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Technology Cannondale MX 400

Grown over the head

Based on the upturned cylinder head, the American bicycle manufacturer Cannondale set up an off-road machine with sensational technology.

Lively designing, letting your imagination run free – this is how many people imagine life in the construction departments. The reality, however, is usually more sober: the technician has to keep the costs in the back of his head for every line of drawings, the red pencil for calculations forces you to take over existing components or dismantle the shares warehouse. The dream remains to start from scratch and let off steam ruthlessly. Such paradisiacal conditions seem to have existed at Cannondale when the bicycle manufacturer decided at the beginning of last year to also be involved in motorized two-wheelers in the future. The result is an off-road machine full of technical sophistication.
The first prototypes of the new 400 Crosser were already ready last autumn, at that time still with an engine from the Swedish specialist Folan, which is structurally very similar to the Husaberg engine. It remains to be seen whether the Americans had serious plans for the unspectacular Folan drive or just viewed it as a test vehicle from the start. The fact that the in-house, technically revolutionary engine embodies the high demands of self-confident Americans, which was set high from the start, speaks in favor of the last version, and the MX 400 can also convey the label "Made in USA "more credibly.
The central idea of ​​the Cannondale-Crosser is the upturned cylinder head; MOTORRAD had already presented a similar concept in 1997 in the study "Enduro 2002" (see box on page xxx). This U-turn brings a whole range of advantages: The mixture preparation can be relocated to the steering head area with very cheap, steep intake ducts, while with conventional technology it always collides with the frame and seat bench. There is space in front of the engine for a large, low-lying radiator. The air filter moves behind the front start sign and draws in clean air high up. The exhaust paths are also straight, so the heat is better dissipated from the engine.
A chain drives the two camshafts, but not directly, but via a gear reduction. This reduces the overall volume of the cylinder head, and the centrifugal forces on the chain are reduced by small sprockets, so the timing remains almost constant at extreme speeds. The motor housing is designed as a one-piece tunnel housing. The one-piece forged crankshaft is inserted from the side, and a huge cover on the left gives access to the innards. The five-speed cassette gearbox is also installed from the left-hand side, so individual gear steps can be changed quickly.
The unusually large balance shaft rotates in front of the compact crank drive. The advantages of the large mass: The crankshaft is correspondingly smaller, which saves overall height. In addition, the counter-rotating shaft eliminates not only a large part of the inertia forces, but also the gyroscopic moments. That could raise the handiness of the already extremely light Cannondale to a two-stroke level. When it comes to the oil circuit, the Cannondale engineers came up with something special. The gearbox is completely sealed off from the crank drive and runs in its own oil, so that wear-promoting abrasion from the clutch and gears does not get into the sensitive engine circuit. The crank drive and cylinder head have a dry sump lubrication, the oil (1.5 liters) is bunkered in the left frame tube.
The engine management is very modern, a complex black box with high computing capacity controls the ignition and injection system. The parameters of speed, throttle position and gear are included in the ignition map. The injection system also takes the cooling water temperature, air pressure and temperature into account. No need to change jets or a choke. The disadvantage: when intervening, such as engine tuning – maybe that’s no longer an issue – tuning is time-consuming.
An ignition interrupter is also integrated into the black box for easier switching, and not only the author is looking forward to its function. Because attempts with automatic gearshifts on a Super Moto-Husqvarna always failed in off-road use with heavy slip. The Cannondale is started by an electric motor, and exclusively, a kick starter is not even provided.
On the chassis side, the MX 400 is not revolutionary, but it is state-of-the-art. Two strong profiles between the steering head and swing arm bearing make the aluminum frame extremely rigid. The beams are screwed on like the rear frame. The intake tract, which is turned forward, provides plenty of space for the shock absorb. Therefore, the directly hinged Ohlins damper with progressive PSD technology (Ohlins patent) can be installed very diagonally, the geometry results in additional progression.
The Americans state that the ready-to-drive MX 400 is well below 110 kilograms. If that’s the case, the Cannondale is clearly below the Yamaha YZ 400 F, despite the electric starter, and roughly on par with the new KTM, which will also debut as a series machine this year. Cannondale is currently still testing with various engine configurations on its own tracks and test benches. At the same time, a modern laboratory is being built in which frame loads can be simulated.
B.Already in July the Americans want to produce motorcycles in the new plant, which will later work with 600 people. The 2000 vintage is largely sold out after its presentation at the Indianapolis motorcycle show in early February. How many motorcycles come to Europe is not known, nor is it known what they are supposed to cost in this country. So far, only the US retail price of $ 7,950 has been set. That is almost 40 percent percent above a YZ 400, accordingly, around 17500 marks would be expected in Germany. A price that surely outgrows many interested parties.

The resemblance is amazing

In issue 14/1997, MOTORRAD already presented how the off-road group of the editors envisions a modern enduro. The intake tract directed towards the control head was also the central idea for the »Enduro 2002«. With this concept, a modern four-stroke engine with steep intake channels can be accommodated in a compact frame. In contrast to the conventionally constructed Cannondale head, MOTORRAD used the Apfelbeck principle, in which the inlet ducts between the camshafts are directed upwards. In the Enduro 2002, the intake ducts also lead through the steering head of the frame, but the air filter is placed above the engine. Husaberg is currently working on a similar construction. The Swedes have tilted the cylinder of their single cylinder backwards, creating space for straight intake paths. So far, experiments have been carried out with a carburetor that could later be replaced by an injection system. The ohc engine is already running in prototypes and is built into a steel bridge frame.

Technical specifications

Cannondale MX 400Technical dataMotorWater-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke engine, two overhead camshafts driven by chain and idler gears, four valves operated by bucket tappets, one-piece, forged crankshaft, dry sump lubrication for crankshaft drive and cylinder head, wet sump lubrication for gearbox and clutch, electronically controlled injection system, digital map Starter, five-speed cassette gearbox, multi-disc oil bath clutchBore x stroke 91 x 61 mmCapacity 397 cm³Compression ratio 13: 1 ChassisBridge frame made of aluminum profiles, bolted beams and rear frame made of aluminum, Ohlins upside-down fork (standpipe diameter 46? Mm) with adjustable rebound and compression damping made of aluminum profiles, directly articulated Ohlins PSD central spring strut with adjustable spring base, rebound and compression stage dampingDimensions and weightsWeight without petrol 108 kg Tank capacity / reserve 8 litersWheel base mm Steering head angle 62.5 degreesColors red or black doctor

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