Engineers at Ducati are constantly innovating and developing new technology to further improve their two-wheelers. A few design sketches have surfaced, which showcase the future of tire and wheels from Ducati Motors. A design patent has been filed in USA, China, and Europe by Ducati. They are working on a redesigned wheel and tire for their sportsbikes. The center of the wheel will get rubber support to absorb shocks from the surface thus, reducing uneven chatter on the motorcycle.
Modern bike makers have been mounting their engines on rubber mounts. Ducati Motors, however, has not done anything similar and plan on introducing their new technology to solve the issue. The rubberized center on Ducati tires could further improve handling. The new wheels by Ducati with rubberized center could mean that the motorcycle will need new tires. Special tires may have to be developed that will be unique to future Ducati models. The Italian manufacturer will surely weigh in the pros and cons of the all-new wheel.
Ducati Wheel Patent
Ducati engineers will not be omitting the shock absorbers, however, the new system will aid in reducing stress higher up. Apparently the patent designs have been made by Claudio Domenicali, the Chief Executive at Ducati. Stay tuned for more updates on the new wheel and tire technology.
The material effectively sits inside the hub and extends up and into the spokes. This rubberized (OK, it’s unlikely to be just a rubberized material, but it will be something like a rubber in a similar way to how Moto Guzzi has already used a rubberized-type material to mount engines on with it’s 1400cc cruiser-based bikes) material is also attached to a thick central hub which is – in turn – fixed to a hard collar within which the bike’s usual metal axle sits, although the axle is longer than on a conventional bike’s set-up. The patent description doesn’t explain why the axle needs to be longer, but it makes sense if the bearings and shims needed to house a conventional metal axle to the new-material shock absorbing hub, and the hardened collar built into it, are in some way mounted to the outside of the center of the invention.
We could, however, be making that bit far more complex than it is in reality. Let’s forget about that bit for now and concentrate on what the invention focuses on.
What we do know is that Domenicali thinks that this solution will help cut chatter when a bike’s at serious lean angles. That is the primary reason for this system as laid out in the official invention’s description, to help cut the chattering feeling that comes from forces transferring from the road surface, through the wheel and in a direction of force that a motorcycle forks can’t get rid of. So because this invention’s description mentions the feeling of chatter at extremely high lean angles at pace it would appear that this is the next step forward in development for the sportsbike side of Ducati’s future.
Interesting stuff. And from the top man himself.
