Until now, MotoGP calipers were made of an Aluminum/Lithium alloy combining both lightness and mechanical resistance. Roughly speaking, a stirrup of this type was 10% lighter and 5% stronger than a conventional stirrup.
Widely used in aviation and the aerospace industry (the external tank of the American space shuttle is made of this material), this alloy has only one defect; it is expensive, very expensive!
So much so thata set of stirrups cost several tens of thousands of euros for the season and that we have seen in the past some pilots offering them themselves…
Since 2016, Aluminum/Lithium stirrups are therefore prohibited, for cost reasons.
Brembo has revised its product range accordingly to offer very high quality “pure” aluminum MotoGP calipers. Externally, the differences are minimal and the over-sizing of the parts is barely visible. However, we will recognize a classic 2016 model by the inverted V in relief in place of the stamped triangle, as well as the presence of a small reinforcement around the lower stud axis.
For the 2016 season, the teams will still have the choice between two models, the one called "normal" and which equips almost the entire field, as well as the one called "heavy duty", which is reinforced, particularly popular with Ducati. The latter only accepts “High Mass” pads while the first is more versatile by authorizing both “High Mass” and “normal” ones.
