Tag Archives: patent

Motorcycle News, News

Jazzy Protector to save rider’s groin

Leave a comment

Have you ever hit a big bump that hammers your groin on to the fuel tank, sending tears streaming down your face?

Old Triumph motorcycles used to have a luggage rack on the tank (pictured above) that many called “the castrater” for obvious reasons!

Thankfully modern bikes don’t have such dangerous tank attachments, but they can still cause pain for riders if they hit a bump and land on the tank.

Now a Brooklyn inventor has come up with the “Jazzy Protector” which he says will save the family jewels.

“I ride a motorcycle and thought there could be a better way to protect the groin area when hitting potholes or riding on rough roads,” he tells Pittsburgh company InventHelp which protects the intellectual property of inventors.

“My design could help to prevent unwanted discomfort and injuries,” the unnamed inventor says.

The invention is patent pending and there are few details provided by InventHelp.

We asked them to put us in touch with the inventor to find out more but they have so far failed to reply.

Protecting your groin

All they say is that the invention “provides an effective way to protect a motorcyclist’s groin if he or she slides forward unexpectedly”.

“In doing so, it prevents the rider from contacting the motorcycle’s gas tank,” InventHelp says.

“As a result, it enhances comfort and it provides added protection and peace of mind.

“The invention features a durable design that is easy to apply and use so it is ideal for motorcycle owners. Additionally, it is producible in design variations.”

That doesn’t really tell us anything.

We still don’t know if it is something that you stick down your trousers like a cricket “box” or hockey “cup”, or whether it is something you attach to the motorcycle tank or seat.

The original design was submitted to the Manhattan sales office of InventHelp and is available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Are motorbike winglets just a gimmick?

Leave a comment

Winglets have been used on MotoGP bikes for a few years now to improved high-speed handling, but are they just a gimmick on street-registered motorcycles?

It’s not just MotoGP bikes that have them, but also Ducati’s Panigale V4, Aprilia’s RSV4 and their upcoming RS660 (pictured).

These all have fixed winglets, but not it seems there is a move to active winglets that automatically deploy at certain speeds like the rear spoilers on some exotic cars that deploy at certain speeds.

Last year Honda applied for a patent for an active aero system that features winglets with servo motors that deploy the winglet at certain speeds to increase downforce.

Honda patents active aero directActive winglets patent

Last month Honda also applied for a patent for an active rear spoiler.

Piaggio gimmick?

Now Piaggio has applied for a patent for active fairing winglets activated by the rider.

The filing drawing features a Piaggio MP3 three-wheeled leaning scooter!

Now surely that’s got to be a gimmick.

GimmickWinglets on a Piaggio MP3 three-wheeled scooter

Or at least it is designed in a vain attempt to disguise their intent to use it on Aprilia MotoGP bikes or production sportsbikes.

After all, the idea is to improve handling at high — and surely illegal — speeds.

However, motorsport technician Jeromy Moore says aerodynamics can have an effect “at any speed depending on the design”.

“You will already feel the drag effect on your body at 60km/h when upright so you can imagine using some of that energy to produce downforce is possible,” he says.

“It’s a small effect at lower speeds but can be quite powerful.

“By having it active you could have a very aggressive winglet that flakes off at higher speed so you can get a benefit at lower speeds.”

So maybe it’s not a gimmick after all, although we don’t see Piaggio using it on a scooter!

But we’re not sure the extra weight of the servo motors and cabling would cancel out the added efficiency of the winglets.

And then there’s the extra expense …

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Patent suggests Honda set to build CB4X

Leave a comment

Honda has filed patent designs for a bike that seem to suggest they will build the CB4X concept shown at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan last November.

Honda CB4X concept patent (1)New patent drawing

CB4X patent

Not a lot is known about the concept and the patent filing doesn’t reveal any extra details.

It appears to have a mid-capacity engine, possibly an old 600cc engine from the CBR600RR, but down-tuned to meet Euro5 emissions targets.

That is a good way to use old engines. Ducati has successfully done that with its 03cc and 1100cc Scramblers, using old Monster engines.

At EICMA, Honda described the CB4X as blending sports, naked and touring, although it doesn’t look like much of a touring bike to me.

However, it does have an adjustable windscreen. 

Honda CB4X

The CB4X also features a diamond-shaped headlight, daytime running lights, aluminium subframe, sharp tail and 17-inch front wheel.Honda CB4X

CB4X design

The bike has been designed by Valerio Aiello and his team of young designers at the Japanese company’s Rome centre for design and research.Honda CB4X

Honda’s official EICMA press release said:

The CB4X features flowing, yet compact lines, designed to enhance the contrasting personality of a motorcycle that’s born to use every day on urban routes, and on carving mountain bends or long journeys on the weekend.

The fuel tank hunches forward, like a cobra ready to attack its prey.

The Honda CB4X is an idea dedicated to those riders who live for sports riding – but don’t want to give up the possibility of relaxing, two-up travel experiences whenever or wherever.

Unfortunately, it’s not the six-cylinder CBX that Honda filed patent drawings (below) in 2018 that looks a little like its 1980s six-cylinder CBX with a bubble fairing.

