Sram Motive Brakes Review

The new Sram Motive brakes are replacing Sram’s entire brake lineup, from the old Code to the Guide and down to the Level brakes. With four pistons, solid power, and mineral oil, the Americans aim to regain lost ground in the MTB brakes market. Will this radical strategy succeed?

Up until now, Sram’s brake lineup followed this hierarchy: Code brakes were designed for heavy-duty use in enduro, downhill, or e-bikes. The Guide or the 4-piston Level setup were slightly lighter and meant for all-mountain and trail riding. And with the Level 2-piston setup, they had a lightweight option for cross-country racers. This granular segmentation has now come to an end.

The new Sram Motive brakes replace all existing brake systems from Code to Level 2-piston. However, the Maven naturally still somewhat caters to the hardcore segment of the Code. The range of use from enduro to cross-country is vast. To bridge the gap between performance demands and weight with just one brake, the choice of rotors will play a greater role than before.

Thanks to a more powerful caliper, it’s now possible for XC riders to run smaller rotors again. Reducing from a 200mm to a 180mm rotor saves about 20 to 30 grams. Besides the diameter of the rotors, there’s also more variation possible with rotor types.

For trail and cross-country applications, the lighter Centerline rotors are recommended. All-mountain and enduro riders can opt for the HS2 rotor, which has more material and therefore better heat dissipation and durability. A Centerline rotor with a diameter of 180mm is about 40 grams lighter than an HS2.

Although the new Motive with a 4-piston brake system appears significantly bulkier, it has the exact same weight as a Shimano XT 2-piston system on our scale. It should be noted that our test brake was from the high-end “Ultimate” portfolio. At 269 grams, the front brake is perfectly where you want it weight-wise.

The Sram Maven is 100 grams heavier with a bulkier master cylinder and a more massive caliper. The old Sram Level 2-piston brake system was only slightly lighter, weighing in at around 242 grams.

The direct comparison of the brake discs shows significant differences on the scale. With a diameter of 180 millimeters, the Centerline disc is almost 40 grams lighter than the HSC2. Shimano’s Ice-Tech discs, at 130 grams with a 180 mm diameter, are weight-wise on par with the lightweight Sram options.

The ergonomics of the brake lever haven’t changed compared to the well-known Sram brakes. The Motive brake lever feels comfortable in the hand as well. Pulling the lever through the dead stroke requires a bit more force compared to some other manufacturers. Thanks to the slight counter-pressure, you always have a sense of where the brake lever currently is and can modulate the brake effectively.

We rode the Motive with a 180mm rotor on the front wheel. A 1:1 comparison with a Sram Level brake makes it clear: The braking power has significantly increased compared to what we were used to from Sram. There was no riding situation on the trails where you had to pull the brake lever with tension to achieve the desired deceleration.

We also tried intentionally overheating the brake during our standard hill climb from our e-bike motor test with 122 meters of elevation gain. Despite the attempt to provoke, the brake remained unfazed and delivered comparable performance both at the top and the bottom. We will give the Motive a structured test on a longer ascent at the next opportunity to explore its limits.

The Motive series is available in Sram’s well-known quality levels “Ultimate”, “Silver”, and “Bronze”. The weight difference between the quality levels is a mere 20 grams. A single Motive Ultimate brake system for front or rear has an MSRP of 300 €. The “Bronze” version, with an MSRP of 190 €, is significantly cheaper. The major difference lies in the build quality and the materials used (titanium vs. steel bolts).