Here we go again: Another solution that removes the fork

AndAssumption? Many, many begin with Norman Hosack’s patents: for example the BMW Telelever and Duolever work very well, the Honda GL1800 Gold Wing’s front suspension with articulated wishbones, not to mention Bimota Tessy from the early 1980s (system taken from current thesis H2) and a later and unforgettable one Yamaha GTS With the Omega frame and front single sided arm, but the author also likes to remember the genius Breton V1000. all solutions that try to overcome some of these fork borderAs the variation of the trail and wheelbase during braking, given the circular section of the rod the stiffness in the lateral direction cannot be varied and the full effectiveness of the damping function can be compromised when the load is transferred.

In-house R&D departments are constantly developing alternative solutions that are often patented but which do not always have a direct impact on production, although there is another area where “alternative” front suspension can be and some more possibilities have been pursued. Can go: in three wheelerwhere clause Piaggio Group Has been present for many years with its MP3 which has been very successful in sales in Europe.

And it’s precisely from the Pontedera group that these pictures are with them patent application Front suspension incorporating articulation systems designed in the 19th century James Watt (Scottish too, like Hosack).

The system is not new in the automotive sector, but it is probably the first time that it appears in an application on the front suspension of a motorcycle and is implemented through one in the drawings presented by Piaggio. single shock absorber With a series of additional links that would limit the intrinsic “non-straightness” of wheel pin motion inherent in Watt’s mechanism to negligible values.

This is a solution reminiscent of the one used on the Vespas, but in this case the resulting movement will be similar to that of a conventional telescopic fork, with respect to which it can be controlled more easily in the transverse and longitudinal direction. , as well as a different one. management ofAnti-diver effect.

Remembering that patents do not always translate into industrial solutions and it is even more rare that they do so in respect of the application shown in the patent drawings, in what sense could this front suspension be applied by Piaggio? Certainly for scooters like the Beverly, in which it can offer better control of driving dynamics, but we believe such suspension – conditionally mandatory – could be used in The fictional three-wheeled motorcycle developed by the Piaggio Group.