The secret of safe braking also lies in the pads

Brembo, world leader in brakes, Integra its offer with a complete range of high-performance pads, the result of cutting-edge technology aimed at improving the safety of the entire braking system.
With a wide variety of compounds, from sintered to carbon-ceramic, and a very high number of product codes, Brembo satisfies the specific needs of all types of motorcycles - racing, road, city, off-road - and the expectations of all riders.

Compounds

The compounds normally used in braking systems can be classified into only two families, ORGANIC and SINTERED, and the use of one type rather than the other is absolutely not linked to use: in fact, there are brake pads of different types in the same field of use.

Sintered materials: they are composed of metal powders, with additions of lubricants and abrasives which are agglomerated together through a process with high pressure and temperatures. The compound is fixed to the metal support of the desired shape during the sintering process without adding any glue. The metal powders determine how much the pad brakes and how stable it is at high temperatures; lubricants contribute to overall braking stability, abrasives keep the discs clean.

Organic materials: they are mainly composed of binding resins, metals, lubricants and abrasives. In this case the friction coefficient is generated by the metals and resins, while lubricants and abrasives carry out the work described above.

Choice of compound: the tablets have their own field of application. This depends on the different situations that a brake pad has to face: racing - favors braking at high temperatures, road - high stability, cold and medium temperature braking. Brembo has an answer for every need.

Running-in: it is very important for all compounds and even fundamental for the RC compound. This operation is completed by carrying out a series of light brakes and a subsequent braking, leaving time between one and the other. A correct thermal heating and cooling cycle of the system is thus carried out. The running-in period depends on the type of compound: longer running-in for organic ones compared to sintered ones.

The performance of the compounds, which are very different from each other, are described through the following parameters:
Efficiency (i.e. how much the pad brakes): it is expressed through the average friction coefficient and the stability of the friction at the main quantities that characterize braking (speed, deceleration, temperature). It is detected through appropriate bench and vehicle tests. 
Wear: it is expressed as the quantity of worn friction material (in mm. in thickness or in volume) compared to the number of braking sessions performed (bench) or km. routes (vehicle).
The functional differences between the various compounds can be summarized by observing the friction coefficient as a function of the operating temperature: the RC compound (Racing organic, where 350 - 450°C operating temperature can be considered normal conditions) has a very high hot friction coefficient, while the road compounds (as is the road sintered SA) are designed to work best at medium/low temperatures, and precisely around 300°C. Therefore the latter, if used on the track and therefore subjected to excessive stress, will be affected by the "fading" effect, i.e. the degradation of the friction coefficient: in fact, above a certain temperature, they will tend to lose efficiency. On the contrary, using Racing compounds on the road (and therefore with cold discs), the grip will not be as good and braking may take a little longer. The intermediate compounds are naturally a compromise between these situations described, they will provide good performance in all conditions while not excelling at the two extreme ends of the operating temperature range.