Brembo Brakes

[The ModFather]

I need new brakes. Wondering what the consensus is on the OE Brembos. Mines a 05 Monster 620.  Im assuming the quality of the Brembos will vary based on what year/model you own. If there's an after market braking system, rotor or pad you advocate please enlighten us as to model and benefits.

[Buckethead]

There's a wide variety of Brembo brakes that fit these bikes. They range from "meh" to "Holy balls, those are awesome!"

Your 05 620 has what? The 300mm 2 piston setup? Depending on what type of pads you're running, they can range from the "meh" side to the "good enough for anything except maybe heavy track use."

[junior varsity]

Put on some HH rated pads.


I have experience with Brembo OEM, Brembo HP, Brembo Race/GP, Discacciati, and ISR.   I find them all good in different ways.   

For your bike, find some 320mm rotors and 4-piston calipers, and upgarde the master to a radial one from a 749/999 or 848/1098/1198 (or M1100, etc)

[suzyj]

Agree wholeheartedly.  One of the best mods I made to my 695 was replacing the 2 pot Brembos and 300mm rotors with 4 pot Brembo goldlines and 320mm rotors, with matching master.  The brakes were okay before, but I have bloody awesome brakes now.

[Slide Panda]

An early 05 Might have the 320 but it's probably got the 300mm rotors. If you do have the 300 mm rotors, replacing the calipers with either the 4 piston - 2-pad seen on a lot of ducs or 4 piston 4 pad calipers and the matching 320mm rotors will be a big improvement.

I had an 05 620 with the 300mm rotors and 2 piston calipers and found the brakes wanting. I swapped for the bigger calipers and rotors and it was a big step up.

[Ak1nza]

+1 on the 4 piston 2 pad Goldline calipers and the 320mm rotors.  I put them on my S2R800 last weekend which came stock with the 2 piston 2 pad and 300mm rotors.  Also upgraded the 15mm coffin to a 16mm coffin and upgraded to performance friction pads. 

Overall braking and brake feel is much better than the stockers!

[The ModFather]

I was told that a bigger coffin would make a huge improvement in stopping power. True?

[junior varsity]

Not really....   Its not much different than squeezing harder - how much fluid you are pushing out and sending down to the calipers.  The "feel" is what changes the most.

Some people like bigger diameter masters - for the rear brake, it actually gives you some type of useful brake back there (people put on 13mm or 14mm rear masters), but it depends on the number and size of pistons in the caliper.  If you are running a 2x24mm tiny rear brembo caliper, folks will suggest you upgrade your master the opposite direction - to a 11mm master!

For the front, the size of piston (14, 16, 17, 18, 19mm) makes a difference in feel and engagement, but also how the action is done:  Radial means you squeeze the lever and the piston moves the exact same direction as the squeeze - direct 'feel'.   Axial masters (goldlines and OEM coffins) have the 'squeeze' and piston movement at a right-angle.   Less feel.

The next part is what 'ratio' is the action - think in terms of mechanical advantage.  Of the folks who like the 19mm piston masters, there are those who like the 19x18 and those who like the 19x20.  There's also a 19x16 for racers (MotoGP racers. Price-tag is somewhere over $3k).    Brembo decided to 'please both' parties with the Brembo RCS lineup. The Brembo 19 RCS has a 'dial' and you can choose the pivot setting - from 18 to 20 (iirc).

[The ModFather]

For Brembo OE Rotor on the rear Ferodo ST or Brembo Platinum OE pads? Or should I just go with whichever one's cheaper since its the rear anyway?

[junior varsity]

i'd rather have ferodo pads than brembo - its just always seemed like the one thing brembo doesn't do all that well.