Our Bothan spy sources are telling us the the Ducati 1299 Superleggera recall from yesterday is just the tip of the iceberg of what is coming from Brembo, as the Italian brake supplier’s affected brake pads are in multiple makes and models throughout the USA and worldwide (editor’s note: we see Triumph now making the same recall today as Ducati).
For those keeping track, this is the second time that Brembo has seen a large recall for its brake pads because the friction material might become separated from the backing plate. And like the Brembo recall for its master cylinder piston failure, this is something that is going to affect a number of motorcycle brands, as Brembo is a large OEM supplier.
Our sources are telling us that thousands of bikes in the United States will be affected by this recall, though thankfully the fix for the brake pad failure is pretty easy – one only has to change out the brake pads for new ones.
While we are still looking for all the details on this recall, it does seem to affect at least the brake pads that come with the BRM10B compound from Brembo.
From the recall documents, we also know that the front brake pads could have their attachment issues especially, but not exclusively, when used in a corrosive environment.
Brembo has narrowed the reasons for this brake pad failure down to the following criteria:
- (i) high concentration of Nickel in the compound does not favor the sintering process on the back plate and consequently causes a reduction of the adhesive area percentage;
- (ii) high porosity of the compound that allows infiltration of salt and water at the interface between the compound and back plate; and
- (iii) micro cracks on the back plate copper surface which promote the penetration of salt and water. As a result, the level of corrosion of the brake pads is higher than the maximum acceptable and indicated in the related drawing. This may result in high corrosion of the brake pads and, as a consequence, the detachment from the back plate during vehicle use, specifically in corrosive environment.
As we stated before, we expect to see more recalls coming from motorcycle manufacturers in the coming days, and we will be posting them to Asphalt & Rubber as we get them.
Source: NHTSA & Bothan Spies
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