These solutions ensure consistent performance, high braking power, modulation, control, and the ability to withstand high temperatures, while also serving as a preview of the products that will equip the sportier motorcycles of tomorrow.
In 2024, twelve teams with a total of 18 riders used Brembo braking components. This loyalty is driven by the extremely high level of performance, reliability, and consistency ensured by Brembo, which is also evident in the most coveted street bikes by the general public.
Brembo adopts a tailored approach when designing braking systems for the Superbike World Championship, recognizing that each rider has unique needs based on their riding style. The company offers highly specialized components, ensuring peak performance, reliability, and consistency.
For instance, riders like Alvaro Bautista, who struggles with reaching the minimum brake temperature, rely on additional covers to raise the temperature to optimal levels. In contrast, Toprak Razgatlioglu benefits from air ducts to cool the system.
Brembo’s innovations, such as the monobloc caliper derived from MotoGP, help manage heat and improve braking performance across diverse tracks. Moreover, personal preferences lead to variations in brake components, like different master cylinders and rear brake levers, tailored to individual riders’ preferences for feel and control.
This flexibility allows each competitor to maximize their performance on the track.
The strength of the current braking system lies in the monoblock aluminum caliper, entirely machined from solid material with four 34mm diameter pistons, specifically designed for Superbike championship motorcycles. Compared to traditional calipers, the Brembo creation is distinguishable by the cooling fins on the outer body, which help with heat dissipation.
These cooling fins increase the piston surface area exposed to air by up to 30%. This is a significant advantage because it targets an area subject to considerable thermal stress. Thanks to the fins, the heat generated during each braking event is effectively dissipated.
Another characteristic feature is the amplification system, which generates a force that adds to the hydraulic pressure created by the brake fluid on the pistons. With the same force applied by the rider on the lever, the braking torque is multiplied.
The Brembo caliper is also notable for its anti-drag system, which, through a spring-loaded device, reduces the phenomenon of residual torque, preventing the brake pads from contacting the disc when there is no pressure in the system. In other words, the anti-drag system eliminates the unwanted force that would slow down the bike.
Power, responsiveness, and modulation: these are the key requirements for brake master cylinders, and Brembo’s radial brake master cylinder delivers all three, providing a unique and unparalleled braking feel. In addition to offering great braking power, the Brembo master cylinder provides linearity between the force applied to the lever and the braking response, which is essential for handling any race situation.
In recent years, the thumb master cylinder has become more widespread, allowing riders to operate the rear brake by pressing a specific lever on the left side of the handlebars, which helps manage throttle control when accelerating out of corners.
Some riders also use the push & pull master cylinder, which offers dual functionality: it can be operated with either the thumb or the index finger, depending on the rider's preference. When using the index, the master cylinder is mounted on the lever with a 180° rotation compared to the thumb operation, enhancing its modulation and grip on the lever during deceleration.
Since carbon is banned by regulations, riders can choose between steel discs in two different diameters: 336 mm (with thicknesses of 6.5 and 7.1 mm; there were also 5.5 and 6 mm versions, but they are no longer in production) and 338.5 mm, as well as several thickness options, including 6.2, 6.8, and 7.4 mm. Additionally, Brembo offers teams ventilated steel discs, ideal for improving heat exchange.
In the past, a ventilated 305 mm thickness 8 disc was used about twenty years ago, later moved to the AMA Championship where Ben Spies and Mat Mladin (Suzuki) won multiple titles. Currently, some riders use a ventilated 218 mm disc on the rear.
Regarding slotted discs, Brembo offers the 338.5 mm with thicknesses of 6.2, 6.8, and 7.4 mm, and is developing additional discs with different hole patterns to reduce temperature with thicknesses of 6.0, 6.5, and 7 mm, the latter already being used in both testing and races.
The ventilation channels within the disc increase airflow inside the ventilation chamber. Compared to solid discs, the cooling is enhanced, which has beneficial effects on braking performance and brake pad wear.
Since carbon discs are not allowed, Superbike motorcycles also do not use carbon brake pads, as their performance would be inadequate on steel discs. However, this does not mean that Brembo has not improved the performance of sintered material brake pads over the years.
Typically, riders use the Z04 pads, which are made with lubricants that ensure consistent braking without any grabbing, even under high disc temperatures. The friction coefficient exceeds 0.8 starting from 50°C and maintains this level up to 400°C. This ensures that braking efficiency remains the same from the start to the finish line, without experiencing fading effects.
More than half of the riders in the Superbike World Championship use Marchesini forged aluminum wheels, a brand that has been part of the Brembo Group for a quarter of a century. With forty years of expertise, Marchesini wheels ensure significant weight savings for the bike, promoting acceleration and agility in direction changes.
At the same time, they guarantee high rigidity and reliability, thanks to cutting-edge design methodologies and extensive bench and track testing. For the front, Superbike riders can choose between Y-shaped 5-spoke wheels or lightweight 7-spoke wheels, while for the rear…
Since 1988, the choice of champions
The 80s: protagonists from the first Superbike World Championship race
The Superbike World Championship was born in 1988, and Brembo brakes, chosen by most of the bikes on the grid, quickly took center stage.
