Gear

Gatorbrake’s eight piston disc brake

Are your measly Magura Gustav or Hope M4 brakes, with their four hopelessly inadequate pistons just not living up to your expectations? Gatorbrake hopes so, and thinks that their biggest model, with double the pistons (and therefore double the awesome) of other downhill brakes will satisfy your need for motorcycle-level stopping power.

The apparently unnamed eight-pot brake has a CNC machined caliper which houses four pistons per side. There are two smaller pistons coupled with two larger ones on each side of the caliper, which Gatorbrake claims gives the system nice, progressive modulation. The lever features a reservoir that would look more at home on a dirt bike, complete with oil-level sight window.

While eight pistons should provide an absurd amount of stopping power, if you really want to impress (or stop a freight train), Gatorbrake also is offering a hub with rotor mounts on both sides, letting you run dual front brakes. That way, should you need to stop a speeding freight train, you can rest assured your brakes will be up to it. There’s no word on the weight of these brakes, but maybe after throwing two of these monsters on the front of your bike, you might actually need the extra help stopping.

© 2008 Two Six Nation.