J.Juan is a high quality motorcycle brake multinational that is present in 85 motorcycle manufacturers around the world. The company currently has six production centers between Europe and Asia. Among all, highlights the plant they have in China, in Jiaxing, which was opened 12 years ago. In it, the systems for CFMOTO, Polaris, BMW and CanAm are manufactured, among other major world manufacturers. It is a reference in the Moto Industry. José Luis Juan is its top leader and there is an interview with him in his office in Barcelona (Spain) from where he governs the company with the inestimable help of his older brothers Maria Ángeles and Carlos.

Can you say that yours is a success story?

JOSÉ LUIS JUAN. – Ours is a story of perseverance, effort, vision, investment and passion. When you add these characteristics to an enthusiastic team with very high knowledge, things tend to work out well. Is that successful? No. The success is that each of the 85 motorcycle manufacturers are happy with our work; that each year renew their confidence and allow us to improve day by day. For us, that is a success.

However, Japanese motorcycles have shown little predisposition to use the metallic mesh tube in hydraulic brake systems.

JOSÉ LUIS JUAN. – Indeed, Japanese manufacturers have historically preferred rubber tubes on their series bikes. However, the new high-end models from manufacturers such as Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki are already coming out with the technology of the metallic mesh tube. Why when they need results in the high competition, as in the case of Kawasaki in Superbikes, they rely on J.Juan’s tube. And it’s only an example. But since they use our tube they are World Champions. On the other hand, many western motorcyclists at the time of buying the motorcycle, ask to change their tubes for a metallic mesh (ours or from our competitors).

What about China?

JOSÉ LUIS JUAN. – China was our great goal and it is our great success. We established a factory here in 2006, long before the western and Japanese market put their eyes on this country. Then we thought it was a great solution to supply the global motorcycle market. And we were not wrong. Today the plant in China is one of our references and that of our customers. Many will believe that it is a mere productive center more. No. It’s not like that. Is much more. It’s J.Juan himself. It is a creative center, where the mechanical and hydraulic solutions of the market are also solved. Big brands have rewarded us for the great technical and productive work done in the Jianxing plant. This has led, for example, to all braking systems, a brand with great consideration in Europe and Australia.

The new challenge of J.Juan is the electronics?

JOSÉ LUIS JUAN. – The motorcycle, as we know it now, will disappear. The sensors that give us information on the state of the bike and each of its components (such as brakes) will be the keys. Bikers increasingly become more demanding, they want more and better. And in a world dominated by Smart solutions and Smart gadgets, electronics and mechatronics will prevail, whether the motorcycle is combustion or electric. And J.Juan is already there: with solutions and with innovations. Our electronics area has a team of 16 engineers who design and develop hardware and software solutions, which they manufacture in a small plant equipped with state-of-the-art equipment.