COVERS FEED INTO CRIMINALITY​

 

Many think that purchasing counterfeit goods is just a minor slip, but they ignore the fact that forgery is a societal plague that feeds into organized crime by introducing illegal goods on the market that damage the economy of a country. Counterfeit goods lead to a loss in fiscal revenue for the country in terms of both direct and indirect taxes, which are necessary to build roads, hospitals and schools.

 

Profit gained by criminal organizations through forgery are in turn destined to feed other illegal activity, thus risking to cause damage to any company that respects the law. It is an outright form of unfair competition that reduces turnover for companies that operate legally, obviously influencing the number of these as well. ​​

 

POINT 8: THE COVERS COST LITTLE LESS THAN A PAIR OF BREMBO FORGED DISCS​

 

The people who mount brake covers on their cars ignore the fact that they not only don't improve the dynamic efficiency of the vehicle, but they could also damage it.

 

So, why wouldn't they put this sum of money towards improving both the aesthetics and the performance of the braking system? By adding just a handful of euros, they could buy a pair of Brembo Xtra discs. The holes on the brake ring make cars look even bolder, while carrying out several practical functions.

 

First of all, they produce a scraping effect that cleans the surface of the pad. They also increase brake system cooling and prevent water film from forming in rain. All of this generates a higher level of grip and an immediate response in any driving condition. ​

 
 

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Brembo Xtra brake discs​​

The new range of Brembo Xtra brake discs is characterised by special drillings which combines the appealing aesthetic effect with brilliant performance and effective braking in all conditions.  ​

 
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CONCLUSION

 

The authorities did not release the particulars of the 8 people who were arrested. But the number made us smile because it reminds us of 8 prisoners who escape from jail all together. For those of you who don't get it yet, we're talking about the TV series Prison Break, although it might be more appropriate in this case to call it “Prison Brake”.​​ ​​
 
 
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