Honda CBX six-cylinderPatent drawings

But don’t get too excited yet about the CB4X or CBX.

As we know, Honda has been busy with a lot of patents for various bikes, engines and innovations in recent years.

They include the recent 850cc parallel twin which could be destined for a smaller Africa Twin.

Obviously not all will go into production. It seems more likely Honda is intent on protecting its intellectual property.

Other recent Honda patents include:

Forks Goldwing patentGoldwing forks patent

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Honda plans 850cc parallel twin

Leave a comment

Honda has filed a patent in Japan for a new 850cc parallel-twin engine to replace the current NC750 range and possibly also go into a smaller Africa Twin.

In Australia, there is only the NC750X, but there are several other 70cc models overseas.

The new model will not only have a new engine to meet the more stringent Euro 5 emission regulations but also a new chassis.

Parallel twin

Honda 850cc parallel twin

A bigger parallel twin means they can meet the emissions targets without having to reduce power output.

The patent drawings also show a dual-clutch transmission, so it should have a semi-automatic gearbox.

Just because the patent drawing shows a naked street bike doesn’t mean anything. Honda wouldn’t want to telegraph its true intentions by showing the engine in an adventure bike.

We think it would be an excellent engine for an Africa Twin.

While the Africa Twin has this year gone from 1000cc to 1100cc, there is room for a smaller and lighter model to compete with the mid-sized Triumph Tiger 900 and BMW F 850 adventure models.

Honda patents

This is one of a blitz of patent applications by Honda over the past couple of years.

Some are quite weird and impractical, but others may actually make it to market.

We suspect Honda is just trying to dominate intellectual property on motorcycle inventions, rather than planning to put them all into production.

The patents include:

Forks Goldwing patentGoldwing forks patent

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Honda patents aerodynamic tail

Leave a comment

Honda has filed an application for a patent for an aerodynamic tail that looks a little like those spoilers we see on “sully sic” fast fours and 1970s supercars.

Winglets have been added to the front of MotoGP bikes over the past couple of years to address aerodynamic issues.

Now Honda is looking to add some aerodynamic assistance to the rear of the bike.Honda aerodynamic rear end

Aerodynamic tail

Ducati’s Panigale V4 has a similar aerodynamic trail.

Corbin motorcycle seatsDucati Panigale V4

However, Honda’s patent features a removable tail-pack, where you can store small items such as your phone or wallet. That seems to indicate it’s not been designed specifically for race use.

It also appears to have movable wings which could be deployed at high speed for stability and under heavy braking to keep the rear wheel on the ground.

They could be deployed automatically or with a manual switch on the handlebar.

It would match the active aerodynamic winglets Honda has also applied to patent.

Honda patents active aero directActive winglets patent

Aerodynamic issues

Now don’t laugh. Aerodynamic issues are more prevalent in motorcycles than cars.

The most aerodynamically “slippery” motorcycle is the Suzuki Hayabusa which has a drag coefficient (cD) of about 0.55 to 0.60.

Hayabusa GSX1300Hayabusa

Drag coefficient is the ratio of drag on the body moving through the air to the product of the velocity and the surface area of the body.

Even a Mazda6 sedan has a much better cD of 0.26.

Racing engineer Jeromy Moore says it is difficult for motorcycles to match a car’s aerodynamics, because they are too short.

“With aero, it will be hard to get a bike’s cD down as it is quite short so the air has to deflect at larger angles to go around and rejoin,” he says.

Honda patents

This is one of a blitz of patent applications by Honda over the past couple of years.

Some are quite weird and impractical, but others may actually make it to market.

We suspect Honda is just trying to dominate intellectual property on motorcycle inventions, rather than planning to put them all into production.

The patents include:

Forks Goldwing patentGoldwing forks patent

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Honda patents telescopic side stand

Leave a comment

Honda’s blitz on motorcycle patent applications continues with the latest a telescopic side stand.

Instead of a solid, sprung stand you flick out to prop up the motorcycle, this stand is like a telescopic camera tripod.

We can understand the need to make side stands more secure from flicking back and allowing the bike to fall.

Harley-Davidson resolved this years ago with a locking side stand.

Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycleClever locking Harley side stand

Telescopic stand

Honda’s telescopic sand plan is revolutionary, but we’re not sure it is any more secure than current solid, sprung stands.

It also seems complex to deploy as you have push it down and rotate it backwards.

To retract the stand the rider has to push the base forwards, releasing a peg from a slot so a spring retracts the tubes.

We have complained in the past about flimsy side stands and the lack of centre stands on modern motorcycles.

This hardly seems to address either issue.

Honda patents

This is one of a blitz of patent applications by Honda over the past couple of years.

Some are quite weird and impractical, but others may actually make it to market.

We suspect Honda is just trying to dominate intellectual property on motorcycle inventions, rather than planning to put them all into production.

The patents include:

Forks Goldwing patentGoldwing forks patent

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Honda Goldwing forks extended

Leave a comment

Honda has filed a patent that indicates it may be planning to extend its Goldwing double-wishbone forks to other bikes in its range.

