all-titanium motorcycle

Lineslinger said:
This is cool work.

newatlas.com

World's first all-titanium motorcycle is spectacular, and nearly done

We haven't been paying much attention to the custom motorcycle world lately, but this jaw-dropping project demanded our attention. It's a Hayabusa engine wrapped in a spectacular titanium frame, swingarm, exhaust, subframe and bodywork.
newatlas.com newatlas.com
Click to expand...
"World's first titanium motorcycle" ?
Didn't a little company called BSA produce an all titanium Moto X bike in the mid sixties
It had a titanium frame etc
Titanium crank and con rod I believe??https://www.motorsportretro.com/2010/10/english-beat-the-story-of-the-500cc-titanium-bsa/
 
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When vibration causes impact, titanium bolts can change in dimension quickly. A titanium motorcycle might be an engineer's nightmare.
 
Why all titanium? (because it's there?)
Special metal but not suitable for everything! (tyres?? Seat??;))
Seriously though - it has a limited range of applications
 
I have been a carpenter most of my life - started as boy working with my father and grandfather.
There is a company that markets titanium hammers.
Generally speaking, titanium’s forte is lighter weight for a given strength/size . Why would you want lighter weight for a given size in a hammer ?
They cost significantly more than a steel unit as well - yet all the youngsters seem to like them ….
 
Richard Tool said:
I have been a carpenter most of my life - started as boy working with my father and grandfather.
There is a company that markets titanium hammers.
Generally speaking, titanium’s forte is lighter weight for a given strength/size . Why would you want lighter weight for a given size in a hammer ?
They cost significantly more than a steel unit as well - yet all the youngsters seem to like them ….
Click to expand...
Because logic is no longer considered an attribute.

Bling is king, sadly
 
baz said:
"World's first titanium motorcycle" ?
Didn't a little company called BSA produce an all titanium Moto X bike in the mid sixties
It had a titanium frame etc
Titanium crank and con rod I believe??https://www.motorsportretro.com/2010/10/english-beat-the-story-of-the-500cc-titanium-bsa/
Click to expand...

Ti con rod, maybe. They were available in that time frame. But Ti crankshaft is very unlikely.

The article only mentions a redesign of the crankshaft, crankcases, gears, etc., but does not state (or even imply) that they were Ti.

Ken
 
lcrken said:
Ti con rod, maybe. They were available in that time frame. But Ti crankshaft is very unlikely.

The article only mentions a redesign of the crankshaft, crankcases, gears, etc., but does not state (or even imply) that they were Ti.

Ken
Click to expand...
I remember reading an article in I think "motorcycle mechanics" called "titanium tragedy" when they mentioned the con rod and crankshaft being a problem because they were both the same material
Really can't remember
I've still got the magazine somewhere!!
I know they used to take a welding booth and equipment along with them for trackside repairs on the frame
 
ACU Road race regs forbid the use of titanium for frames, forks, handlebars and wheel and swinging arm spindles.
 
These guys make titanium frames for some Ducatis. Maybe they would do some Norton ones, for anyone interested.🤣

all-titanium motorcycle


Ken
 
cases sure look like aluminum alloy to me...

Love the "see thru" pistons! Must be that new "transparent titanium" that Mr. Scott invented...
 
robs ss said:
Explain the scenario there Al please (buzz, buzz, buzz, bang?)
Click to expand...
I have a lot of titanium on my Seeley. If it is used on the bolts which mount the muffer, vibration causes the bolts to neck down. Phil Irving suggested fabricating titanium conrods in his book 'Tuning for Speed'. It is not that simple. Conrods are subjected to cycling stresses, and so are valves.. When machined, titanium behaves very strangely, you always need to allow for the increase in dimension when you take a cut. It always ends up bigger than you expect. Steel is much easier to get on-size.
With titanium, it is obviously not stable - always dynamic. You cannot just fit it and forget.
With steel, you can get fatigue problems but titanium is pretty much an unknown. I would use forged titanium conrods, but I would keep checking and measuring them. I would not use titanium valves.
 
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