Brembo: Old versus new front brakes

I have a 2012 Café Racer with USD forks and recently got new MkII Brembos, because the old ones were damaged in an accident.
Does anybody have experience with both the old golden Brembo's with 2 brake pistons on each side and with the grey MkII Brembo's with 1 brake piston each side? If yes, could you remark any difference?
I have the impression that the new style are much less effective. I preferred the old biting ones...
Old style:

New style:

Raphi, Switzerland

Can't see why Brembo would make a worse caliper really.

I can imagine Norton fitting less grabby pads (especially to non ABS bikes).

I'd research and try different pads.

Did the new style calipers require a different master cylinder ? Just guessing , You have probably checked this already. So the required lever pressure to get the same braking has increased. ? Well ask Norton if this is normal and then try a different pad like Eddie suggested. Also , there may be a higher force lever that may be fitted .

My bike is 2014 gray. My dads is 2013 gold line. His brakes are indeed better. The gray are probably cheaper is my guess. I imagined Kenny Dreer had gold line because he wanted the best of everything but stuart probably realized that gold line was way over kill on a bike with less than 100hp. Just speculation of course.

Raphi said:

...Brembo's with 2 brake pistons on each side and with the grey MkII Brembo's with 1 brake piston each side?

Click to expand...

I suspect you mean two brake pads per side compared to one brake pad per side calipers, as they both have four pistons total. I have experience with equivalent two and four brake pad linear mount Brembo calipers, and the four pad calipers have a noticeably more aggressive initial bite and a stronger feel all around. The brake pad compounds make a large difference as well. That said, the two pad calipers with good quality "medium" pads should be fine for normal street use. I have to be a little more careful if quickly braking with the four pad model.
Bill

I've been told the Brembos on my 13 are overkill. I like them. As for the power of each, I don't know, but they are strong enough to make me stand on my front wheel, then pounding me back into the pavement, thus breaking my leg. Either that or rear end the schmuck that got in front of me only to stop short. sigh. Yea. Good brakes. ABS would have been nice.

Great topic, I find that the front brake on my 2015 sport is way to aggressive for my tastes. Does anyone have a part # for the single pad to fit into the dual pad caliper? Thanks.

Here are part # and prices for the calipers in grey (single pad), don't know if you can have only the pads. Maybe Norton UK can help us with some information:
6020119 Caliper Assy, Radial, RH
6020118 Caliper Assy, Radial, LH
£ 200.00 each plus V.A.T.
Lead time about 6 weeks
Raphi, Switzerland

pantah_good said:

Raphi said:

...Brembo's with 2 brake pistons on each side and with the grey MkII Brembo's with 1 brake piston each side?

Click to expand...

I suspect you mean two brake pads per side compared to one brake pad per side calipers, as they both have four pistons total. I have experience with equivalent two and four brake pad linear mount Brembo calipers, and the four pad calipers have a noticeably more aggressive initial bite and a stronger feel all around. The brake pad compounds make a large difference as well. That said, the two pad calipers with good quality "medium" pads should be fine for normal street use. I have to be a little more careful if quickly braking with the four pad model.
Bill

Click to expand...

Thank you Bill,
This is very valuable information. Do you know if it is possible to fit two pads per side to the grey calipers and get the same bite as before?

No, that's not possible because of the design of caliper bodies. The single pad per side caliper has one pin or bolt across the middle caliper body that the pads "hang" on. The two pads per side calipers have two pins or bolts across the caliper body centered on each pair of pads.

Here's just a thought, maybe you and "Britjunkie" (look back a couple of posts) could trade calipers?? But...I say that without knowing if the caliper mounting to the forks are interchangeable. I am not familiar with the forks on either of your modern Norton's. Probably best to run that suggestion by the factory?

Another thing I was wondering about is if the insurance from your accident paid for the correct pair of calipers that were originally on your bike. Maybe you could go back to them for a correction now that you are aware that you did not get the "proper" replacement parts?
Bill

Hi Bill
The gold line Brembos are unfortunately not available anymore. I guess that old and new are interchangeable, but am not 100% sure as I got new Öhlins at the same time...
Britjunkie only wants the single pads but not on the new calipers if I got him right.
Raphi

You can still get Brembo gold calipers aftermarket. You don't have to go through Norton.

