SRAM Motive Brakes – Code Power at Level Weight? [Video]

Are These the Brakes We've Been Waiting For?

SRAM just pulled the covers off their new Motive brake lineup, and it’s making some serious waves. Why? Because it replaces two of their most popular braking systems—the SRAM Code (the perfect trail brake) and SRAM Level (lightweight, xc power)—with a single lineup that promises the power of Code at the weight of Level.

"Motive is the lightest weight heavy-duty brake we’ve ever made. Because light weight shouldn’t come at the expense of power. And power shouldn’t come at the expense of weight." - SRAM

The standard SRAM Motive Ultimate in the silver finish

That’s a bold claim, but SRAM is backing it up by combining a Code-style caliper with a Level-style lever and, following in the Maven footsteps, switching to mineral oil instead of DOT fluid. With three tiers—Motive Ultimate, Motive Silver, and Motive Bronze—these brakes are ready to shake up XC and trail riding. Let’s get into what’s new, how they compare to the old brakes, and why SRAM thinks they’ve cracked the code (pun intended).

The SRAM Motive Ultimate Expert Kit in the limited colorway

What's New?

SRAM is taking a fresh approach with the Motive series, creating a braking system that balances light weight, power, and ease of maintenance. Instead of forcing riders to choose between high power and low weight, Motive aims to deliver both in a single package, offering Code-level stopping power in a package that rivals the weight of the lighter Level brakes.

• 4-piston caliper (Code Caliper) for massive stopping power, giving riders confidence on steep descents and aggressive terrain.

• Lightweight lever body (Level Lever) keeps things sleek and ergonomically refined, reducing overall system weight without sacrificing durability.

• Maxima Mineral oil instead of DOT 5.1 for lower maintenance and improved longevity, a major departure from SRAM’s long-standing reliance on DOT fluid.

• Three models to match different rider needs and budgets, ensuring there’s an option whether you're an XC racer or an aggressive trail rider looking for a reliable braking system.

Three Tiers of Motive – Ultimate, Silver, and Bronze

The SRAM Motive lineup comes in three different tiers, all featuring 4-piston stopping power, tool-free reach adjust, and SRAM’s DirectLink lever for a linear, responsive feel. However, each level brings different materials and finishes to appeal to riders with varying performance and budget needs.

At the top of the range, Motive Ultimate is SRAM’s flagship option. It features a carbon fiber lever blade, titanium hardware, and a premium blasted clear anodized finish with polished edges. These materials make it the lightest and highest-end option, perfect for riders who want the best performance with no compromises. Weighing in at just 264g, this brake is ideal for XC racers and trail riders who want top-tier stopping power without adding extra weight.

Next in line is the Motive Silver, which retains many of the high-end features of the Ultimate but swaps the carbon lever for an alloy lever blade with a bearing pivot. It sports a polished black anodized finish and stainless steel hardware, making it a slightly heavier but still premium choice. Weighing 273g, the Silver model is a fantastic middle-ground option for riders who want high-end performance without the premium price tag of the Ultimate.

For riders looking for a more budget-friendly version, Motive Bronze delivers the same braking technology in a slightly more utilitarian package. It features an alloy lever blade with a bushing pivot, steel hardware, and a blasted black anodized finish. At 279g, it’s the heaviest of the three but still significantly lighter than SRAM’s outgoing Code brakes. The Bronze model offers the same great stopping power with a more accessible price point, making it a solid choice for riders who prioritize value.

How Do They Compare to Code & Level?

The SRAM Motive lineup sits in an interesting position, combining the strengths of both Code and Level brakes into a single system. Compared to the Code, the Motiv brakes offer nearly the same stopping power but at a significantly lower weight. This is a big win for riders who found Code brakes too heavy but didn’t want to sacrifice braking performance by switching to Level. The switch to mineral oil also reduces maintenance, making Motive brakes easier to manage over time.

In contrast to the Level brakes, the Motive lineup completely outclasses them in stopping power. While the Level brakes were designed primarily for XC and light trail use, the Motive series is capable of handling everything from XC to aggressive trail riding. The additional braking power makes a noticeable difference, and at only a slight weight penalty compared to Level, Motive is the clear upgrade for riders who demand more control and confidence on the trail.

