SRAM has announced it is simplifying its line-up of brakes, switching to mineral oil throughout and only using four-piston calipers in its mountain bike brake range.
While we wave goodbye to the likes of the Level and Code ranges, SRAM’s new Motive line-up should help fill the gap, and is said to offer Code-like power with Level-like weight. Pricing for the Motive Bronze starts at £170 per end.
At the lower end of the pricing spectrum, SRAM has bolstered the DB range, adding the £95 DB6 and £75 DB4 brakes to the catalogue.
The heavy-hitting Maven remains, although SRAM has added a more affordable ‘Base’ model, which will set you back £180.
Every brake in the Motive, DB and Maven line-up uses mineral oil, with not a splash of DOT 5 in sight.
While we’ve spent plenty of time on the Maven and DB8 brakes already, the Motives are entirely new.
SRAM is also offering its Ultimate Expert kits for the Maven and the Motive.
We got our hands on the Motive Ultimate Expert kit and bolted the brakes to a bike to see how they held up.
After a little over a month on the trail, the Motives remain powerful, with more than enough punch to slow down the Specialized Epic 8 Expert we had them bolted to.
Lever feel is light and they’ve proven to be decently predictable, solid performers to date.
SRAM Motive ride impressions – Rob Weaver
I’ve now had just over a month on the new Motive Ultimate brakes and have managed to ride with them in a multitude of conditions aboard a Specialized Epic 8 Expert.
The four-piston calipers were paired with 180mm (front) and 160mm (rear) CentreLine X rotors.
For a cross-country bike such as this, it's impressive that I haven't once been left wanting more braking power. Even when slithering down wet, muddy trails usually reserved for enduro bikes, the lever feel was consistent and power levels always impressive.
The carbon lever blades feel light and easy to pull with little in the way of resistance when hauling on the anchors.
Modulation is good, too, creating a very predictable, easy way in which to control your speed.
I’d argue this wasn’t always the case with older Level brakes, which didn’t feel quite as punchy.
After around 250km on the new Motive Ultimate brakes, only once have I experienced a slight shift in the bite point of the front brake, with the lever coming back closer to the bar than expected.
I’ve continued to ride, tweaking only the lever reach, and it seems to have now settled down, returning to its old consistent self.
The rear-brake bleed has been spot-on from the off, with zero bite-point wander and nothing but a consistent feel no matter how much I drag it.
I’ll keep testing the Motives and follow up with a full review soon.
XC weight with DH power
The new Motive brakes are designed for hard-charging XC, with the performance powerful enough for aggressive trail riding.
Weighing in at claimed 264g for the Ultimate rear brake, the Motives are slightly heavier than the 250g Level Ultimate 4 piston they replace, but SRAM says this is a worthwhile trade-off for increased control and power.
How much power do they have? Well, SRAM claims the Motive has similar power to its Code range of brakes, which were the brand's downhill-focused mountain bike brakes before the launch of the Mavens.
If the power is too much for your intended use, SRAM says the brakes can be tuned by using different rotor sizes and pad compounds.
The brand says a 20mm change in rotor size should result in an increase or decrease in power of 14 per cent.
Its HS2 rotors offer 7% more stopping power and heat management per rotor size than CenterLine.
SRAM offers both sintered and organic pads, with the latter preferred for their greater stopping power.
The Motives features DirectLink, which SRAM says offers lightweight power delivery for an incredibly solid, linear feel.
In a departure from DOT, the brand says its seal design eliminates the downsides of mineral oil while leveraging its advantages.
It says that due to mineral oil’s hydrophobic properties, unlike DOT, it won’t take on water over time, reducing the need for maintenance and bleeding.
The brand says the brake is only compatible with its Mineral Oil Bleed Kit, eliminating one factor when trying to bleed the brakes.
DB6 and DB4
Alongside the new Motive, SRAM has updated its DB6 and DB4 brakes.
Both of the new brakes have adopted the brand's Stealth lever design, seen on other models in the range, which run the cables closer to the bars.
SRAM says this also offers greater ergonomics, allowing for an inward hand position on the bar.
The new levers also offer better compatibility with the brand’s Eagle Transmission shifters, with the split ring clamp compatible with SRAM MMX-compatible shifters and dropper levers.
The brand also says power is on par with its Code brakes.
SRAM Motive spec and pricing
The new Motive brakes will be available in four build levels, including an Ultimate Expert kit featuring a split-caliper finish.
SRAM Motive Ultimate
- Blade material: Carbon fibre
- Caliper hardware: Titanium
- Adjustments: Reach
- Pad type: Organic
- Claimed weight: 264g (rear brake)
- What’s included: MMX Clamp, SJ Barb, SJ Olive, T8 Torx, Hose hooks
- Price: £270 / $275 / €300
SRAM Motive Ultimate Expert
- Blade material: Carbon fibre
- Caliper hardware: Titanium
- Adjustments: Reach
- Pad type: Organic and sintered
- Claimed weight: 264g (rear brake)
- What’s included: MMX Clamp, Two 20P-1 mounting brackets, two 180mm CL-X rotors, two 160mm CL-X rotors, rotor belts, rotor carrying case, Pro mineral bleeding kit, four barbs, four olives, two pairs of steel-backed metal sintered pads
- Price: £585 / $599 / €655
SRAM Motive Silver
- Blade material: Aluminium
- Caliper hardware: Stainless steel
- Adjustments: Reach
- Pad type: Organic
- Claimed weight: 273g (rear brake)
- What’s included: MMX Clamp, SJ Barb, SJ Olive, T8 Torx, Hose hooks
- Price: £220 / $225 / €245
SRAM Motive Bronze
- Blade material: Aluminium
- Caliper hardware: Steel
- Adjustments: Reach
- Pad type: Organic
- Claimed weight: 279g (rear brake)
- What’s included: MMX Clamp, SJ Barb, SJ Olive, T8 Torx, Hose hooks
- Price: £170 / $175 / €190
SRAM DB6 and DB4 spec and price
SRAM DB6
- Blade material: Aluminium
- Caliper hardware: Steel
- Adjustments: Reach and contact
- Pad type: Organic
- Claimed weight: 363g (rear brake)
- What’s included: MMX Clamp, SJ Barb, SJ Olive, T8 Torx, Hose hooks
- Price: £95 / $95 / €105
SRAM DB4
- Blade material: Aluminium
- Caliper hardware: Steel
- Adjustments: Reach
- Pad type: Organic
- Claimed weight: 364g (rear brake)
- What’s included: MMX Clamp, SJ Barb, SJ Olive, T8 Torx, Hose hooks
- Price: £75 / $75 / €80
