Harley-Davidson enthusiast Jim Harrel always had a soft spot for trikes, but he had never thought about getting himself one until he got involved in a small accident. Interpreting that as a sign, he looked through the market of the three-wheeled vehicles to find something suitable to his taste, without success. The reason for that is simple: a trike just cannot lean while cornering, and so he teamed up with specialist Too Kool Cycles to make the Trike of his dreams, and the result is this TRT (Tilting Reverse Trike), a conversion kit that would turn any recent H-D tourer into a fully fledged Trike.

We have already seen Harley-Davidson Trikes in the past, some of which made by the Milwaukee-based manufacturer itself, but there are two features that makes the TRT kit stand out: it has the two wheels at the front (and not at the back) and yes, it can actually lean into corners, with an angle of 25 degrees. Moreover, it can be taken off the bike in a matter of hours - allowing the vehicle to go back to its original two wheels configuration at any time - and locks the bike vertically for speeds inferior to 10 km/h (6 mph). Also worth mentioning is the nice ‘nose’ placed in the middle of the axle, which is very reminiscent of the old racing cars of the 50s-60s.

The response to the model has been so overwhelming that Mr.Harrel and Too Kool Cycles decided to make their kit available on the market. The market of this kind of vehicles is definitely on the rise, and we are pretty sure that this product will be able to find its own space in it. At the moment there is not a definitive price for it, but it should end up being between 8,000 and 12,000 dollars.

via | TheKneeSlider

Ahead of next month’s EICMA show where Ducati will officially unveil the 1199 Panigale, the Italian manufacturer has decided to whet the appetites of fans by releasing images and a video of the new 90° v-twin engine that will power their new Superbike and dubbed Superquadro, named this way because of its massively over-square bore and stroke ratio.

This power plant will continue to be a 1199cc liquid-cooled four-stroke V-Twin and keeps the Desmodronic valve control system and boasts 195 horsepower at 10,750 rpm and 98.1 lb-ft of torque at 9000 rpm making the Ducati Superquadro engine, an all new one in a kind engine for the Italian manufacturer.

Adding a combined chain-and-gear-drive set-up, a wet slipper clutch and a select riding mode system and supposedly it’s even enviromental friendly with reduced HC and CO emissions and reduced maintenance costs.

More pics and Ducati’s complete press release after the jump, where you can find a massive amount of details regarding the Superquadro engine.

Ducati Press Release:

Ducati 1199 Panigale “Superquadro” power house revealed

With just a matter of weeks to go until the final unveiling of Ducati’s brand new 1199 Panigale at the EICMA International Motorcycle Show in Milan (10-13 November), the Italian manufacturer now reveals the secrets behind the awesome power of its 2012 Superbike.

The most extreme benchmark ever

Ducati’s latest engine, the Superquadro, goes beyond the barriers of engineering to enable the introduction of a futuristic Superbike today. Its no-compromise approach to design, combined with Ducati’s Italian innovation has now set the most extreme benchmark ever and stands as the latest milestone in Ducati’s long and iconic history of Superbike engines.

Ducati engineers were given a near impossible design brief to create the new generation Superbike engine for the Ducati 1199 Panigale. Increase power, torque and user- friendliness and reduce overall vehicle weight and scheduled maintenance costs seemed impossible tasks, but given a “blank canvas” to create the new power-plant and encouraged to think outside-of-the-box to achieve the unachievable, engineers have finally ticked all the boxes.

The innovative Superquadro engine, so called because of its massively over-square bore and stroke ratio, has increased power to an absolute production twin-cylinder milestone of 195hp and torque to 98.1 lb-ft (13.5kgm) with user-friendly Riding Modes that deliver that power appropriate to the rider’s style and environment. Its construction has enabled a radical reduction in overall vehicle weight and, further identifying Ducati’s constant pursuit of performance perfection, major services have been extended to 24,000km (15,000 miles).

Only Fabio Taglioni’s masterpiece 90° L-twin configuration and Desmodromic valve control have been retained from previous engines. Everything else is new.

Engine architecture

With the engine designed to be a fully stressed member of the chassis, its architecture has been completely re-calculated to provide the best possible vehicle construction for layout, weight distribution and strength. The cylinders, which remain at 90° to each other, have been rotated backwards around the crankcases by a further 6°, until the front cylinder is 21° from horizontal. This has enabled the engine to be positioned 32mm further forwards for improved front / rear weight distribution in addition to perfectly positioning the cylinder head attachment points for the 1199 Panigale’s monocoque frame.

