Motorcycle braking systems

Aprilia Tuono R front brakes have two floating stainless steel discs with sintered pads, and radially mounted, four-piston calipers

Motorcycle braking systems have varied throughout time, as motorcycles evolved from bicycles with an engine attached, to the 220 mph (350 km/h) prototype motorcycles seen racing in MotoGP. Most systems work by converting kinetic energy into thermal energy (heat) by friction. On motorcycles, approximately 70% of the braking effort is performed by the front brake. This however can vary for individual motorcycles; longer-wheelbase types having more weight biased rearward, such as cruisers and tourers, can have a`greater effort applied by the rear brake. In contrast, sports bikes with a shorter wheelbase and more vertical fork geometry can tolerate higher front braking loads.[1] For these reasons, motorcycles tend to have a vastly more powerful front brake compared to the rear.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference AboutBraking was invoked but never defined (see the help page).