The TT Assen is halfway through the season, and it is the only one of the original world championship races (1949) that is still taking place today. According to Brembo technicians who work closely with all riders in the MotoGP World Championship, the TT Assen Circuit is not very demanding on the brakes.
On a difficulty index scale of 1 to 6, it scored a 2, the lowest of the European tours and only higher than Phillip Island. Assen has a top speed of 310 km/h but, thanks to the many fast corners, the braking systems are really able to cool down. And it is precisely the presence of so many bends that makes it the best test bench for Marchesini rims.
Marchesini, to improve any situation
Once again, during the 2022 season, Marchesini's forged magnesium rims will be used on two thirds of the motorcycles entered in MotoGP: 8 teams out of 12. For both wheels, there is the choice between the 5-spoke Y design and the 7 spoke version. Marchesini has been part of the Brembo group since March 2000 and shares the same production plant.
All these models are the result of long experience in closed die 3D multiforging and heat treatment, guaranteeing maximum rigidity and minimum inertia. The weight savings achieved with Marchesini wheels improves acceleration and handling when changing direction, entering a corner with the brakes applied, entering the corner at an angle of up to 60° and exiting the corner inclined. The combination of stiffness levels in their design ensures excellent tire grip, even when the rider really leans into the corner.
Lightness and performance also for road motorcycles
Marchesini not only offers professional riders an exhilarating experience, but develops solutions that guarantee high performance for road motorcycle users as well. With a unique style, these rims are produced using state-of-the-art design, structural analysis and testing methods.
The Genesi M7R rims have 7 spokes made from a magnesium alloy used in the aerospace industry, with multi-directional forging and matrices optimized for the final geometry of the wheel: they are 26 to 41% lighter than standard rims, depending on the motorcycle model.
Learn more about Marchesini rims.
Six seconds more than the Superbikes
Despite its 18 corners, the Assen TT circuit is very smooth, with several fast corners and 10 braking points on each lap, although on 7 of them the deceleration is less than 100 km/h. Drivers use their brakes for just under 32 seconds each lap, which is exactly the same as the Algarve International Circuit (which is a similar length).
The Superbikes raced at this circuit two months ago but, for the production-derived machines, those same 10 braking points only required 25 and a half seconds of braking time per lap because the top speeds are lower. On the other hand, the levels of G-force to which the drivers are subjected are similar, both in the different corners and throughout the race. In MotoGP, each rider exerts a load of 880 kg on the lever between the starting line and the checkered flag.
Just over 4 seconds with 1,5g
Of the 10 braking sections on the Assen TT circuit, only one is considered relatively demanding on the brakes, while all the others can be considered not very difficult.
The downhill braking point in the Haarbocht corner (Turn 1) is where the riders and braking systems have to work the hardest: the bikes arrive at 291 km/h, and the riders brake for 4,3 seconds during of which they cover 213 meters. To descend at the speed of 113 km/h necessary to take the corner, pilots must apply a load of 5,3 kg to the lever and are subject to a deceleration of 1,5 G.
And in video games?
To properly manage the first corner of the TT Circuit Assen in the MotoGP video game, it is essential not to make any mistakes entering and exiting the chicane that precedes it. You should brake in fifth gear just as you pass a block of tarmac on the left, in line with the billboard. Shift down to second and enter the corner when your speed is 140 km/h. You can also go over the curb without losing control, but wait before opening the throttle.
