strange looking bike (pics)

[razteo]

I’ve seen this bike today. I was shocked about the design.
No front fork, front & rear swing arms, suspension was in a wired low position, brake calipers and everything else was hanging super-low for a lower gravity point.
A strange combination of 2 frames, one that looks like steel to me, was also a sort of swing arm for front wheel, and another one that seams like a machine made aluminum piece was holding the engine in the middle of the bike.

Anyway, it was a little wired, but it was a beautiful bike!
Take a look at a few pictures I took with the phone.

 

[Shinn]

Its a Bimota Tesi 3D!! Uses whats called hub steering. I love that bike, but not sold in Canada.

Bimota - Tesi 3D - Introduction

 

[Fred]

Nice bike. The design has many elements taken from the Yamaha GTS1000, so that ought to make the Yamaha purists on this forum happy.

Fred

 

[Motogiro]

I think I remember a bike called the Vyrus that used the same technology for steering. Had a Duc motor.

 

[Kazza]

Bimotas are soooo hot. Very futuristic looking.

 

[lonesoldier84]

ya i read about this a while back. very cool. i think it doesnt dive forwards when you brake?

 

[Senior]

definitely strange . . .

I took this picture at the MCN bike show last Dec, but must admit that I only noticed the strange front end when I uploaded the photos onto the PC

 

[RJ2112]

All the braking forces are put into the frame on the swingarm(s).... that means the suspension doesn't bend, so there's zero stiction. Supposed to make for better wheel tracking compared to a 'conventional' telescopic fork. Due to the extra mass of the parts involved that hasn't panned out in practice to date. Bimota has been working on this design for at least 15 years. They do make bea-u-ti-ful bikes.

James Parker developed the RADD suspension as used on the Yamaha, and has since built one for Suzuki.

I have to say thanks to the OP for the pictures posted; I finally picked out why this works.

The front swing arm supports an over sized hub, that rotates around a center king pin. The right side shots show the elongated hole into the hub that shows the range of motion side to side, and gives a 'peek' of the king pin. I had not been able to see that king pin before..... now it all makes sense!

The right side rod above the swing arm has a matching rod on the left side..... All those two do, is keep the king pin at the same angle, like a steering neck does in a conventional frame. The actual pivot left/right of the front wheel is accomplished by the second rod on the left side of the frame that goes to the hub assembly. That's the one that ultimately connects to the handlebars.