Two patent drawings show the suspension being used on a neo retro CB1100 and a C125 Super Cub scooter.

Patent drawing for forks ion a CB1100 Patent drawing for forks ion a CB1100

So anything in between could be suitable for the suspension.

To us, it looks similar to BMW’s duolever suspension which is expensive, heavy and lacks feel. However, the advantages are a lack of dive under brakes and the ability to soak up big hits.

Honda’s Goldwing suspension uses a similar system invented by Scot Norman Hossack.

The suspension system is similar to those on some sportscars, but instead of a hub-carrier and wheel attached to the end of the wishbones, it has a solid front fork attaches to the front wheel.Forks CB1100

While it may provide great traction, comfy ride and precise steering, it doesn’t really suit the retro styling of the CB1100 and we think the weight may defeat the advantages on a Super Cub.

But it could have advantages on some other bikes in their range.

Forks patents

Aprilia anti-dive forksAprilia anti-dive forks

It follows recent patent by Aprilia for anti-dive forks and is one of many patents Honda has lodged in the past 18 months, including one for suspension that works via artificial intelligence to predict and adjust damping.

While some of the other Honda patents are fairly wild ideas, this seems much more sensible and could come to market in the future.

This new patent joins the following recent Honda applications:

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

MotoGP, Motorcycle News, News

Aprilia patents anti-dive forks

Leave a comment

Aprilia has applied for a patent for a system that prevents the front forks diving under heavy braking and losing the ability to absorb bumps.

The drawings show it being used on Aprilia’s RS-GP MotoGP bike.

However, preventing brake dive is more important on normal roads where there are more bumps that can unsettle a motorcycle.

Inventive forks

There have been many inventions that promise anti-dive over the years.

In 2015, Brisbane company Motoinno invented the Triangulated Steering and Suspension System which allows the rider to totally dial out brake dive, or even dial in front lift under braking.

Motoinno TS3 with centre steeringMotoinno TS3 with centre steering

Similarly, the Aprilia system allows the selection of how much the forks dive.

However, their patent features standard cartridge upside-down forks, but with the brake callipers attached by a linkage.

So when you hit the brakes, the callipers rotate and a spring pushes them back when you let the brakes go.

Engineers can probably work out how it functions from the drawings.Aprilia anti-dive forks

For the rest of us, we can see a system that is fairly simple and therefore not adding too much in weight and expense.

The advantages for riders would be the ability to brake later into a corner on a track day and, on bumpy roads, it would be a handy safety feature.

We believe the feature was destined to be been tested in this season’s MotoGP, but that is now on hold indefinitely during the pandemic.

That might mean a further delay in when this safety feature appears on street bikes.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Yamaha carbon frame has damage alert

Leave a comment

Yamaha has applied for a patent on a carbon fibre frame that changes colours like a bruise when it has been damaged to alert the rider of a potential fault.

You would think a rider would know when their bike has been damaged in a crash! After all, with metal frames you can see bends and breaks in the welds.

But with a carbon frame, you can’t see the underlying hairline fractures that could lead the whole thing failing and splintering.

While the patent drawing shows an FR1300, this is probably aimed more at racers for the moment.

However, it will be of use to all riders as more and more bikes start to use carbon frames for light weight and subsequent savings in fuel and emissions output.

It would provide some peace of mind even if the bike just fell off its stand or you dropped it doing a slow u-turn.

Dameg alert

MoreBikes.co.uk says the Yamaha patent shows an electric cable woven inside the frame that has a low resistance to impact.

It detects a fault and sends it to a “damage detection control unit” which alerts the rider, presumably by a light on the instrument panel much like an engine failure light.

It can also be upgraded to a fibre-optic version that detects chassis differences between the mainframe and subframe.

The patent says a fibre-reinforced resin material is used in the frame that changes colour when it is damaged much like a bruise.

This technology will no doubt add to the cost of the bike.

However, most customers interested in this tech would be cashed up, anyway, if they can afford a bike with a carbon frame.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

BMW plans motorcycle crumple zone

Leave a comment

BMW has secured a patent that turns the front wheel into a crumple zone similar to the safety feature built into cars for decades.

In the BMW Motorrad patent, the front wheel stays straight on impact, rather than deflecting, by means of a metal V-shaped unit mounted on the frame.

Crumple zone

They claim this will add precious crumple zone centimetres before the rider impacts with the other vehicle or obstruction.

Crumple zones were developed and patented by Mercedes-Benz in 1952 and first installed in their 220 in 1959.

They are now in just about every vehicle on the road, except motorcycles.

But adding a heavy chunk of metal to a motorcycle – even if it is low down and will improve the centre of gravity – doesn’t seem like a smart idea.

It also only serves as protection in a head-on crash and we don’t see how it will stop the rider going over the handlebars, anyway.

BMW plans motorcycle crumple zonePatent drawing

Joke?

We’re not sure if BMW is serious about this. After all, BMW are kings of April 1 pranks, but this is a little too early for an April Fool’s Day joke.

BMW is also keen on patents and has applied for these just over the past couple of years:

None of these has yet gone into production.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com