Showa and Nissin develop integrated fork and brake caliper solution

Showa and Nissin, both subsidiary brands of Hitachi Astemo, have developed a new product that was first presented at the end of last year and went somewhat under the radar at EICMA. It is an innovative system in which the fork and brake caliper are made from a single block. This design is said to offer several advantages, including lower weight, better heat dissipation and increased rigidity.

The idea behind the integration

Traditionally, brake callipers are mounted radially on motorcycles. Two brackets protrude from the lower section of the fork, to which the brake calliper is attached with bolts. This system has proven itself over many years and has hardly been questioned. However, Hitachi Astemo, the company behind Showa and Nissin, sees potential for improvement.

The new system combines the lower part of the fork with the brake calliper in a single design. According to the manufacturers, the advantages are increased rigidity and improved heat dissipation. The transition between the fork and brake calliper offers more effective heat dissipation compared to conventional radial-mounted systems thanks to the larger material connection.

Technical details and advantages

The manufacturers emphasize the following advantages of the new system:

increased stiffness
1. The monolithic design makes the connection between the fork and brake caliper more stable, which could have a positive effect on braking performance.
improved heat dissipation
1. According to Showa and Nissin, the design reduces the temperature of the brake caliper by around 5%, as the heat is dissipated more efficiently via the larger material surface.
weight saving
1. The integrated system weighs around 200 grams less than a traditional radial-mounted brake caliper.

Possible challenges in practice

As promising as the advantages sound on paper, the innovations also raise some questions. As the brake calliper is firmly attached to the fork, maintenance, especially changing brake pads, could prove to be more difficult. Handling during servicing also remains a potential weak point that remains to be seen in practice.

Conclusion

The new fork/caliper combination from Showa and Nissin shows that even proven concepts such as radial caliper mounting can be further developed. However, whether the promised advantages actually outweigh the disadvantages in everyday use depends on practical application and long-term experience. It remains to be seen if and when this technology will find its way into production models.