The crankcases, which are vacuum die-cast using Vacural® technology to ensure optimal weight saving, consistent wall thickness and increased strength, also incorporate in their form the outer water-jacket of the “cylinder”, eliminating the jointing face that used to exist at the base of the cylinders. Instead, the Superquadro has separate nikasil-coated aluminium “wet-liners” inserted into the tops of the crankcase apertures. This design enables secure fixing of the cylinder head directly to the crankcase, improved sealing and enhanced heat dissipation from the thin cylinder-liners directly into the surrounding coolant.

The primary-drive casing, clutch casing and outer cover, sump and cam covers are all cast in magnesium alloy, ensuring a lightweight engine despite its increased strength as an integral part of the chassis.

In addition to cylinder position, the crankcases now use shell main bearings for the crankshaft, previously only used by Ducati on the Desmosedici RR engine. Removing the roller bearings has enabled an increase in diameter of the crank journals for enhanced rigidity and an increase the crankcase section around the main bearing area for improved strength in line with the Superquadro’s extreme power output. The shell bearings are force- fed oil from internal drillings within the main bearing pillars to keep the new crankshaft well lubricated and is quickly scavenged back into the sump with the introduction of a new Ducati feature, a highly efficient MotoGP-style vacuum pump.

The pump is driven by the main oil pump shaft and effectively maintains constant vacuum in the crankcase area below the pistons, reducing atmospheric resistance during the down- stroke of the piston and controlling the internal “breathing” of the engine.

Extreme dimensions

In calculating the optimum configuration to achieve the next big step forward in power output for the L-twin engine, Ducati and Ducati Corse engineers increased engine speed and enhanced breathability with the incredible bore and stroke of 112mm x 60.8mm. The intense study of power and ridability resulted in an output of 195hp @ 10,750rpm and 98.1 lb-ft (13.5kgm) @ 9,000rpm. The new bore and stroke ratio of 1.84:1 effectively increases rpm with the ultra-short stroke of the crankshaft and increases the cylinder area to enable increased valves diameters. Inlet valves have increased from 43.5 to 46.8mm and exhaust valves from 34.5 to 38.2mm.

With such large inlet valves operating at higher rpm, the intense inertial forces have been controlled by using titanium instead of steel, a solution only previously used on full “R” models. The new valves are actuated by racing-derived rocker arms, ‘super-finished’ for reduced friction and fatigue and then coated in polymeric-like carbon (PLC), a process originally developed for the aerospace industry.

The race-derived Superquadro pistons have a distinctive double-ribbed undercrown to achieve high strength and reduced friction by using minimal piston wall surface area. Using technology developed by Ducati Corse, the design enables reliable operation of the 112mm diameter pistons when performing at high rpm.

The improved volumetric efficiency of the increased inlet valve diameters is further capitalised on by increasing the oval throttle body dimensions from an equivalent diameter of 63.9 to a massive and high-flowing 67.5mm. The Ride-by-Wire throttle bodies feed air across twin injectors per cylinder, one positioned below the butterfly for enhanced flexibility and one above for outright power.

Clean power

With such enhanced “breathing”, the challenge for the Superquadro’s Design Engineers was to program performance-optimised fuel mapping for a smoother cycle-to-cycle engine operation, without compromising emissions. To achieve this, Ducati introduced a secondary air system that completes the oxidization of unburned hydrocarbons and effectively reduces HC and CO levels. The system is activated when the engine ECU recognises specific conditions in the engine’s operation via the lambda and throttle opening sensors. It then opens a valve enabling a flow of clean air from the main airbox to a reed valve situated in each cylinder head, which enables one-way flow into an air gallery exiting into the exhaust port close to the exhaust valve. Entering the hottest point of the exhaust gasses, the fresh charge of air enhances the burn environment, eliminating any unburned fuel that escapes during the exhaust cycle under certain conditions.

