The Follow Up to the DS-1 Is Here
Brake manufacturer SBS Brakes now has a successor to the popular DS-1 brake pads. It’s appropriately named the DS-2. The brake pads come after more than two years of extensive testing.
During that testing, SBS Brakes got an unconventional idea: mount two different compounds for racing use. Top level racers from the World Superbike, Moto2 and Moto3 GP, British Superbike and World Endurance Championships participated in the testing process.
Now the new brake pads, called DS-2 Dual Sinter, are here. The compound should provide a strong initial bite and then improved braking power through long braking. SBS race manager Allan Østli discussed the feedback and how that impacted the development of the brake pads.
Many riders were very satisfied with the new DS-2, but some still felt that the initial bite was reduced too much compared to DS-1. On the other hand some riders who preferred DS-1, occasionally missed a little more braking power at the end of braking with DS-2. Therefore a completely new braking concept emerged: The Dynamic Racing Concept combining the strong initial bite and linear in-stop performance from DS-1 and the smooth initial bite and progressive in-stop performance from DS-2.
This means the Dynamic Racing Concept that Østli mentions will use the DS-1 on one side and the DS-2 on the other. This gives you the characteristics of both brake pads at once and provides a feel that most high-level racers enjoy.
The DS-2 is the new compound, but the combination of the DS-1 and DS-2 together is what makes the brakes the most impressive, apparently. Hopefully, we’ll have a chance to test this theory later this year.