ROOK/HUB. do you get Brembo calipers in the US? If yes am I right that changing front pads means taking the calipers off?

People have Brembo calipers in the US. I do not have them. Just OEMs right now. I see what you mean though--there are no removable pins on most Brembo calipers. There does appear to be a clip to keep the pads stable but whatever the pads slide on is strictly internal...

so I would say, yes, you are probably correct. There must be a pin molded into the inside of the caliper on both sides and there must be a gap at the center where the pads can slide off if the rotor is not holding the pads in. That actually seems to entail risks of its own but I'd think Brembo would have that figured out. The caliper mounting bolts need to be safety wired for a race bike. A removable pin is probably one more thing you'd absolutely need to safety wire on a race setup so Brembo may have decided to make the pins solid.

That seems very cumbersome for a track bike where pads are wearing out fast though. I would not worry about it for the street. How often do you change pads on the street?? Under-torque the caliper bolts and locktight them. check them or safety wire them. In and out with caliper bolts every few years, you might might wear out the caliper mount threads with full spec torque.

and I have no personal experience with anything other than stock calipers but from my discussion with others, good calipers are not going to improve braking performance for any but the best riders on the track only and even then, you better get close to top of the line Brembo or it won't matter at all. Brembo calipers are nice bling though.

A high quality master cylinder should produce a more noticeable change in brake performance but the 14 already has a pretty good one.

ROOK as ever my thanks for your trouble in replying. My new 14 (Europe spec) comes standard with Brembo calipers. As you say on the Nissin one's it was really easy to swap pads but there seems no way into the Brembo without removal. I don't ride on the brakes which is why I get 50+mpg so expect my first pad renewal is a good way off. Thanks again.

I hope we get a definite answer. Really, removing calipers is not much more work than removing a pin. The only thing is I wouldn't want to have to remove caliper bolts to check the pads closely. I'd only want to do it if I were definitely going to change the pads.

https://www.cheapcycleparts.com/oemparts/a/kaw/5853081687a86609a0cd855c/front-brake
There are brem's on mine so it looks like...

Nissin: Can have calipers remain on forks to remove pads = 2 pins hold 4 pads.
Brembo: Parts page wise, look at the ends of the pad. Those are 'lockers' for a better name, so one would need to remove the caliper and slide the pad(s) to the center of the caliper so it slides out of the 'locker guides'... needing a better term.

Taffs201014,
As a 2016 SE owner that has Brembo calipers and master with braided lines. I can tell you that yes for pad replacement you take the calipers off. Then press the pistons back a bit with finger pressure on the pad press them towards the top part of the caliper and they just slide right out. Previous bike had a pin with a cotter pin and a clip holding the pads. The Brembos are a dream!!! And they stop hard!