Shimano XTR M9220 four piston brakes

The Shimano M9220 XTR brakes have an unfortunate reputation to shake off with wandering bite-points of old. The new caliper seals and low-viscosity oil have addressed this creating a powerful and reliable stopper. A very wet ride did lose the bite point, and the four pistons do need some maintenance to keep them behaving properly, however, a wonderful lever feel and improved ergonomics make these brakes a joy to use.

Shimano XTR M9220 brakes – Technical Details

The new, redesigned Shimano XTR brakes come in a range of offerings to suit different applications. The fully-fledged enduro offering (M9220 lever and caliper) sees a completely new lever body and four-piston caliper, whilst the cross-country option (M9200 lever and caliper) utilises a lighter lever body and two-piston caliper. A third option is aimed at “down country” which blends the M9220 enduro lever with the two-piston M9200 caliper.

To address the inconsistent bite-point which plagued previous Shimano brakes, there is a new low-viscosity mineral oil which is claimed to keep power consistent across a range of temperatures. The caliper seals have also been updated in a bid to achieve a reliable bite-point. It’s worth noting the new low-viscosity oil is not compatible with older models and the old oil isn’t compatible with these new brakes.

Whilst we’re on the topic of calipers, the M9220 enduro brakes, on test, employ four pistons with one pair of 15mm diameter pistons, and one pair of 17mm diameter pistons. These are housed in a one-piece alloy caliper which has been machined for lightness and stiffness. A new bleed port is much neater and easier to use with the usual nipple for a hose but a separate allen-keyed open/close screw.

The common finned pads are designed to help dissipate heat and can be supplied in resin or metal-based compounds depending on your desired performance. The back plate has a revised mounting hole which has been ovalised – this is claimed to eliminate noise.

Finally, the new lever body. The hose has been positioned closer to the bar, which is a result of a new piston location and linkage design in the lever. The Servo Wave linkage has been redesigned for a better power curve and now pulls the piston rather than a conventional push design. The lever pivots on cartridge bearings for a smooth and reliable action with the pivot-point now residing closer to the bar – this is said to follow the natural finger pull path. The lever is a typical Shimano affair, a forged alloy affair with textured dimples, a hooked end and a five degree upsweep for improved ergonomics.

Reach adjustment is handled with an indexed turn-dial and there is a “free-stroke” screw to adjust bite point. The lever mounts to the bar with a familiar hinged clamp, however, the lever body also touches the bar in a second position, which may interfere with other controls, so watch out for this. The mount is I-SPEC EV compatible giving a clean and fuss-free interface for Shimano shifters and compatible remotes such a dropper levers.

The discs continue to use their Ice Tech composition which sees the 1.8mm thick steel braking surface sandwiching an aluminium core along with aluminium arms to draw heat away as efficiently as possible. These are available in a maximum diameter of 203mm and in 6 bolt or centre-lock mounting options.

Shimano XTR M9220 brakes – Performance

Fitting the M9220 brakes was a simple affair thanks to the callipers, hoses and master cylinders coming pre-bled. Sealant is used on the blanking plug of the lever, which is a little annoying, so take extra care to ensure none of this finds its way into the brake system during assembly. After giving the hoses a trim and fitting them to the master cylinders, I gave the lever a quick bleed with the funnel fitted but no air came out and the lever felt solid – result. The new bleed nipple on the callipers is a joy to use, much easier than the usual spanner faff. A couple of hard stops in the car park got the pads bedded in and the initial impression were already positive.

The new lever reach dial is excellent; it’s got a high-quality feel with well-indexed clicks which make lever blade adjustment super easy to dial-in. From factory, the free-stroke adjuster comes wound all the way in to get the shortest dead-stroke possible. Unfortunately, and in line with every other Shimano brake in the past, this adjuster screw does very little, so I left it wound in and forgot about it. As a side note, moving from the 1.8mm thick Shimano rotors to a thicker 2mm rotor did help remove a little bit of the dead-stroke.

When it comes to power and delivery of that power, its classic Shimano but better. The lever feel is excellent providing predictable and progressive power delivery. The initial bite isn’t overly aggressive, however there is plenty of power to be accessed as you pull the lever harder. I’m a fan of brakes that stop quicker, the harder you pull and that’s exactly how these work. There are brakes out there with greater outright stopping power however I’ve found these M9220s to offer more than enough power which, critically, is easy to control.

When it comes to bite-point and the dreaded consistency problems of old, these new brakes are much better. Adjusting the bite-point with the free-stroke screw does very little so I ended up running my lever reach a little further away than usual to get the bite-point in a comfortable position. The bite-point consistency has been great throughout tens of thousands of metres of descending, through a variety of ambient temperatures and brake temperatures has put this to the test with consistent results. However, one very wet ride in Wales with literal rivers running down the trails did cause the lever to lose its bite point and pull to the bar. A quick bleed got them up and running with no subsequent problem, but if you’re faced with a very wet ride, perhaps some caliper covers would help mitigate this issue. This was around 400km into my ownership of them and after another 600Km I’ve not experienced any further issues.

Whilst the upsweep on the lever seems a little odd, I’ve found Shimano levers to be some of the most ergonomic in the game. The lever swing naturally fits the finger movement which is thanks to the pivot-point being closer to the bar. The slightly hooked lever blade and dimpled contact area provide a comfortable and secure position for the finger which, even in the wet, offers excellent grip and feel. The lever action is smooth thanks to the bearing pivot and light, although not as light as the Hayes Dominions.

Heat management through the finned pads and Ice-tech rotors might well be the best in the business. Even with some heavy and prolonged usage, the brakes never faded or reacted to the heat. Those finned pads do an impressive job of dissipating heat with the fins become very hot whilst the calliper is only warm to the touch. The metal pads have an incredible life to them shows very little signs of wear. Whilst they’re expensive compared to other aftermarket options, their longevity does go some way towards justifying the price.

As the pads wear and the brakes have done some miles, some maintenance has been needed to keep them running at their best. When the pads wear to approx. 50%, I found I needed to remove the wheel/disc and advance the pistons in to get the bite point back away from the bar. The pistons do become lazy over time so a little maintenance giving them a clean and lubricate with the Shimano oil helps them run at their best.

Shimano XTR M9220 brakes – Verdict

Retailing at £250, these are by no means cheap brakes but that is what you get for a top-end product and is in line with other high-end offerings. The Shimano XT brakes are worth considering if you don’t care about the shiney bling, they’re £100 per end cheaper and around 30g heavier.

All-out power can be achieved with the SRAM Mavens, but the top-spec “Ultimate” model comes in at £300 per end. They’re heavy but the consistency and power is excellent.

The redesigned Shimano M9220 XTR brakes are a long over-due and welcome improvement over previous generations. Predictable and controllable power is aplenty wrapped up in an ergonomic package, these brakes are top-end performers for trail and enduro usage. They manage heat exceptionally well and finally has a consistent bite point after some heavy use. One very wet ride did mar a perfectly consistent bite-point and they do need some maintenance to keep all four pistons behaving but overall a powerful and reliable brake.