A fault in a Brembo master brake cylinder could affect a number of European motorcycle brands’ though official recalls are so far confined to the USA.
The only bikes affected are Aprilia and Ducati fitted with a PR16 radial master cylinder unit which is usually paired with Brembo M50 calipers.
Other bikes from Triumph and KTM could also expected to be implicated.
There is no recall yet in Europe or Australia, so it could be a bad batch of brake cylinders supplied for bikes destined for the USA.
We asked the Department of Infrastructure whether a recall would be issued in Australia, but have not yet received a reply.
PS Importers who import Aprilia, Moto Guzzi and Triumph to Australia says there is no cause for concern.
“Some selected units of MY15-16 Aprilia RSV4 Euro3 models are affected, as well as a very limited number of the Euro 4 MY17 Tuono/RSV4 models,” the spokesman says.
“The information we have so far only suggests that there may be some increase in stopping distance under very extreme braking conditions. There is no suggestion of failure or an immediate risk.
“A recall will be determined by the technical manager for Aprilia Australia who is currently on leave until later next week.”
Ducati Australia says: “No news to report on Brembo. I’ll provide an update as and when anything official comes through.” 
We have not yet received a reply from KTM Australia.
The issue has nothing to do wth this week’s brake recall for the Moto Guzzi V7 III.
Brembo fault
The fault is believed to be a crack in the internal piston of the PR16 radial master cylinder.
The crack can result from prolonged and hard use such as track work or frequent use of ABS.
Obviously, if it breaks, not only will braking force be diminished, but owners could also end up wth highly corrosive brake fluid leaking over their bike.
Brembo says the problem is with the plastic (polyphenylene sulphide) they used. To fix it, they will replace the plastic piston with an aluminium piston.
USA recalls
So far, recalls in the USA affect the following models:
- 2016 and 2017 Aprilia RSV4s fitted with Brembo brakes;
- 2017 Aprilia Tuono 1100s fitted with Brembo brakes;
- 2015-2018 Ducati 1299 STD / 1299 S / 1299 FE / 1299 SL produced from March 16, 2015 to September 22, 2017;
- 2015-2018 Ducati Monster 1200 S / Monster 1200 R produced from March 04, 2015 to October 23, 2017;
2015 Ducati Monster 1200 R - 2015-2018 Ducati Multistrada S / Multistrada PP produced from March 16, 2015 to October 31, 2017;
- 2015-2018 Ducati Panigale R produced from March 16, 2015 to June 20, 2017;
- 2017-2018 Ducati Scrambler 800 Cafe Racer produced from March 01, 2017 to November 20, 2017;
- 2015-2018 Ducati XDiavel S produced from January 12, 2016 to September 08, 2017.
2016 Ducati XDiavel S
We will advise if there are any Australian recalls.
Brembo recall notice
Here is the official notice from Brembo about the fault:
The anisotropy of the piston material, in addition to potential porosity introduced during the injection process, could lead to crack generation and thus potential component failure. The failure may occur with no warning to the rider, although a significant loss in brake effectiveness may be an early indicator.
In May, 2017, Ducati received initial information from the field regarding front brake malfunction involving a motorcycle in the European market. During the same month Ducati received a second European front brake malfunction report.
Ducati initiated an investigation and began to jointly conduct an analysis with Brembo, the component manufacturer. In September, 2017, a third European case was discovered. Failure was found to have occurred during race track use in two of the three cases. In November, 2017, the investigation was finalised and the root cause was identified as above. On December 14th, 2017, Ducati determined that a worldwide safety Recall was justified. For subject motorcycles sold in the US, there have been no reports of injuries due to the defect.”
The only previous recall for Brembo we could find was an ABS modular in Triumph Street Triple and Daytona models in 2013.
YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS ON RECALLS
Recall notices are issued by the manufacturer through a voluntary industry code under the ACCC.
Despite hundreds of recalls by various automotive manufacturers, none has ever been mandatory. All have been issued by the manufacturer.
While any recall is not good news for the manufacturer, it shows that they are largely diligent in fixing problems.
If you believe there is an endemic problem with your bike that should be recalled, contact the ACCC on 1300 302 502.
To check whether your motorcycle has been recalled, click on these sites:
• USA
• UK
• Canada