BMW Bringing Carbon Fiber Tech To Motorcycle Frames | Page 4 | GTAMotorcycle.com

BMW Bringing Carbon Fiber Tech To Motorcycle Frames

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-D- said:
I guess one little mishap on the bike with CF and goodbye bike or needs a new frame.
Great way to ensure constant bike sales.
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Or keep frames in stock and replace the frame rather than the whole bike. And as more frames are replaced because of driveway drops, the cost of frames comes down. Unfortunately this will never happen because the insurance companies don't care if bikes get written off. More bikes written off, premiums go up, no pressure to keep repair costs down. And we'll pay.
 
Renboy said:
Or keep frames in stock and replace the frame rather than the whole bike. And as more frames are replaced because of driveway drops, the cost of frames comes down. Unfortunately this will never happen because the insurance companies don't care if bikes get written off. More bikes written off, premiums go up, no pressure to keep repair costs down. And we'll pay.
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I guess my main issue is if you have a small get off, the bike might look okay to ride but the frame could be seriously damaged where you can't see or feel.
Alloy frames you can see and feel.

Imagine a small off or drop, bike seems fine, you get back on and start riding at speed...

How does one properly inspect a CF bike when they sell/buy them from dealers/online???
 
-D- said:
I guess my main issue is if you have a small get off, the bike might look okay to ride but the frame could be seriously damaged where you can't see or feel.
Alloy frames you can see and feel.

Imagine a small off or drop, bike seems fine, you get back on and start riding at speed...

How does one properly inspect a CF bike when they sell/buy them from dealers/online???
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Some bicycle manufacturers say send the frame back to them for inspection and possible repair, others say just scrap it and get a new one.
It all comes down to available technology and liability.
 
crankcall said:
it burns really really hot , accumulates a lot of smoke and once its going , its fast. Its an epoxy resin base material. UV is its enemy, again because of the resins, you can use a UV topcoat laquer and UV resistant resins and paint is even better, but you went to carbon for weight savings sometimes and paint is heavy.

So sad the Britten production numbers never made it past 10 units?
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Something like that. Guy laid it all by hand in his garage; between casting and machining components for a complete engines of his own design. Pretty sure that can be said of almost the entire bike. All designed and produce by him with some labour from a few friends. It's amazing he made what he did in just a couple years.
 
-D- said:
Valid point.

What about when bikes go electric, any issues with compounds mixing, battery leaking on frame?
I am all for technology but this application does not seem to make sense considering the downsides.
Who is really pushing this and why?

I guess one little mishap on the bike with CF and goodbye bike or needs a new frame.
Great way to ensure constant bike sales.
Click to expand...

I would think CF would be a something seriously considered as motors and batteries are not exactly light atm. That of course could change.
 
TK4 said:
Some bicycle manufacturers say send the frame back to them for inspection and possible repair, others say just scrap it and get a new one.
It all comes down to available technology and liability.
Click to expand...


exactly but my main point is ppl will not know there is massive damage to the motorcycle and start riding it again
 
Neil_V said:
Something like that. Guy laid it all by hand in his garage; between casting and machining components for a complete engines of his own design. Pretty sure that can be said of almost the entire bike. All designed and produce by him with some labour from a few friends. It's amazing he made what he did in just a couple years.
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even more amazing they had eight of them show up for a race last yr at an American bike festival, pulled out of museums and private collections and actually raced in anger with professional riders, given they are sort of priceless and parts would have to be fabricated if something bad happened.
 
-D- said:
exactly but my main point is ppl will not know there is massive damage to the motorcycle and start riding it again
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People do that already with aluminum and steel frames, why would you expect CF to be any different ? You can't fix stupid...
 
TK4 said:
People do that already with aluminum and steel frames, why would you expect CF to be any different ? You can't fix stupid...
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What I was getting at...you have a chance to see or feel for damage where as with CF it seems less likely.

If you took an axe and made a 4 inch gash on the side of your frame or swing arm...that bike is still ride-able...in an accident between bike and cars or bike and bike that rider has a chance to bring the bike to a stop...where as with CF do they have the same chance?
 
One can only wonder how far they will go with carbon fiber......this is probably not new for some car companies, but even GM is looking at carbon fiber and where to use it....

http://www.carscoops.com/2016/05/gms-performance-cars-to-get-carbon.html

Following Ford Motor Company's announcement to offer carbon fiber wheels on the 2015 Mustang Shelby GT350R and on the Ford GT, General Motors has a similar task in mind and the company's bosses are looking at their performance cars to do so, according to Autoblog.

Likely candidates for carbon fiber rims are Cadillac's V-Series models, as the GM light polymer engineer, William Rodgers, said, but the Chevrolet Corvette and Camaro would also be considered. Australian company Carbon Revolution, the same to supply carbon fiber wheels for Ford's vehicles, is expected to be selected by GM.........
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http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a27149/dissected-fiber-arts/
 
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Neil_V said:
It's funny, so much hate for the attempted progress; bet it wasn't much different when the first aluminium framed bikes appeared.
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I don't get the advantage of CF for a MC frame. The weight savings would have to be pretty big and the cost pretty negligible for it to make sense. But I'm allowing for the possibility of being impressed on those scores.

But yeah, the negative responses in this thread are borderline hysteria.

Can't trust BMW with anything technical. CF suffers catastrophic failure when damaged. Sport bikes don't need to be any lighter. The price will be stratospheric. CF particles are cancerous. It'll crack and you'll never know it. You can't leave it out in the sun. It will raise all our insurance rates. It will impale you and eat your baby (if your baby is made of aluminium or stainless steel). Also, airplanes can catch fire.

Hopefully BMW reads GTAM so they can be informed about the awful thing they're about to do.
 
And people thought the Ford Pinto design was a good idea...what could possibly go wrong...oh wait and the Hindenburg was another smashing concept.

There is a place for CF, just not for primary structural integrity imo.
 
Everything comes at a price, with bonuses and trade offs.
CF helmets have been around for a while and no babies have been eaten ?
 
good that the regular crowd showed up with 3cents of input. Shame they discontinued the penny, hard to make change for a nickle.
 
I stayed out of this thread because I think aluminum frames are over the top. You're welcome.
 
I like you chrome moly guys, reynolds 531 FTW. If I had a band , or a pet fish, I'd name it Chrome Moly.
 
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