Brembo 19RCS Corsa Corta Master Cylinder - CW TESTED

There's no slowing of innovation at Brembo Racing. The Italian-based high performance brake manufacturer pioneered the now prevalent radial pump master cylinder as a prototype component on the factory Yamaha YZR500 ridden by Eddie Lawson to the 1986 world Grand Prix title. Fast forward 16 years to the inaugural production road bike application of Brembo's radial master cylinder on the 2002 Aprilia RSV 1000.

In 2007 Brembo introduced its current 19RCS, a MotoGP-derived master cylinder featuring a 19mm piston and adjustable leverage ratio (Ratio Click System) offering a choice of two settings easily altered to suit rider preference. Now Brembo has announced the 19RCS Corsa Corta, an all-new master cylinder that retains the adjustable leverage and lever position of its predecessor, but adds a new adjustment termed “idle stroke” with a selector knob allowing the rider to fine tune the amount of free lever travel, altering the system’s initial bite point.

I sampled the new product on the road and during hot laps of Circuito Estoril, a classic circuit located near Lisbon, Portugal. On the street I rode a stock BMW S1000RR equipped with the 19RCS Corsa Corta set at its 20mm fulcrum-to-piston distance configuration. This leverage setting provides a firmer lever feel with slightly reduced overall power and sensitivity that Brembo views as the preferred street setup. Switching among the trio of idle stroke settings labeled Normal, Sport and Racing is said to alter the feeling and response of initial bite. While I have to say the effect is very subtle at best, the power and modulation feel was superb regardless of which setting I chose. I also found it difficult to see the markings (N, S and R) cast into the knob to check at a glance which setting was selected. Certainly a dab of colored nail polish provides an easy fix, but it's a small detail Brembo could have handled none the less.

Riding the circuit on a race-prepped S1000RR equipped with superbike-spec Brembo T-Drive rotors and pads also revealed little detectable variance between the idle stroke extremes. I did however prefer the race-oriented 18mm leverage setting which by its geometry results in increased lever travel while delivering added power and modulation feel. The confidence I quickly gained from the consistent fade free performance and exceptional trail braking control won me over.

The rider/control interface is an intimate relationship and performance upgrades you can also see as you ride make a compelling investment. Even if one must be of world class caliber to fully appreciate Brembo’s latest innovation, the aesthetic attraction of the newly shaped forged-and-machined master cylinder and the folding lever’s elegant contour may in itself offer enough appeal to justify the $318 asking price.