Stop That: Brembo Introduces Premium Brakes for UTVs

It’s a solid bet that most readers (and most of the writers around here) have spent untold dollars upgrading their machines. Bigger tires, taller suspensions, and brighter lights are usually atop the to-do list when bringing home a new rig. But when was the last time you heard anyone say they were improving their UTV’s brakes?

After all, having a barn full of horsepower is fantastic but being able to rein in all those ponies is equally as important as getting them up to speed in the first place. This goes double for riders who regularly take their toys to wide-open places like Glamis or a dry lake bed. Even those of us taking our UTVs into the woods can benefit from an extra bit of stopping power. Fortunately, the pros at Brembo have brought the goods this year.

Showing the new product at SEMA in Las Vegas, they have unveiled an all-new brake system for UTVs and side-by-sides. Calling it “the first of its kind” in terms of a bespoke performance brake kit for the UTV market, Brembo is drawing on six decades of experience in brake design for everything from street machines to F1 cars to build this kit. The Brembo-designed four-piston aluminum brake calipers are machined from billet in top-tier versions and can weigh as little as 3.5 pounds, depending on application. A two-piece aluminum cast caliper is also available.

These stoppers clamp down onto cross-drilled steel brake discs, units which look the absolute business. The aluminum fixed calipers together with Brembo’s low-met brake pads provides reduced unsprung weight on all four corners, which is never a bad thing. Versions for Polaris, Yamaha, and Can-Am are planned.

More than just for looks – though we’re sure some riders will buy them for that purpose – these brakes have been vigorously field tested. For example, the X-raid Yamaha Racing Rally Team ran Brembo billet UTV calipers in the 2021 Dakar Rally, an event in which they debuted the all-new Yamaha YXZ1000R prototype. Riders can pick up a set through Brembo partner Race Technologies, located in California.