XXVI.FOUR / AEIGHT TECH BLOG / SRAM MOTIVE BRAKE UPGRADE
- Aeightracer
- 18 hours ago
- 6 min read
We’re always on the lookout for new components and upgrades to offer our customers at AEIGHT and we’re always excited to get working on the latest innovations and improved products, so that we can decide for ourselves if they are worth the investment. Some bits are easy to tell as soon as you open the packaging, some require a little testing on our own bikes, and some are best forgotten - it’s only through this rigorous testing that we decide whether to offer the latest kit to you - once it’s on the bike, you have our word that we believe in it. SRAM’s new generation of mineral oil brakes aren't exactly new, but recently we’ve fitted a few pairs and realised that we may have overlooked just how good the Motive brake actually is!...
SRAM initially offered mineral options on some of their cheaper brakes, which are more aimed at the OE market and “entry-level” riders. Then, last year, they released the Maven and the Motive brake systems, which brought mineral oil simplicity to their top-of-the-line offerings - Maven for gravity racing/riding and Motive for “aggressive XC”/trail. Most of the press in the last year has been about Maven, with it’s sheer power, and a new updated version of “swing-link”, which is why Motive kind of passed me by, without me realising how good it really is...
Motive brakes come in three different flavours - a “Bronze” level which features cast calipers, lever bodies, and steel fittings. A “Silver” level which gets minimal CNC machining to make it lighter, lever bearings rather than bushings, and more durable stainless fittings. And an ULTIMATE level which features lots of CNC machining to optimise weight and power, titanium fittings, lever bearings, and a carbon lever blade. All three levels use mineral oil and “bleeding edge” tech, which makes it much easier to service, either in the workshop, or in the wild!
Just removing the brakes from the packaging immediately tells you that they mean business - the quality of the machining on the Ultimate's, is very good, and typically SRAM - more organic than Hope, not as dainty as Shimano. Very similar in fact to the older Level brakes which they effectively replace. Unlike some mechanics, I’ve never had an issue with SRAM brakes in terms of initial setup and use - I’ve always found them to be [initially] more firm and powerful than Shimano, and less of a faff to set up than Hope. But, where Shimano’s delicate but confident feel, and Hope’s accurate modulation remains true for many years, SRAM’s DOT brakes definitely don’t age well! Rebuild kits, are usually a waste of time, and often the most efficient fix is a new set of brakes, which understandably has put people off the brand in the long-term. Is the mineral oil Motive going to fix all that?
The answer to that is - who knows? I can’t say for sure because we’ve not tested them for long enough (they’ve only been around for a year), but I can make some educated guesses based on what I do know. From the feel of the components, and the set-up procedure, I can tell that the brakes are likely to last in a very similar way to a Shimano brake - it’s clear that they’ve done their homework with the cheaper mineral brakes they introduced in 2022 and most of the OE versions which I’ve worked on feel very similar to the heavier duty Shimano brakes. The Motive brake out of the box feels very similar to a Shimano Saint - a very positive lever engagement, and a very powerful caliper. In fact that they’ve created something which has more modulation and feels powerful like a Saint, but is as light as a XTR (4-pot), which will please a lot of riders, especially bigger, stronger, trail riders who find the Shimano units too “digital”.
In layman’s terms, it basically feels exactly as I’d expect for a SRAM product, but I genuinely believe that it’ll remain like that for many years, unlike the horror stories of old! One of the technical reasons for this is that the mineral oil is so much less aggressive to the delicate rubber seals in the system, compared with the old DOT fluid - interestingly SRAM seem to have done a great job with their road/gravel DOT brakes, but they never really nailed the reliability with their mountain bike brakes - it feels like they’ve kept their original raw power, and added a heap of reliability in.
The bleed (across the range) uses SRAM’s Bleeding Edge tool - it cuts down on the mess of bleeding brakes by allowing the mechanic to close the system off before removing the syringes. It also removes the possibility of trapping air in the system because you can push and pull fluid in both directions, and effectively close off the system using gravity like a spare pair of hands. The levers can be used on either side of the bar and the fittings are the same as the existing DOT range of brakes, so you don’t need anything new, apart from fresh syringes and the correct oil, to fit and maintain your brakes.
Out on the trails the Motive brakes feel identical to the Level brakes I’ve used in the past - the lever shape is similar, the power feels identical (this can be tuned using different rotors), and the lever reach can be tuned in exactly the same (toolless) way as before. Motive (like Level) doesn’t have a bite point adjuster and in my mind it’s better for it - the lever is lighter, more powerful and will be more reliable without it. The shape of the lever body is sculpted so you can use it as an additional hand position, and the hose is directed back towards the bar which makes for a super clean look, and is fully compatible with integrated headset and bar/stem systems. I was using an existing set of rotors in my test, but even so I was surprised how quickly the brakes bedded in - this is partly due to the sheer power that the brake has. The modulation on the front is especially good and it took no time at all to fully trust it on my local loop.
In conclusion, I reckon that compared to Shimano the lever feels more firm and more confidence inspiring - I know that heaps of people love the Shimano brakes, and I agree that they work well, but to me, the lever feel is initially too flexy and then the power suddenly bites. The SRAM lever feels like it has a lot more modulation, earlier in the lever travel - this won’t appeal to everyone but made me feel super confident. It didn’t feel as precise as a well-bled Hope lever, but had a similar amount of power. It was however, much easier to bleed and I reckon it would be easier to live with, especially if you don’t have much time to work on your own bikes. Honestly, between the Hope brakes, the XTR 4-pots and the Motives, there’s not much in it, which is why I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered these (even if I was late to the party)! If you’re looking for a super powerful, lightweight trail/XC brake, that’s easy to live with, these are definitely worth a look.
We try, fit, maintain, and test as much new kit as possible - sometimes we have demo products available too. We offer free advice, and in lots of cases free fitting on the components which we supply (we can’t advise on products bought elsewhere, so please don’t ask). Contact us, or pop in, whenever you’d like to discuss your next upgrade - in most cases we’ll have first hand experience and can advise based on what we know about your real-life personal riding (unlike the evil AI internet, or the online reviews which are usually paid for)!
Photos and words by Glen Whittington
2026.RIDERS - GLENWHITTINGTON
#aeightracer – Bike Rider / Framebuilder / Mechanic - Glen started racing in 1998, initially specialising in XCO, XCM, and Solo 24-Hour Mountain Bike. He became a mechanic in 2002, working in shops and also for professional race teams. During this time he spent more time racing ‘Cross and Road, and then also TT. In 2013 he built his first bespoke frame and then spent several years at Roberts learning the art. Since then he’s designed, tested and now sells his own frames/bikes to the public as part of his ÆIGHT brand - you can find his business Instagram account here.
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