ROAD TRIP
Brake hoses are some 60 percent of their business , and among the many proprietorial hallmarks of J . Juan ’ s manufacturing , they identify the hose joint and crimping as they key to hose reliability and therefore braking safety . The company has developed , invented and tooled their own designs of test rigs to put their processes to proof to levels way beyond those that any motorcycle hose , or other brake component , will ever be required to meet . The challenge with hoses , Jose Luis explained , is to design and then be able to also make them simultaneously hard and flexible ; ensuring the integrity of each component and the assembly , and ensuring there is no evaporation of loss under pressure
‘ we have become the world leader in the manufacture of hydraulic brake and clutch hoses ’ or the heat that braking energy generates . “ I am proud to be able to say that we have become the world leader in the manufacture of hydraulic brake and clutch tubes for motorcycles , and we believe that a lot of the reason for this is the understanding that our validation procedures have given us of the dynamics of braking systems . “ When you tighten the brake or clutch lever , the pressure is transmitted through hydraulic pipes . Initially these were made from rubber , and still are on some Japanese made motorcycles . However , with heat the rubber expands and this affects the “ feel ” that the rider gets , and it affects the performance of the brake or clutch as a system . We invested two years into inventing our own patented system of braided hose that allows the “ feel ” to be constant , consistent and progressive – transmitting a sense of security , reliability and predictability to the rider . “ One of the best of recent credentials we had of this improved braking performance came through our work with Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea and their Kawasaki World Superbike Championship bikes . The innovation , backed up by our proprietary crimping solutions that prevent any kind of leakage , got the attention of the manufacturers . BMW for example use our system on all their production bikes . “ Since these initial innovations we have been able to evolve continuous improvements almost exponentially – especially where ABS are concerned . Proper and reliable operation of ABS systems place a premium on the reliability and precision of the feedback that the motorcycle ECU receives .” During the recession J . Juan bucked the trend by
CEO José Luis Juan
maintaining is R & D investments and activities and continued to grow as a result . The company currently has over 450 workers , 80 percent of them in their Spanish factories . “ The key has been the vision of the future , trying to detect and anticipate problems and opportunities through our continuous investment in research and development , and planning to meet them .” That investment hasn ’ t only been in-house . We will
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