The first round, held on April 3 at Donington Park, saw Davide Tardozzi winning with the Bimota in Race 1 and Marco Lucchinelli with the Ducati in Race 2. Both bikes used 5 mm thick cast iron discs and two-piece Brembo calipers secured with four bolts, featuring four pistons of varying diameters.
Honda’s Rumi team also used Brembo brakes, with Fred Merkel winning the championship titles in both 1988 and 1989, always in the last round.
To keep costs down, some riders at the time used organic brake pads, despite them being less performance-oriented than the sintered pads preferred by top teams. There was a significant gap with the 500 class, especially regarding calipers, as axial designs were still in use, while radial designs would debut later.
The 90s: a brief interlude of carbon discs
Recognizing the limitations of cast iron discs, Brembo first introduced steel discs and then carbon discs, similar to those used in the 500 class, despite the different weights of the bikes. The Ducati, starting with the 851 featuring 273 mm diameter discs and then the 888 with 290 mm diameter discs, predominantly utilized carbon.
Honda used different diameters of 308 mm: the red bikes from Borgo Panigale became the absolute reference in the category, winning title after title.
To counter the increased horsepower, Brembo introduced the 19x18 brake pump, which remained the Superbike standard for 21 years, while also increasing the size of the caliper pistons up to 36 mm.
The last season in which carbon was used was 1994. It was officially announced that starting the following year, only steel discs and sintered, organic, or carbo-metallic pads would be allowed, with the regulation stating that discs must be made of ferrous material, banning exotic materials. Carbon was utilized throughout 1994, with two types used alongside the already present axial monoblock calipers. Some teams used cast iron to keep costs down and to align the bikes more closely with production models.
At the end of 1994, a testing program with the new steel discs paired with various friction materials was scheduled at Mugello, continuing in Jerez the following year. This led to the definition of the 1995 setup, with the first season characterized by various modifications to refine the riders' styles, who were accustomed to carbon.
Ducati continued to lead, thanks to Carl Fogarty's talent, who won 4 titles, evenly split between the 916 and 996. Another championship went to Troy Corser, who was the first in SBK to benefit from the development of the radial-mounted monoblock caliper.
The 2000s: new Brembo solutions contribute to Ducati's dominance
In the early 2000s, Ducati remained the undisputed king among manufacturers, proving to be the best bike on the grid, despite frequently changing the main rider.
The 999 managed to win a remarkable 63 races in the championship, despite being a testing ground for innovative disc experiments: alongside solid discs of 320 mm diameter and 6 mm thickness, Brembo introduced ventilated discs of 290 mm diameter and 8 mm thickness, although these were soon discarded due to their tendency to deform.
The size of the four caliper pistons increased from 34 mm to 38 mm, and for the first time, Brembo introduced four pads per caliper, launching the Z03, which are still used today in endurance racing. Troy Bayliss, the most successful rider of the decade with three world titles, made skilled use of the entire package, although he later switched to Z04 sintered pads with a high coefficient of friction that ensured consistent performance throughout the race.
The 2010s: Brembo Evo calipers become the SBK standard
The 2010s saw Brembo brakes win all Rider and Manufacturer titles, despite the alternation of bikes on the throne: Aprilia won three championships, including a couple with Max Biaggi, already a world champion in 250 with the Noale brand and Brembo, while one went to Ducati.
The remaining titles were claimed by Kawasaki, whose Jonathan Rea rewrote the record books, becoming world champion for five consecutive years (six including 2020), also aided by the index pump that he used to control the rear brake, which had previously been underutilized.
Testing on steel improved thermal resistance at high temperatures: some riders preferred 328 mm discs, while others chose 336 mm, with thicknesses varying from 5.5 mm to 7.1 mm.
Brembo introduced the Evo caliper, the most advanced solution since the monoblock caliper, allowing the use of pads with a 25% larger surface area compared to standard calipers. A few years later, the Evo2 was introduced, even more technological, equipped with a quick release and bleed screw.
The 2020s: fins and anti-drag solutions solidify Brembo’s leadership
The 2020s began with the last title for Rea and Kawasaki, succeeded by Toprak Razgatlioglu with Yamaha. This marked a historic transition, just like the aluminum monoblock caliper introduced by Brembo in 2021: it features fins on the outer body that improve cooling and is also amplified, generating additional force that combines with the hydraulic pressure of the brake fluid on the pistons. Equally important is the innovative anti-drag system that reduces residual torque.
In 2022, after 11 years of waiting, Ducati reclaimed the title, thanks to the V4 R and Alvaro Bautista, who in 2023 achieved a repeat victory, winning an incredible 27 races, including 11 consecutively, and setting a new category points record.
His chance for a third title was denied by the talented Toprak Razgatlioglu, the 2024 champion despite being sidelined due to injury: upon joining BMW, the Turkish rider increased the thickness of the discs from 6.8 mm to 7.4 mm, deeming them more suited to his riding style.