5 Vital Details About The Ducati Superleggera V4 Centenario’s Brakes

Developed by Brembo, the Centenario’s brakes may be the closest thing you can get to MotoGP-tier tech on a street-legal motorcycle (Brembo also produces the brakes on the Aprilia X 250TH, but alas, it can only be used on the track). The system consists of 340mm Hyction carbon ceramic rotors and the GP4-HY calipers machined from aluminum. Brembo claims the two innovations combine to offer superior heat and friction stability, while reducing unsprung mass and inertia.

The Hyction (a combination of the words “Hyper” and “Action”) discs are made of a carbon fiber matrix integrated with silicon and silicon carbide. According to Brembo, each disc weighs 3.0 pounds, or about a pound less than a steel disc commonly used on superbikes. With bikes of this caliber employing dual front brakes, this adds up to a 2-pound reduction in unsprung mass. Brembo claims this translates to a 40% decrease in inertia.

The GP4-HY calipers were designed to work specifically with the Hyction discs. Like other GP4-branded Brembo calipers, they use a monoblock design machined from solid aluminum. Integrated cooling fins help with heat management. To work with the CCB discs, the GP4-HY calipers require a new organic pad compound.

Whenever we talk about using carbon fiber with motorcycles, the focus is usually on its light weight, high tensile strength, and resistance to thermal expansion and corrosion, and those are some of the main benefits of the Superleggera V4 Centenario’s brakes. But Brembo’s brakes offer some other features and innovations that separate them from the brakes found on other high-performance sportbikes.

Despite being lighter than traditional steel discs used on streetbikes, the Superleggera’s Brembo Hyction discs are actually much larger in diameter. The Hyction discs measure 340mm in diameter, the size typically used in MotoGP (355mm is the maximum diameter allowed, and those are typically reserved for tracks with high temperatures). These are larger than the 320mm and 330mm discs typically found on street-legal motorcycles, and even the 336mm and 338.5mm discs Brembo supplies World Superbike teams (other manufacturers, such as Nissin, do produce 340mm steel discs for Superbike racing).

The larger rotors allow for improved heat dissipation, due to the greater surface area and room for 132 ventilation holes. As Brembo previously explained, there can be a difference of as much as 100° C in temperature between a 320mm disc and a 340mm disc.

At 8mm, the Hyction discs are the same thickness commonly used with MotoGP discs, and significantly thicker than the discs on most street bikes, which can vary from 4mm to 5.5mm. The extra thickness means the discs are able to absorb more heat, which translates to more consistent performance under heavy loads.

The inside of the Hyction disc is not round

The inner profile of most brake discs are circular, except for parts that flare inward for the mounting points. For the Hyctions, Brembo opted for a non-circular shape that kind of looks like a rounded hexagon. According to Brembo, this shape minimizes rotating mass while strengthening the points where the disc connects to the center section, known as the rotor hat or bell.

The aluminum bell itself has an asymmetric design, with the connecting struts shaped like a six-pointed pinwheel. Brembo claims this design is optimized for the non-circular disc and offers high stiffness while minimizing weight.

The GP4-HY uses what Brembo calls a “boosted” or “amplified” mechanism designed to generate more braking force than a non-boosted caliper using the same amount of lever pressure. The ends of the backing plates of the brake pads are slightly slanted, with the inside of the caliper machined to a similar angle.

The angled edges form an inclined plane. When the brakes are applied, the pads slide with the rotation of the disc, with the backing plate wedging itself between the caliper body and the rotor. This provides additional clamping force beyond the pressure applied to the brake lever. The inclined edge on the caliper is longer than the backing plate, allowing the boosted system to continue working effectively as the pads are worn down.

The calipers are equipped with a spring that helps to retract the pads quickly when brake lever pressure is reduced. This reduces residual torque from the pads remaining in contact during non-braking situations. This anti-drag system also helps to counteract the extra braking pressure provided by the boosted system.

Brembo introduced the anti-drag system in MotoGP in 2019 where it worked alongside boosted calipers. Both technologies later made their way to the World Superbike Championship, where their guiding principles still work despite being paired with steel discs.

Don’t forget about the rear brake

The floating rear discs are steel, with an aluminum bell, and measure 223mm in diameter and 4.5mm in thickness. Brembo employed aluminum bushings instead of steel, providing some additional weight saving compared to a typical fixed rear disc.

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