The latest edition of the well-known Milan Show has left us with some really special new features, such as the brake caliper integrated into the forkthe result of the collaboration between Nissin and Showa.
A project that comes backed by Hitachi Astemo, the main parent company of the business group where both firms are integrated. Let us remember that it was in 2019 when this industrial agreement was announced, preceded two years earlier by another in which Honda partnered with the latter to develop and manufacture electric motors.
Details of the first brake caliper integrated into the fork
Since then, the different brands that make up this enormous business consortium have worked on the design and development of products for the world of the automotive sector. This is the case of this brake caliper integrated into the fork, which is presented as a new approach to “coordinated functional design”, where the fork and caliper merge seamlessly.
In technical terms, this model integrates the front fork axle and the brake caliper, which increases the contact area between the fork axle support and the caliper itself by 30%. This larger contact surface improves, among other things, heat dissipation, effectively cooling the brake system by transferring heat to the front fork, reducing the average caliper temperature by 5%.
Another of the most notable advantages of this design is the weight reduction. By optimizing the design and reducing the need for additional mounting components, the unsprung weight has been reduced by 200 g. This improvement not only reduces the load, but also ensures a high level of rigidity. The caliper has multiple fins to increase heat dissipation without compromising the latter, making it a really interesting innovation within the two-wheel sector.
The intention of both brands is to be able to use this brake caliper integrated into the fork on both street motorcycles and those intended for competition. We have seen how in recent times other relevant names in the sector, such as Brembo, have also worked incessantly on new technologies focused on the safety section. In this case, that of braking, where its time at EICMA 2024 left us with a complete range full of new features.