Setup & On Trail Performance:

The setup for the Motiv is generally the same as the previous SRAM brakes, but with Mineral Oil, and SRAM suggests the Maxima Mineral Oil they developed together. One thing that SRAM promoted with the Maven brakes was doing the piston massage, which is basically cycling the pistons out and pushing them back a few times to make sure all the air is removed from the large pistons of the Maven caliper. I would suggest doing the same with the Motive, while it's not as necessary, I do think it makes a noticeable improvement to the brake feel and helps you get that bleed just perfect. I setup my Motive with Motive Ultimate brakes, SRAM HS2 rotors in 180mm front and rear, and sintered pads, this is my preferred setup for everyday use and longevity. 

Let's be honest, all this stuff is great but how do they work? Well, essentially they feel like Levels with the power of code. What do I mean by that? The lever feel is the same as the out going Level 4 piston brakes, however, that lever is pushing larger pistons and brake pads which is essentially a Code caliper. The initial bite isnt quite that of the Code since there is no swing link making the progressive brake bite you feel with Code, but I think with that there is great modulation and able to scrub speed much better. Once you really get on the brakes, you then feel the full Code power that you come to expect. I have been on these for 6 weeks now and after my first ride, I knew they had enough power I could trust these in any situation I would find myself in on a trail or xc bike. I have only my initial bleed on them with zero issues, no fade, no re-bleed, no problems.  I also put sintered pads in them right away since that is what I rode on Code most of the time, you could go with organic pads to get a little more bite off the top. 

Another thing to note is how SRAM is talking about brake tuning. Ths is something that isnt talked about enough and how you can really dial in your brakes. 

You can have roughly 4 base setups and within those you can tune rotor size and pad compound. 

• Motive Brakes with Centerline Rotors (least power, lightest weight)

• Motive Brakes with HS2 Rotors (more power, best trail setup)

• Maven Brakes with Centerline Rotors (lots of power, but not full power, best for trail/enduro bikes)

• Maven Brakes with HS2 Rotors (the most power, enduro, dh and e-bike)

Rotor size, you do want to introduce heat into your rotor, that is how you get good power, however you dont want to overheat your rotors. So I would start smaller rotor and see if that gets too hot, look at your rotor after a steep and long descent. Do you have black or purple on your rotor spokes? Then you can probably go up a size on rotors. If not, you have probably the correct size. 

Pad compound: Organic pads will have more bite off the top, but wear faster, think of organic as a really sticky rubber compound on a tire. Sintered pads will have less initial bite but a little more power once they heat up, they will also last much longer. 

Final Thoughts – What's Worldwide’s Takeaway?

SRAM took a big risk replacing two of their best-selling brakes with a single platform—but SRAM Motive might just be the perfect middle ground. With Code power at Level weight, plus the switch to mineral oil, these brakes check a lot of boxes for a wide range of riders.

The three different levels—Ultimate, Silver, and Bronze—offer options for every type of rider, whether you’re looking for a premium, lightweight race brake or a solid, budget-friendly trail stopper. The 4-piston caliper design means serious stopping power, and with less maintenance thanks to mineral oil, Motiv brakes might just become the go-to choice for XC and Trail riders alike.

If you're a weirdo who wants to read the entire transcript, check it out below:

A little over a year ago, SRAM dropped what is arguably the most powerful mountain bike break in the world in the Maven. And with that said, you know, short travel bikes have become increasingly popular and capable, which kind of leaves us hanging and thinking, what kind of break are we going to use on our short travel bikes? With that said, SRAM has just released today the Motive brake, which is what they like to call Code power at Level weight. So, weight weenies rejoice you can have the powerful brake of your choice. Let's get into it.

Did you rhyme on purpose? Did you rhyme on purpose? I did not.

Today SRAM has unveiled the Motive brake, which is, like I said, Code power at Level weight. They have dropped the Expert kit with this fancy limited edition colorway which includes rotors, adapters, different pad compounds, a bleed kit, all that good stuff. They also have the regular Ultimate brake in this beautiful silver color. And ironically, the Silver level brake is black and the Bronze is also black.

But before we get into a full brake-down of all of these brakes, we are going to take a quick break and hear from... LMNT. We are super stoked to have these guys as a channel sponsor, because it's an electrolyte supplement that actually tastes pretty good, and we like to use it on our rides. Personally, I'm a fan. I like the citrus salt flavor. It's pretty sweet and it helps me replenish the sodium, potassium, and magnesium in my body when I sweat on these rides. So check it out. Place an order on LMNT's website. That’s DrinkLMNT.com/WorldwideCyclery and get yourself a free sample pack and check it out. It really helps us out. And thank you so much for watching and supporting the channel.

