BMW Motorrad: New aluminum frame with carbon reinforcements

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BMW Motorrad: New aluminum frame with carbon reinforcements
BMW.

BMW Motorrad: New aluminum frame with carbon reinforcements

BMW Motorrad: New aluminum frame with carbon reinforcements

BMW Motorrad: New aluminum frame with carbon reinforcements

BMW Motorrad: New aluminum frame with carbon reinforcements

4th pictures

BMW Motorrad: New aluminum frame with carbon reinforcements
BMW motorcycle

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BMW Motorrad would like to add stiffening elements made of composite materials to a standard aluminum frame. The patent speaks of the attachment of the rear frame

BMW Motorrad: New aluminum frame with carbon reinforcements
BMW motorcycle

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According to BMW, the elements can be made from all types of fiber materials, including carbon and polyamide and polyethylene.

BMW Motorrad: New aluminum frame with carbon reinforcements
BMW motorcycle

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In this context, it is important that the elements are screwed to the aluminum frame.

BMW Motorrad: New aluminum frame with carbon reinforcements
BMW motorcycle

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In this way, BMW could produce new model series quickly and cheaply with just a single aluminum base frame and model-specific elements.

counselor

technology & future

BMW Motorrad: New aluminum frame with carbon reinforcements

BMW patent shows motorcycle hybrid frame
Supersport frame with screwed carbon parts

Carbon motorcycle frames are light, stiff, and expensive. Aluminum frames are cheaper, but sometimes unintentionally more flexible. BMW would now like to combine these two worlds in a practical way.


Jens Kratschmar

05/18/2021

In this article:

  • BMW combines aluminum and carbon
  • Carbon or plastic bottle
  • What parts are they?
  • Conclusion

The idea is as simple as it is logical: use a light, stable material such as carbon to build motorcycle frames. The disadvantage of carbon is, in addition to the enormous costs and effort in production, that the frame sometimes becomes too stiff. The motorcycle becomes unwieldy. One solution: add more flexible aluminum to certain areas of the carbon frame. In the end, that changes little on the cost side. BMW has patented an invention that allows a frame made of aluminum to be stiffened with screwed-on composite elements.

BMW combines aluminum and carbon

BMW cites the point of the high cost of frames made of composite materials such as carbon as the reason behind the invention. The plan, it seems, is to be able to convert a standard aluminum frame for different areas of use using the screw-on elements made of light and stiff materials, or, to speak in racing: to be able to quickly adapt the rigidity of the frame to the conditions of the track . Conversely, this technology allows a single frame construction to be quickly adapted to different models in series. Example: There is only one base frame in the BMW S series; the model-specific changes to a S 1000 R and S 1000 XR the rear, footrest supports or even the geometric parameters such as swing arm bearings and steering head could be adapted with the quickly exchangeable composite parts.

Carbon or plastic bottle

When we read racing and lightly, most of us probably think of carbon. But for BMW, the carbon fiber laminate is just one of many ways to manufacture the new composite parts. Even aramid, polyamide, polyethylene, ceramic, basalt, PMMA (light guide) or steel fibers are expressly mentioned and also their combination with and with one another in different fiber angles and laminate thicknesses. Means: In the future, parts of BMW frames could even be made from old plastic bottles. BMW is silent about the production method, the idea is model-specific Components so quickly with 3D printing to manufacture is obvious and would only be logical.

What parts are they?

So far, BMW has made the patent for the attachment of the main frame and rear frame and images accordingly. In terms of driving dynamics, however, using a stiffer element makes little sense at this point, since the screwed-on rear frame should still be made of aluminum. Areas that are really important for the stiffening of a frame are swing arm bearings, steering head, cylinder head bracket and, in the case of the bridge frame, the area of ​​the tank connection towards the rear. BMW remains as vague as possible, which is only comprehensible with a patent. The subsequent possibility to build or print the complete rear end from composite is then again very interesting.

Conclusion

Despite the supposed smoke candle of the rear frame attachment, the BMW invention is extremely interesting and absolutely worth pursuing. The advantages of frame production with only one base frame, supplemented with model or application-specific elements made of possibly printed composite material, would keep series production highly efficient.

Projected onto racing, there are also fantastic opportunities to adapt the bike to the respective routes and to fine-tune the last few percent of performance.

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