According to Brembo technicians, who work closely with 17 World Superbike riders, MotorLand Aragón is a very demanding circuit for the brakes. On a scale of 1 to 5, it scored a 4 on the difficulty index, exactly like two other Iberian circuits, Estoril and Jerez.
The track is identical to that used by the MotoGP, but the Superbikes are 2,3 seconds slower, partly due to a lower top speed of more than 35 km/h. The first part of the track, full of bends, does not favor the cooling of the discs, steel for Superbikes and carbon for MotoGP motorcycles.
2,1% carbon
Each rider has the choice between 338,5mm or 336mm diameter discs. The larger diameter allows for greater pressure, but it also weighs more. Since this year, Brembo has also made the innovative ventilated steel disc available to teams.
Carbon has been banned from Superbikes since 1994, in order to limit costs. In fact, the discs are made of steel, even if the regulations authorize the use of carbon provided that it does not represent more than 2,1% of the total weight of the disc. Alloys containing beryllium are also prohibited for the same reason.
High heat dissipation, including for road motorcycles
For road motorcycles, Brembo manufactures High Performance discs that guarantee uncompromising performance, racing aesthetics and a significant reduction in weight compared to the original discs. The first option is Supersport discs, available with a 34mm (1,34in) brake band and 5,5mm (0,22in) thickness.
These are fully floating discs, thanks to the heat-treated steel band and machined aluminum alloy hub. The two parts are connected by 10 fixing studs, which guarantees less wear and better heat dissipation because the brake band is free to deform.
3 seconds less than MotoGP
In Superbike, there are 10 corners where riders use their brakes, one less than in MotoGP, where riders also brake at turn 4. Reaching lower top speeds, series-derived motorcycles also use less the braking system in other corners: less than 29,5 seconds per lap, compared to 33 seconds for MotoGP motorcycles.
The total load exerted on the brake lever in one turn is also higher for MotoGP bikes, at 43,3 kg (95,5 lbs), compared to 40,3 kg (88,8 lbs) for Superbikes. However, for the latter, the brake system pressure reaches almost 10 bar (145 psi) in 7 laps, a value that MotoGP bikes only reach in 3 places on each lap.
Pressure of 12,1 bar in the first braking section
Of the 10 braking sections of the MotorLand Aragón GP, 2 are classified as very demanding on the brakes, while 5 are of medium difficulty and 3 are light.
The most difficult is the first turn because the delta-v is higher than in the last turn: 182 km/h compared to 165 km/h. In fact, Superbikes arrive at 274 km/h and go down to 92 km/h (thanks to 4,1 seconds on the brakes with a load of 12,1 bars on the lever which generates a deceleration of 1,5 G.
