Home  News Ablative Design debuts on Motorcycle of the Future
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Ablative Design debuts on Motorcycle of the Future |
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 Motorcycle Design Association member Tim Cameron has incorporated his Ablative Design concept into the Swann Insurance Motorcycle of the Future, which was unveiled by 2007 MotoGP championship leader Casey Stoner in Sydney on 2 August.
Tim Cameron is one of Australia’s leading independent motorcycle design consultants. Swann Insurance has sponsored Casey Stoner’s international racing career since 2004. Swann Insurance is part of Insurance Australia Group, which is a member of the Motorcycle Design Association. Ablative Design is all about protecting expensive or essential components on a motorcycle with ones that can be sacrificed in a low-speed tip-over without too much cost and inconvenience. Ablative Design identifies the parts which are most likely to touch down in a low-speed fall and configures them so that they protect critical or high-value parts. Ablative Design can involve reinforcing key parts of the motorcycle so that impact energy is absorbed rather than transferred straight to the frame, forks and engine. For instance: a liquid-cooled bike should not have its radiator as a first point of contact with the ground in an accidental fall. Not only is the radiator expensive to replace, but the motorcycle cannot be ridden home if it is leaking coolant. Swann’s Motorcycle of the Future incorporates Ablative Design concepts in subtle ways. The key features are:
2.1 frame rail cover
2.2 two-piece detachable engine cover
2.3 muffler heat shield doubles as a sacrificial cover
2.4 lower fork cover & axle cap
2.5 handlebar end cap
2.6 two-piece mudguard with sacrificial leading edge
2.7 radiator protective cover and segmented fairing elements with cut lines in strategic positions to minimise replacement requirements  
Motorcycle tip-over crash tests conducted by IAG Research in Sydney have revealed that design features which prevent damage to expensive or essential components can reduce the total cost of repairs by as much as 40% compared to an unprotected motorcycle. Good design can also ensure that a motorcycle is still rideable after a low-speed tipover, which is not the case with many current motorcycles.
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