This is just one link of a few.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss ... cle+brakes

My gold calipers are axial mount so no interchange with radial. I think I'm on to a part # that is a less aggressive "street" pad. I can't confirm it but it looks like Brembo # 07BB19.SA, Seems avaliable in Europe, but I'm still looking for A bike I can confirm has the same calipers in the U.S. Ducati, Aprilia?

Aprilia RSV 1000 Mille 2001 1000cc Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177 (inc radial mountcalipers)
Aprilia RSV 1000 Mille 2002 1000cc Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177
Aprilia RSV 1000 R 2001 1000cc (inc Radial Mount Calipers) Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177 - Rear pads is the same
Aprilia RSV 1000 R 2003 1000cc Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177 (Rad.cal.)
Aprilia RSV 1000 R 2004 1000cc Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177 (Factory)
Aprilia RSV 1000 R 2004 1000cc Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177 (Factory) (Rad.cal.)
Aprilia RSV 1000 R 2005 1000cc Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177 (Rad.cal.)
Aprilia RSV 1000 R 2006 1000cc Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177 (Factory)
Aprilia RSV 1000 R 2007 1000cc Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177 (Factory)
Aprilia RSV 1000 R 2008 1000cc Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177 (Factory)
Aprilia RSV 1000 R Factory 2004 1000cc Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177 (Rad.cal.)
Aprilia RSV 1000 R Factory 2005 1000cc Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177 (Rad.cal.)
Aprilia RSV 1000 R Factory 2006 1000cc Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177 (Rad.cal.)
Aprilia RSV 1000 R Factory 2007 1000cc Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177 (Rad.cal.)
Aprilia RSV 1000 R Factory 2008 1000cc Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177 (Rad.cal.)
Aprilia RSV 1000 R Racing 2004 1000cc Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177 (Rad.cal)
Aprilia RSV 1000 R Racing 2005 1000cc Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177 (Rad.cal)
Aprilia RSV 1000 R Racing 2006 1000cc Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177 (Rad.cal)
Aprilia RSV 1000 R Racing 2007 1000cc Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177 (Rad.cal)
Aprilia RSV 1000 R Racing 2008 1000cc Front Requires Two AD-177, S33-177 (Rad.cal)

Above is for Radial Caliper gold line type.

Below is Axial type. #141 on front , #152 on rear Go to Gold Fren site and just find any bike that has those pads. They have Norton on the list. I believe all rear pads are the same for Norton 961 .

RSV 1000 Factory Pista 2004 - 152
RSV 1000 Mille R 2000 - 2x141 152
RSV 1000 Mille SP 2000 - 2x141 152
RSV 1000 Tuono Racing 2004 - 2008 2x141 152

Thanks TonyA, I've ordered some pads, I'll report back with results.

pantah_good said:

Raphi said:

...Brembo's with 2 brake pistons on each side and with the grey MkII Brembo's with 1 brake piston each side?

Click to expand...

I suspect you mean two brake pads per side compared to one brake pad per side calipers, as they both have four pistons total. I have experience with equivalent two and four brake pad linear mount Brembo calipers, and the four pad calipers have a noticeably more aggressive initial bite and a stronger feel all around. The brake pad compounds make a large difference as well. That said, the two pad calipers with good quality "medium" pads should be fine for normal street use. I have to be a little more careful if quickly braking with the four pad model.
Bill

Click to expand...

I did just check the calipers and you are right Bill: gold line calipers have two pads per side while the grey ones have single pads.
I wish Kev of Norton UK could give us some advise if there is single pads with more bite fitting the grey calipers, otherwise I may go back to my gold line calipers even if they are a bit scratched from the accident...

I have ordered proper "street" pads but I decided to do a little experimenting. I have a small mill/lathe combo and I milled out a 1/2 inch strip of brake pad exactly in the middle of the pad. Each pad has 4 separate "padlets" on it's backing steel. I milled from it's top to bottom equally through the #2 and #3 pads in each. My first low speed trial was good, that initial "bite" was gone and I could use my whole hand on the lever without fear of an endo. Hoping for a ride tomorrow to check it out further.

pantah_good said:

No, that's not possible because of the design of caliper bodies. The single pad per side caliper has one pin or bolt across the middle caliper body that the pads "hang" on. The two pads per side calipers have two pins or bolts across the caliper body centered on each pair of pads.

Click to expand...

Hmm ... my 2015 Sport has the old style?

Contours, you have the exact setup I have.

They suit me just fine. I tend to anticipate and use the engine to brake and hardly ever find myself in a situation that requires me to yank hard on the front brake. A crash in a hard corner at age 19 changed my riding style forever, I'm afraid.