Do not, kids I repeat, do not...drop your bike!

BMW has spent lots of time and resources in developing carbon fiber chassis for the I3 and the I8.
Can't blame them for using that knowledge to improve their motorcycles as well.

Off subject, but you don't keep a wrecked carbon fiber bike. The more time I had to digest this, the more I like the idea...anyone looking for a low mile 1299?

Indiana Jones said:

Off subject, but you don't keep a wrecked carbon fiber bike. The more time I had to digest this, the more I like the idea...anyone looking for a low mile 1299?

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Repairing carbon framed bikes.....

Mclaren has repaired several of the original F1's in the same manner. They just cut out the damage section and replace it.

Chaotic said:

Umm, you do realize you are concerned about a potential lack of strength on a bike that has a carbon fiber frame.......................while you are riding a bike that has NO frame. Right? Haha

If there is any bike that is likely to be trash can worthy after a crash, it is the Panigale.

And CF can be made to be strong.

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Your wrong . The Pani crashes very well and everything is bolt on bolt off and can be replaced easy enough .
Unlike the earlier model where the tubular frame can be bent very easy the rear set tabs being a example .

From what I've seen, the Panigale is very modular and cheap to repair. Most low sides and stuff result in easy to fix damages like fairings, clip ons, mirrors, rear sets. There is no frame to bend like in conventional bikes, just brackets for the swing arm, and the headstock/airbox. If it rides crooked, figure out where the damage is and change that part. No worse than "framed" bikes, could even be easier and cheaper..

Chaotic said:

Then to keep from shaking your confidence, i wont post all of the pictures of Panigale's broken completely in half after taking a tumble.

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You go first then I will post a picture of a R6 from our last race meeting in three pieces .

Mountain bikes have had carbon frames for a while and they are solid, massive crashes and they are fine. They had air suspension for years before motorbikes started using it and they are excellent too. Its the way of the future.
However I wouldnt have thought carbon would have been a good idea for a superbike since the whole Ducati MotoGP carbon frame disaster. Cant wait to hear more.

I am not sure that the frame material was what made that a disaster. I think the bike as a whole was just not a good design. Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden both said they thought the carbon frame was a good idea.

wilkson said:

You go first then I will post a picture of a R6 from our last race meeting in three pieces .

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Let's not wait...I'm ready.

Indiana Jones said:

Let's not wait...I'm ready.

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Ok then .

I think I see a front fork and tire off to the right there...otherwise I don't see much. Backstory? Seems like the remains of an average 30mph low side...off a cliff!

Bandaid will fix that right up.

The "carbon core' chassis (a mix between carbon fibre and aluminium) in the new 7 series seems to work perfectly; makes the G11 so much more pleasurable (as a 7 series) to drive compared to the F01, and happens to be ~200kg lighter.

Admittedly, repairs and the expenses that revolve around repairs, at this stage, Are questionable. Can't deny that.

First time I got into an i8, the first thought which sprung to mind was how amazing it would be if BMW manages to incorporate this carbon core magic into the current/future M5/6.

Before actually driving the i8, I was expecting the car to feel stiff, so stiff, LFA stiff, in a way it would take from the feel of the car. Two corners later I realised I couldn't have been more wrong.

From what I understand, the carbon part of the carbon core concept is to benefit lightness, the aluminium part of the carbon core concept is to provide the reinforcement, flex and "feel."

Pardon me for having drifted off topic. Case in point, personally, I don't really care for BMW motorcycles but if the carbon core concept does indeed achieve the above, I welcome the idea
...if and when a carbon/aluminium frame might find itself in a Ducati superbike anyway

there are other cars that have been using 100% carbon composite monocoques for quite some time now, and they do manage to pass crash testing. F1 cars - are the drivers surrounded in metal?

as far as Ducati and carbon frames, I did wonder why the Superleggera did not use a carbon airbox, or even a carbon swingarm - both used on MotoGP bikes. Maybe it was a cost issue. Maybe the whole carbon chassis thing is still a sore point at Ducati Corse. Maybe at a meeting, one of the engineers spoke up and said "how about the airbox in carbon? what? too soon??"

anyways, cars made of carbon fiber, airplanes, why not motorcycles? I remember the first time I flew on an A380. At some point in the long flight I realized the whole damned thing was made of composites and keeping us all up in the air just fine, and we're not talking about a small plane.

wilkson said:

Your wrong . The Pani crashes very well

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Anything can happen in any crash, we all know that. But thinking a bike made of pieces that bolt together, will be more durable in a crash than a bike where everything is mated to a steel frame, goes against all common sense.

Of course we all still chose to buy and ride these bikes. We aren't going into the situation blindly.

Ducati wanted to produce the lightest Liter bike on the market. There is only so much you can do with swapping to lighter components, more Ti and CF, etc. At some point, if you want to make a REAL difference, you will have to look into eliminating things. And the frame is the heaviest piece on the bike besides the motor. So Ducati chose to eliminate it.

By doing so they drastically reduced the weight. But they also reduced the rigidity, strength and durability. There is a trade-off with everything when it comes to bikes. And by getting something that is really light, you get something that is less crash worthy.

What you proved is when a bike goes end for end in a big crash it gets ...... up .
To say one bike gets more damaged than another has a lot of variables the Pani is quite durable and crashes just as well as any other bike .

Ok.

Funny this has turned into a thread about how well a bike crashes. Think the point is to build a bike where a crash is more likely prevented, i.e. lighter, more nimble, etc. If carbon fibre does that, great!
These are motorcycles, not cars with seatbelts. If after a near death encounter, I slide off with my life in tack, I could careless how my bike, carbon or else is holding up. Insurance payout will be the same.
For the record, I fly a carbon plane, 787.

Insurance is the last thing I am worried about. Especially since almost all of my bikes are race bikes. Insurance payout is not an option.