Photo: Cycleworld.com
A truly interesting and eye-catching monocoque chassis design comes from Taylormade as a daring proposition for Moto2 racing machinery. The Carbon2 machine was developed by the former Buell test rider and racer Shawn Higbee.
The new concept incorporates the fuel tank into the very bodywork, while engine covers and other aerodynamic implements are also almost embedded into the build. Made entirely from carbon fiber, a material with exceptional stiffness-to-weight parameters, this uncanny type of monocoque chassis also brings in a new cooling routing design.
While some say the traditional front-facing placement of the radiator may suffer from the air turbulence behind the front wheel, the Taylormade build has an underseat radiator cooled by the air flow channeled through the very body of the bike.
The fuel tank is also placed much closer to the center of gravity of the bike and the BMW-type telelever front suspension is supposed to add stiffness to the machine.
Remains to be seen whether the prototype is indeed a competitive one and can deliver on-track performance to meet the actual Moto2 bikes. Still wondering what's happening during a crash, as crashes do occur quite often in Moto2 and how major setup changes are needed as far as key components, such as the swingarm are concerned.
The Carbon2 machine debuts at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, July 11-14, so it's only days until we know more. Visit Cycle World for more pictures.
While some say the traditional front-facing placement of the radiator may suffer from the air turbulence behind the front wheel, the Taylormade build has an underseat radiator cooled by the air flow channeled through the very body of the bike.
The fuel tank is also placed much closer to the center of gravity of the bike and the BMW-type telelever front suspension is supposed to add stiffness to the machine.
Remains to be seen whether the prototype is indeed a competitive one and can deliver on-track performance to meet the actual Moto2 bikes. Still wondering what's happening during a crash, as crashes do occur quite often in Moto2 and how major setup changes are needed as far as key components, such as the swingarm are concerned.
The Carbon2 machine debuts at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, July 11-14, so it's only days until we know more. Visit Cycle World for more pictures.
Google News