Ducati patents first frameless road bike!
 

Technology wise, its pretty impressive what they can do now!

http://www.gizmag.com/ducati-pataent...dbbikes/14285/

http://www.gizmag.com/pictures/lrg/d...patented-2.jpg
http://www.gizmag.com/pictures/lrg/d...patented-3.jpg
http://www.gizmag.com/pictures/lrg/d...patented-4.jpg
http://www.gizmag.com/pictures/lrg/d...patented-5.jpg
http://www.gizmag.com/pictures/lrg/d...patented-6.jpg
http://www.gizmag.com/pictures/lrg/d...patented-9.jpg
http://www.gizmag.com/pictures/lrg/d...atented-10.jpg
(Yes thats the gas tank supporting the front forks!)

wonder what the wieght savings and performance increases are

thats pretty nuts. what about that one company that MotoGP guy started? its logo is like C1 and he has the reverse rotational motor or whatever so the bike can flip from side to side in the corners no problem. bunch of other cool stuff too.

thats crazy

Thats pretty awesome. Definitely going to be expensive

Plus if you dump it once, it's done. But then again if you are racing and you dump it you are done anyway.


Heh. "Monocoque". :mrgreen:

Exactly, and most likely if you can afford a bike like that and you lay it down hard, you can acquire another relatively easily...

That is fantastic!!! I wonder what the stress factors play on it, how many times it can be used before new tank and rear section have to be replaced?

Lots of stress on the tank and block. I wonder how they worked all that out without warping anything at high temps? The torsional stress at cornering would missalign things inside I would think.

Looks cool and all, but a lot of people are gonna get hurt if they make a bike with no tires or handlebars!!! :knock: