Magura Race Pro: Stronger than the Gustav Pro and made of aluminium rather than Carbotecture

Aluminium instead of Carbotecture

​You can practically hear the cheers – not just from the Magura supporters’ stand, but also from the opposition’s end. After all, when it comes to pure braking performance, Magura has rarely been accused of being lacklustre. Most recently, the Gustav Pro downhill brake shone in our test with its impressive power. However, with their key selling point – the Carbotecture material – the Swabian firm haven’t exactly made friends with everyone. A clunky appearance, high material wear following crashes and, above all, an overly sensitive bleed screw – these were the main points of criticism.

With the Race Pro, Magura is now opening a new chapter. Whilst the MT series has been the flagship of the range for many years and the Gustav Pro recently set new standards in braking power, the Race Pro is designed to combine the best of both worlds: maximum braking performance with the least possible effort, whilst offering excellent modulation.

Magura has opted for a completely newly developed aluminium design. The master cylinder, lever and clamp are made entirely of metal. In doing so, the Swabian company is deliberately moving away from the familiar Carbotecture design found on many MT models.

The brake caliper is also made from aluminium. Magura manufactures it as a single-piece forged component and then subjects it to extensive CNC machining. Recesses in the caliper and an intricately machined sensor unit are designed to reduce weight without compromising stiffness.

The result is a striking, technically inspired design. The matt finish is also said to be scratch-resistant. Weighing 310 grams, including one metre of hose, the Race Pro is comparatively light for a four-piston brake.

Smooth power delivery rather than an on/off feel

According to Magura, the key technical innovation lies in the constant gear ratio throughout the entire lever travel. This is intended to ensure that the braking force increases evenly. The further the lever is pulled, the more the brake decelerates. The aim is explicitly to avoid an abrupt response with a narrow modulation range, as was the case, for example, with the first Maven series.

For the hydraulic ratio, Magura combines a 12-millimetre-diameter master cylinder piston with four 19-millimetre pistons in the brake caliper. This is complemented by a low-friction, anodised piston chamber and a ball-bearing lever mount. This design is intended to reduce the force required by the rider whilst providing a clearly defined pressure point.

Magura refers to a particularly wide modulation zone. In practice, this is said to make it easier to control the boundary between maximum deceleration and the front or rear wheel locking up. Another claim is that the Race Pro should feel the same on both the front and rear wheels.

Compact transducer with Easy Link

The master cylinder continues to feature a radial design. Magura arranges the oil volume in such a way as to achieve a compact design. This frees up space on the handlebars and is intended to ensure a tidy cockpit. However, the Swabian firm is moving away from the previous flip-flop design of the MT brakes. Despite the now fixed right and left master cylinders, it should still be possible to quickly convert the brake to the other side.

The special Easy-Link coupling is used for this purpose. It allows the line to be connected to and disconnected from the master cylinder without the need for special tools. Magura uses a screw-in Easy-Link valve on the Race Pro, which is designed to keep the master cylinder closed when the connection is opened. This can be particularly helpful when cables are routed internally through the frame or headset.

Maintenance and spare parts

When bleeding the brakes, Magura relies on a continuous oil circuit with no sealed sections. This is designed to allow air bubbles to escape quickly from the brake caliper. According to the manufacturer, the orientation of the caliper during the bleeding process is of only secondary importance.

Magura also intends to ensure the long-term maintainability of the Race Pro in terms of spare parts supply. In addition to individual levers, items available include bearing kits for the brake lever, piston and seal kits for the master cylinder, and reservoir caps. As with other Magura brakes, a five-year leak-proof guarantee applies.

Brake pads, rotors and Shiftmix

The Race Pro comes fitted with MDP-13 Silver brake pads as standard. The Black and Yellow compounds are also available. The Yellow brake pads are said to deliver around ten per cent more braking power than the Silver variant, making them particularly suitable for short, extremely hard braking manoeuvres.

The brake is compatible with Magura rotors 2.0 millimetres thick. Disc sizes ranging from 180 to 220 millimetres are permitted. Depending on the intended use, riders can choose between the MDR-P, MDR-S and MDR-C rotors. The MDR-P features a two-piece design with an aluminium spider, whilst the MDR-S is designed to offer a balanced combination of braking power, heat resistance and weight. The MDR-C is engineered for high temperature stability and low vibration.

Magura has integrated the Shiftmix-IG interface into the clamp. This allows shift levers or seatpost levers from Shimano, TRP and SRAM to be mounted on the brake actuator in a space-saving manner. Different Shiftmix IG.X variants allow for adaptation to various lever positions and hand sizes.

Magura Race Pro – Information & Price

• Area of application: XC, Trail, Enduro, Downhill and E-MTB
• Donor: Aluminium, forged and CNC-machined
• Brake caliper: Single-piece forged aluminium, CNC-machined, four pistons
• Lever: CNC-machined aluminium, tool-free handle width adjustment, ball-bearing mounted
• Cable connection: Magura Easy Link Valve
• Brake discs: 180 to 220 millimetres, 6-hole or Centre Lock
• Rotor thickness: 2.0 millimetres
• Standard tyre: MDP-13 Silver
• Colour: matt silver with black detailing
• Weight: 310 grams per metre of cable
• Warranty: five-year watertightness guarantee
• Price: 699.80 euros per set

First impressions of the Race Pro

We’ve already had the chance to put the new Race Pro through its paces at the test event on the Samerberg, and it wasn’t just the new aluminium finish that impressed us. The new caliper is surprisingly compact for such a powerful brake. The long lever, typical of Magura, with its distinctive hook, sits securely against the braking finger and, thanks to ball bearings, operates with a silky-smooth action. The tool-free lever reach adjustment is smooth and has clearly defined notches.

The brake caliper, with its skeleton-like cut-outs, also looks particularly high-quality. More importantly, however, it delivers enormous braking power whilst remaining absolutely foolproof to use. Rather than digital power, the Race Pro offers excellent and straightforward modulation. This means that even less experienced riders can fine-tune the brakes by applying more or less pressure to the brake lever. Even on steep descents, the effort required remains pleasantly low.

Anyone looking for an extremely direct response and instant maximum power may well be a little disappointed, as the new Race Pro delivers its power in a subtle manner.