Desmo dependent

With such an extreme engine, never before has Ducati’s unique Desmodromic system been so vitally important. With the high engine speeds at which the Superquadro operates combined with such large valves, it would be impossible for the valve’s rocker-arm to follow the steep closure profile of the cam lobe using normal valve closure springs. The Desmo system actuates valve closure mechanically with the same method and accuracy as it opens, enabling steep cam profiles, radical cam timings, large valves and high operating speeds. This system is used on every single Ducati motorcycle and is constantly proven on Ducati Corse’s World Superbikes and Desmosedici MotoGP bikes.

The power of precision

Controlling such large valves with the precise Desmodromic system also led engineers to replace the original belt-drive concept, used since the introduction of the Ducati Pantah in 1979, with a combined chain and gear-drive arrangement. The conventional bush-type chain runs from the crankshaft to the cylinder head where a single sprocket positioned between inlet and exhaust camshafts, is attached back-to-back to a gear wheel mounted on its own short, dedicated shaft. The attached gear meshes directly with gears on the ends of both the inlet and exhaust camshafts, which are also designed with +/- position adjustment for ultra-precise cam-calibration. The cam chain, therefore, provides highly efficient point-to- point drive route and, tensioned automatically, provides continuous reliability and further reducing the cost of routine maintenance.

On the end of each exhaust cam drive gear is a centrifugal flyweight which retracts at speeds below tick-over to rotate a “protrusion” from the concentric section of the cam, thus creating sufficient inlet valve lift to act as a de-compressor. This ingenious device enables the Superquadro engine to be started easily without using a larger battery and starter motor, which has reduced overall vehicle weight by approximately 3.3kg (7.3lb). When the engine starts and the camshafts begin to rotate at tick-over speed, the centrifugal flyweight flicks out, retracting the “protrusion” back into the cam and allowing complete valve closure for full compression. This innovative feature further underlines the lengths to which designers and engineers have worked together in the single-minded pursuit of weight-saving.

New transmission

Ducati’s engineers also capitalised on the opportunity of the “blank canvas” project to increase dimension between the centres of the six-speed gearbox shafts, enabling larger diameter, stronger gears to transmit the enhanced power output. New for a top-of-the- range Ducati Superbike is a “wet”, oil-bath clutch. Based very closely on the design of the Multistrada and Diavel components, the clutch assembly features a “slipper” function and a progressive self-servo mechanism that compresses the friction plates when under drive from the engine. While enhancing frictional efficiency, this also results in a rider-friendly light clutch lever “feel” at the handlebar. Conversely, when the drive force is reversed (over-run), the mechanism reduces pressure on the friction plates, enabling a true racing “slipper” action, reducing the destabilizing effect of the rear-end under aggressive down- shifting and provide a much smoother feeling when closing the throttle or down-shifting under normal riding conditions.

Performance perfection

Competition is the platform on which Ducati has always challenged and measured itself. It is a discipline for designers and engineers and the bedrock of motivation for a company in which the constant desire for victory has become a way of life. The Superquadro is the most powerful twin-cylinder production engine on the planet and is destined to power the new Ducati 1199 Panigale with absolute performance perfection.

BMW has an unbelievably strong brand in both cars and motorcycles, but the two rarely meet. That could be about to change with reports that BMW’s new i3 luxury electric citycar will get a range-extending engine borrowed from BMW Motorrad. Where else would be better to look for a powerful but compact engine than from BMW’s own motorcycle range?

While the BMW i3 is set to be an electric citycar, a range extender motor would make it a more flexible option for those doing short commutes, and therefore it could be a more attractive model. Currently the engine is said to be available as an optional extra, and it will possibly be borrowed from the BMW F series bikes.

Alternatively, you could just actually purchase an F series bike and enjoy the 798cc, 75-hp engine anyway. More fun? Most likely, and probably more economic, too. Let’s see if other car manufacturers won’t have a similar inspiration - could we see a Mercedes AMG borrow some Ducati technology in the future?

Source | Cars UK

I’d only just finished writing about the new technology on the Audi A2 Concept over on Eurocarblog when I saw this piece from A&R on BMW’s advances in laser beam technology. We don’t like to be picky, but we do have to correct Jensen and say that LED headlight technology is hardly “just now” making its way onto to premium automobiles. It’s been around for a little while, but if the news from Audi and BMW is anything to go by, it’s already being replaced by lasers.

