Cool Motorcycle Motoinno TS3

[2point1]

https://nebula.wsimg.com/28022a65577f72cd0e7da2a7948a8b2a?AccessKeyId=2229E12122400A5FEC56&disposition=0&alloworigin=1  

[CECAA850]

Once someone builds a front suspension like that, it seems obvious. 

[JL Sargent]

I wonder if the cost of that suspension is 10x over a typical setup. It certainly looks very expensive to build.

[CECAA850]

I wonder if the cost of that suspension is 10x over a typical setup. It certainly looks very expensive to build.

 

Of course it will be initially.  Once it's been mass produced, the price will come down.

[Ceptorman]

That's interesting for sure. It sounds like they've done their homework and it seems to work well. Can I ride it

[wvu80]

I love it!

 

I have seen a variation of that bi-lateral design about 30 years ago, which is essentially a swing arm on the front.  I think it was on a BMW, but I can't remember now.

 

There are several problems with the design, which starts by using the engine as a stressed frame member.  I wouldn't want the torsional stresses of the engine being transmitted directly to the front end.  Then add in complexity and cost, and of course reliability.  There are a lot of moving moving parts in that front end at precise tolerances that could wear over time and cause stability problems.

 

If it fulfills its claim to pick up a second per turn (albeit against a Suzuki GSX-R750 street bike) indicates it has more appeal for a pure road race instead of a production street bike since RR bikes are meticulously maintained.

 

It may be better than a telescopic front suspension technically, but for a street bike at normal riding speeds, who cares?

 

Edited March 23, 2016 by wvu80

[Ceptorman]

Yamaha's GTS 1000 had an odd front end, BMW still uses a tele lever front end. 

[Schu]

Center hub stering and multi link spring front ends are not new... it keeps coming back to telescopic fork set ups. Elf 500cc formula 1, 800 yamaha, bimota tesi and many more have done it... all sucessfully mind you. It just a trade off, wieght and complexity versus light weight and simplicity.

Edited March 23, 2016 by Schu

[richieb]

Yamaha's GTS 1000 had an odd front end, BMW still uses a tele lever front end.

Good memory on the GT'S. I believe it had been developed in conjunction with James Parker who had developed as Shu noted center hub steering.

Now for BMW who in the last two model years has dropped tell ever and reverted to more traditional male/female slider forks or

"upside down forks". Most of this was done for the space needed for the new Wasserboxer twin radiators mounted where the old telelever spring/arm assembly were placed. The only model still using a non-traditional front end are the K1300 and K1600 which use the Duolever a version of the Hossack fork developed many years ago. No fluid filled fork legs but two rigid "forks" connected to a single monocoque A-arm assembly. My K1600 with Duolever is a phenomenal riding bike. The sport bike guys have never been fond of either the tele or duo for it lacks a bit of feed back for high speed sport riding. But for high speed sport touring, there is flat out nothing like it, or as good.

[Schu]

I was lucky enough to be allowed to visit the honda private collection in so cal a couple years ago... this is a multi link front end used on their factory moto-x 500cc bike from the late eighties.

[wvu80]

Beautiful!

 

Typical Honda one-off works item, that linkage ^^^ is an engineering work of art. 

[Islander]

 

Yamaha's GTS 1000 had an odd front end, BMW still uses a tele lever front end.

Good memory on the GT'S. I believe it had been developed in conjunction with James Parker who had developed as Shu noted center hub steering.

Now for BMW who in the last two model years has dropped tell ever and reverted to more traditional male/female slider forks or

"upside down forks". Most of this was done for the space needed for the new Wasserboxer twin radiators mounted where the old telelever spring/arm assembly were placed. The only model still using a non-traditional front end are the K1300 and K1600 which use the Duolever a version of the Hossack fork developed many years ago. No fluid filled fork legs but two rigid "forks" connected to a single monocoque A-arm assembly. My K1600 with Duolever is a phenomenal riding bike. The sport bike guys have never been fond of either the tele or duo for it lacks a bit of feed back for high speed sport riding. But for high speed sport touring, there is flat out nothing like it, or as good.

 

 

James Parker did come out with a great design.  When he took it to Yamaha, he knew it still needed some development.  Unfortunately, the powers at Yamaha kept him out of much of it, thinking their engineers knew better than the inventor of the design.

 

In an interview I read a couple of years ago, James said he could see problems arising, because of the direction in which the development was going, but Yamaha ignored his suggestions and recommendations.  He went on to say that the final design used on the GTS1000 was good, but could have been much better if he'd had more involvement in it.

 

I'm a Yamaha fan from way back, but I can see how Japanese corporate groupthink could make if difficult for them and James Parker to collaborate the way they should have.

 

The main part of the problem is that most bike buyers are relatively conservative in their opinions of how a bike should look, so the different-looking GTS didn't sell that well, in spite of all the favourable reviews it got.  BMW manages to sell lots of bikes with their unusual front end because most of the unusual parts are hidden by the bodywork, so it looks much like a typical telescopic fork at first glance.