Dakar Dazed II - the return! Part 1: Project LC4-50

[NordieBoy]

That, is quite nice.

[neduro]

+1

Very tidy looking!

[YetiGS]

Beautiful! Love white rally bikes!

[JMo (& piglet)]

Warning - photos of machined engine parts to follow for all you metal fetishists!

At the end of last week, John machined the original 690 crank to accept the new pin that will provide the shortened stroke.

Obviously this is still a mechanical prototype using as many existing components as possible to test our calculations - once the specification is finalised, a custom billet crank [with the correct counterbalancing etc to suit the 450cc capacity] will be produced in a limited batch for our race bikes and any customer kits...





We should have a the pressed and balanced crank back towards the end of this week, then Martin can begin the engine build...

Jx

[dakardood]

..and so it begins! Wow its coming on in leaps and bounds, keep the updates coming

Originally Posted by JMo (& piglet)

At the end of last week, John machined the original 690 crank to accept the new pin that will provide the shortened stroke.

We should have a the pressed and balanced crank back towards the end of this week, then Martin can begin the engine build...

Jx

[Johnnyktm]

That is a very good looking bike!!!!! This kit is going to be a total success!

[ecarnell]

Originally Posted by Johnnyktm

That is a very good looking bike!!!!! This kit is going to be a total success!

X2 - best of luck!

[ktmmitch]

We went over to the Tractive Suspension HQ in Holland this week,with our KTM 690 EVO 2 Rally bike to fit their new PDS2 shock.
This will give up to 300mm rear wheel movement,something we have been after for some time.
This small,new company is staffed by all WP technical guys who are developing some radical suspension technology which will be coming on-stream soon.
They quickly sorted the problem of the prototype not quite clearing the frame,and will be CNC machining us a special part for the production shock,in preparation for the production version.
We will be testing the prototype at Tuareg Rallye in March,before returning to Tractive to collect the first production shocks.
Many thanks to Tom and his team for showing us round their new business,and some of the radical new technology,which,understandably,we could not photograph.But here are some shots of our development bike,and parts.


Tractive Suspension

[640 Armageddon]

Innovation is always nice to see, especially in suspensions which are quite complicated dynamic parts. Thumbs up to Tractive Suspension and looking forward to hearing a riding review

This bike already has lots of unique parts on it ... I welcome back this development in racing, something that I think is missing nowadays ...

Keep up the good work !
D.

[Brodovitch]

Looking great! Jenny, are the Tractive shocks only air pressure units with no springs? Like Dungey's SX shock?

[NordieBoy]

Originally Posted by Brodovitch

Looking great! Jenny, are the Tractive shocks only air pressure units with no springs? Like Dungey's SX shock?

Wouldn't think so with adjustable collars like that?

[Brodovitch]

You're right, just had a look at their website.

Interesting stuff

[barrier]

JMo, You were only supposed to shorten the stroke a little!



SCIENTISTS have built the smallest petrol engine, tiny enough to power a WATCH. The mini-motor, which runs for two years on a single squirt of lighter fuel, is set to revolutionize world technology. It produces 700 times more energy than a conventional battery despite being less than a centimeter long (Not even half an inch!).

It could be used to operate laptops and mobile phones for months doing away with the need for recharging. Experts believe it could be phasing out batteries in such items within just six years. The engine, minute enough to be balanced on a fingertip, has been produced by engineers at the University of Birmingham . Dr Kyle Jiang, lead investigator from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, said: “We are looking at an industrial revolution happening in peoples’ pockets. The breakthrough is an enormous step forward. Devices which need re- charging or new batteries are a problem but in six years will be a thing of the past..” Other applications for the engine could include medical and military uses, such as running heart pacemakers or mini reconnaissance robots. At present, charging an ordinary battery to deliver one unit of energy involves putting 2,000 units into it. The little engine, because energy is produced locally, is far more effective.. One of the main problems faced by engineers who have tried to produce micro motors in the past has been the levels of heat produced. The engines got so hot they burned themselves out and could not be re-used. The Birmingham team overcame this by using heat-resistant materials such as ceramic and silicon carbide. Professor Graham Davies, head of the university’s engineering school, said: “we've brought together all the engineering disciplines, materials, chemical engineering, civil engineering, and mechanical engineering. What better place to have the second industrial revolution in nano-technology than where the first took place, in the heart of the West Midlands.

[DasMatti]

Originally Posted by barrier

JMo, You were only supposed to shorten the stroke a little!



SCIENTISTS have built the smallest petrol engine, tiny enough to power a WATCH. The mini-motor, which runs for two years on a single squirt of lighter fuel, is set to revolutionize world technology. It produces 700 times more energy than a conventional battery despite being less than a centimeter long (Not even half an inch!).[COLOR=White]

[...]

It isn't April 1st, is it?

[JMo (& piglet)]

Originally Posted by Brodovitch

Looking great! Jenny, are the Tractive shocks only air pressure units with no springs? Like Dungey's SX shock?

Hi Brodovich - as I see you've realised, the shocks are conventionally sprung - rather it will be in the damping department that the innovation occurs...

Essentially what TracTive are developing is a mechanism that will allow adjustable damping in real time, in a self-contained unit - essentially 'active' suspension...

Exciting times!

Jx