The new Audi concept uses lasers in its rear lights as a safety measure in various traffic conditions, particularly in fog where a bright red ‘danger’ triangle is projected onto the road behind the car. From that point of view we can see how laser light technology could be a handy safety feature if nothing else. We also imagine that it will provide endless possibilities for tuning in ways that LEDs can’t (just check out this Ferrari fridge as an example of the latter - imagine what they could have done with lasers!).

BMW isn’t exactly all-revealing about its new technology, but A&R suggests that the way a laser works you could actually be more selective about the field being illuminated - meaning you could illuminate a large stretch of road but not actually blind other drivers when doing so. In addition lasers use a lot less energy that LEDs which means better fuel economy (no news here about electric vehicles but we guess they would get a benefit, too).

A final benefit, especially for motorcycles, is the space that lasers take up compared to traditional headlights or LEDs. BMW says that the miniscule size “opens up all sorts of new possibilities when integrating the light source into the vehicle”. It will probably take a couple of years before we see this stuff on cars, let alone motorcycles. But if anyone wants to provide us with a motorcycle design and what they’d do with lasers, go for it. Star Wars just went two wheels.

After reporting last week on the closing stages of the Mo2or design compeition and project here is the winner. Simply called No.1 it is a cafe racer by Arnau Sanjuan and Mo2or describes it as the world’s first crowdsourced motorcycle. They still need your help though, in developing the frame, chassis and engine components so there is plenty to still get involved in and this is one where motorcycle engineers can finally step up to the mark.

Mo2or is running a forum to follow the design and keep the debate open on how to develop the first Mo2or No.1. The model will go into pre-development stage and so far the specs are as follows:

- 883CC Air Cooled, Fuel Injected V-Twin
- Steel Trellis Frame with an adjustable sub-frame & double sided swingarm
- Fully adjustable upside down front forks + Rear Mono Shock
- Fully adjustable Rear-sets + Clip on Handlebars
- Analogue Speed & tacho

If you’re a luddite, stop reading now because this Photofly software will not be your thing. AutoCAD makers Autodesk have developed a new technology that generates a 3D image from photographs taken on a Smartphone.

The impressive technology works when a user takes photographs of an object that get converted into a 3D image, and which can then be changed much like a standard Photoshop file. The Kneeslider reports that at this stage the Photofly software isn’t 100 percent accurate, but it makes for an interesting step in industrial design and motorcycle design projects.

The site suggests that you can take images of something that you’d like to build, or where you see more design potential, and work on the 3D image from there. The Autodesk guys describe it as capturing reality, modifying it, and printing it (hop on over to the Kneeslider for a video on how it all works). If anyone’s managed to do some bike design with this tool yet, we’d welcome the pics to see what kind of creations can come out of this.

If you’re a budding motorcycle designer, or you’re just fed up with the same old designs from the same old companies, you might want to head over to Mo2or to see what’s going on at Steve Pritchard’s start up company. With experience working in digital marketing for brands like Triumph, Mazda, Ford and Jaguar, Pritchard seems serious about his ambitions to develope the world’s first collaborative motorcycle design.

We gather that this viral project isn’t just a nice thing to have on your Facebook page, as the Mo2or site claims that the winner of its design competition will see their bike go into production. We’re a little late on this one as the competition ends tomorrow, but the entries are open to votes so head on over and check out what’s been put forward so far.

This is only the first step in an ambitious project from Mo2or whose aim is to set up production and dealership franchises with investment going back into new projects. The heart of it all though, is the feedback of customers and users themselves. The Mo2or site says:

Welcome to MO2OR a unique British Motorcycle company that aims to develop the World’s first crowdsourced motorbike. Our design a motorbike competition ends on 26th August, and the winner will go into full production. Check out the latest designs and vote for your favourite. We will be developing a wide range of motorbikes as the company develops as well as pushing technology based on rider input, through our forum.

Mo2or motorcycle design competition

After Brammo motorcycles jointly developed its Integrated Electric Transmission with SMRE Engineering, they went ahead and used it for their Brammo Engage and Encite electric motorcycles. Since then, reports from the US of the first Brammo Empulse models to be ordered would indicate that the six-speed transmission will come as standard on this model.

This move will probably further the debate as to whether this kind of electric motorcycle needs a transmission, but if Brammo is making it standard we’re guessing they’ve got a reason to do so. There’s still no official word from Brammo as to why they’ve decided to use the six-speed transmission and make it standard but we’ll wait for more details from the company.