To help me dissect what is hot and new and exciting about these brakes is my friend here, Liam because he has been riding these brakes for about eight weeks now, and he just spent like a week out at SRAM in Colorado learning everything there is to know about these brakes and then some. So. Hi, Liam.

Hey, guys. Hey Jared. Hello.

So, Liam, tell me, what is the difference between these models?

All right, so we have the Ultimate, which is the ultimate level. It's the highest level. You have the carbon lever blade. You have, all the titanium hardware where you can want it, and where they can put it. And this is the lightest weight package with the, you know, highest end colorway and livery. So. And also the Expert kit is the same.

Awesome. So how does that compare to the Silver and the Bronze?

So the Silver gets an alloy lever. It gets a little bit more steel hardware where you might have lighter weight titanium hardware. You don't get quite the Silver flashy colorway. And then when you drop down to the Bronze level, you get more steel hardware. And you also get rid of the adjustable banjo at the brake caliper, which just helps you, like, dial in that angle when it's on the bike, so you can angle it nicely into your brake routing. So that goes away on the Bronze level.

Interesting. So tell me a little bit more. Are these mineral oil? Dot fluid? And what kind of brake pads are we talking about with these things?

So the Motive brake, along with the Maven is now all mineral fluid. So it's SRAM's mineral fluid they suggest using. It's actually made by Maxima. But they suggest using that mineral fluid in these brakes and all of their brakes now for the flat bar are now mineral fluid. So no more dot fluid for SRAM. The brake pad in this caliper is the Code pad or what SRAM also refers to as the Large pad. So now the Maven uses XL. The Motive uses the Large.

Interesting. So who would be interested in riding brakes like this? Or like what kind of bike or rider would really favor something like this?

The Motive, like you said, Level weight, Code power. It kind of is going to throw a wide range of brakes for SRAM, all the way down to World Cup XC racers are going to be on this, so wanting the lightest weight brake, up to probably like a 130 ish travel bike. 140 travel bike where you don't quite want the Maven power, but you want something powerful enough to slow you down. I've been running them on my SP 120, which is, you know, 120, 130 travel and they feel perfect on that bike. And then you can adjust power based on rotor size and from Centerline to HS2 rotors as well.

Nice. Very interesting. One other thing you had mentioned previously when we were talking about these is something about the lever design and how there's also no more contact adjust with these brakes. So tell me a little bit about how that, you know, gets involved with these.

Yeah. So Code had a lever design called SwingLink. That is a progressive curve into the brake power. It also gives it kind of a little bit more of that snappy feel that Code has. It also weighs a bit more than what's called the DirectLink. The DirectLink is more of a linear curve into the brake power. It weighs less. And taking the contact adjust away also reduces weight. So that's how they've gotten the Level weight with Code power. It still basically uses what is a Code caliper. So that's where you get all the power from, and then the lighter weight lever reduces the SwingLink, but also you get the weight reduction as well.

That was a really good explanation. Thank you Liam. So with all of that said, you have had these on your bike for almost two months now. What do you think?

They're solid. They are fully Code power. At first, I was putting them on and setting them up, bleeding them. I was like, okay. I was on Level four pots before, four pistons, and Codes, so I have like experience on both of the kind of brake that this one brake is replacing. Initially the lever-feel feels a little bit more like the Level. The Level. Level. The Level lever. Yeah. Hard one. And so it feels a little bit like that. But once you get on the power and once it's bedded in and set up correctly, you get full Code power, which is great. So I'm set up on here with 180 HS2 rotors. I felt like that was the best lever feel for me, as well as, power. And I just really like that rotor. It feels good. So that's how I've been running it. The Expert kit comes with CenterLine rotors, so the slightly narrower rotor. It's also lighter, so you get a little bit lighter weight rotor in the Expert kit.

Nice. Well, that's pretty much everything we have for today. We covered all the details, what's hot and new and interesting about these brakes, what makes them different about the new or excuse me the current brakes that SRAM has, and what you think about them. So I guess that means it's time to wrap this one up. Thank you guys so much for watching. We truly appreciate it. Send this to a friend who might be interested in some exciting new brakes, or who just loves to geek out on bike stuff. Until next time, cheerio!