Superbikes | Brembo celebrates its 33rd year in WorldSuperbike

Brembo, world leader in the production of braking systems for high-performance series motorcycles, will participate for the 33rd consecutive year in the Superbike World Championship as a privileged supplier of the main competing teams. Of the 22 bikes that will compete in the 13 world championship rounds, 17 have chosen to rely on Brembo braking systems and 12 on Marchesini rims.
Brembo thus continues its progress in the Superbike World Championship, confirming a particular feeling between Brembo braking systems and the most famous series derivative championship in the world. A protagonist in the Superbike World Championship since the first edition in 1988, Brembo has equipped the winning bikes of over 700 races, triumphing in 32 Riders' World Championships and 32 Manufacturers' World Championships to date.
For the 2020 season, Brembo technicians expect the teams to focus on the use of steel discs with two different diameters: 338,5 mm for the most severe circuits and 336 mm for the remaining ones. The adoption of a double diameter option combined with different thicknesses, four in total, will allow teams and drivers to have a wider choice to be able to optimize the temperatures of the braking system and with them the performance, depending on the severity of rounds.
Brembo predicts that on circuits that are particularly stressful for the braking system, such as Barcelona (Spain), Imola (Italy) and Donington (Great Britain), drivers will tend to favor discs of the maximum thickness available. In the remaining ones, however, it is likely that the riders will move towards discs with smaller thicknesses, even if the evaluation of the most suitable configuration will be carried out with the long-runs on Friday: after each session the Brembo technicians, who work closely on the track contact with the teams, they monitor the temperatures reached by the discs, pads and calipers through the use of thermo-vitalizing paints or contact sensors.
In addition to the discs, calipers and pads, for which the search for increasingly high-performance friction materials continues unabated, Brembo also supplies the teams with brake master cylinders. In this regard, Brembo highlights the growing diffusion of the thumb master cylinder which allows the rear brake to be activated by pressing a specific lever on the left side of the handlebar, helping the rider to manage the delivery of engine torque when exiting corners during acceleration. Currently, over 50% of the riders in the Superbike World Championship use it. An absolute novelty for the 2020 championship will be the introduction of the push & pull pump, with a double operation: it can be operated with both the thumb and the index finger, depending on the driver's preference. The use of this pump with the index finger requires that it be mounted on the lever with a rotation of 180° compared to thumb use: this increases its modulation and grip on the lever during deceleration.
Finally, the Brembo Group will also be present in the Superbike World Championship with Marchesini forged aluminum rims, a solution adopted by 50% of the riders registered for the 2020 edition. Specialized in the production of sophisticated magnesium and forged aluminum rims, this brand is one of the most prestigious of the Brembo Group. Marchesini rims ensure the bikes save weight, aiding acceleration and handling when changing direction. This year the riders will have a double option of choice in the Superbike Championship: 5-spoke Y-shaped or 7-spoke lightened wheels for the front and 7-spoke lightened wheels for the rear.