Source | The Kneeslider

Touching up an icon like the BMW R1200GS is no easy task and so the German company has decided to go all out and just rebuild the whole thing, including fitting out its world-famous adventure tourer with a brand new water-cooled engine. These new R1200GS spy shots published both by MCN and MotorcycleUSA show that new water-cooled engine thanks to some mechanical upgrades that show themselves, like the exhaust port at the base of the engine and the hint of a radiator fan.

The most interesting point of the new water-cooling exercise for the R1200GS is not that BMW wants to improve on power. The model already has 110 hp, which is more than respectable. Rather, sources say that BMW is interested in other benefits that water cooling can provide like reduced noise and emissions, and more comfort for the rider.

The BMW R1200GS will also get significant chassis updates, a new drive train and updates to the final shaft drive and exhaust - the latter’s canister will swap sides on the bike with the shaft drive. If the radial-mount calipers in these spy shots remain, the GS will also get updated brakes, but these are minor details compared to the shift to water cooling.

In fact, seeing BMW move away from its long love affair with the air-cooled boxer twin confirms just how good the competition in adventure tourer models has become. While BMW claims no power increase is being pursued, we would see it only as a benefit anyway, as the R1200GS gets an overhaul against the Ducati Multistrada and Yamaha Super Tenere. As we hope to see the new BMW R1200GS at the 2011 EICMA show, let the games begin on the adventurer tourer front.

The Japanese brands are legendary in the world of motorcycling and frankly, we’re often suprised not to see new entries on the market from famous Asian automotive brands. Designer Min Seong Kim fixes that problem for us today with this Hyundai motorbike design - a vehicle which would be added to the company’s large collection of automobiles and heavy equipment.

Strictly a conceptual bike at this stage, the Hyundai motorcycle concept (which seems to be without a name but we’re happy to be corrected on that front) uses organic materials that are flexible and which stretch and contract in much the same way as our muscles work. That’s pretty cool stuff, but like the guys on Autoblog, we’ll ignore the Suzuki leathers at this point.

Hyundai Motorcycle Design

Source | YankoDesign

The Italians are describing this Nembo 32 modern café racer as a complete novelty in the world of motorcycling. Presented a few months ago, the Nembo motorcycle has undergone its latest evolution and is now track testing on the Franciacorta track in Italy. Why is the Nembo so special? Because it mounts an upside-down three-cylinder engine.

Apart from its mechanical innovation, the Nembo 32 is in the style of a café racer, although we will have to get used to its awkward looks. The creation comes from Italian inventor Daniele “Titus” Sabatini, but we’re not quite sure of the benefits of fitting an upside-down engine (apart from the fact that Titus has proved you can - more on this later).

Despite what might sound like a complicated mechanical operation, the Nembo is actually quite simple both in its looks and in the rest of its components. So far, weight is said to be about 150 kg, and the 1814cc, three-cylinder motor can do 170 hp. The first production version is expected to take that engine capacity up to 1925cc, so we should have quite a fast machine on our hands.

The Nembo 32 is a kind of muscle bike about large bore riding fun, rather than the fiddly mechanics and electronics of racing bikes. Its creator, Titus, expects to produce a limited, strictly to order, run, and we’ll be interested to see what the final Nembo production version looks like.

Source | Ottonero via Motoblog.it

It’s only when you delve into history like this that you realise what a shame it is that a company like Moto Morini is closing. This photo of the Morini Deltabox (which looks like it’s scanned from a magazine, but we can’t be sure) from Motoblog.it, shows the V-Twin engine which was designed by Italy’s famous motorcycle engineer, Franco Lambertini.

While other Italian motorcycle companies are also credited with the innovation and use of the V-Twin engine, it is generally considered that Lambertini is the father of the design. During his career, he worked at Moto Morini, and when the company was under Cagiva ownership it is said the new owners actually put aside his original drawing for a v-twin.

Lambertini then moved on to Piaggio Group for a while, before going back to Morini and working on projects for Benelli and other development of new Morini models. Curiously, Lambertini has a background in automobiles and first worked for Ferrari which makes quite a list of Italian industrial design in general. See more on Lambertini in an interview with the Morini Club.

Send your funny, bizarre or surprising pics to us and we’ll post them, with your name. We’d love to share what you guys find in the world of motorcycling! Send to: pics@twowheelsblog.com.