BMW readies mass-production ready carbon fibre swingarm

- The carbon-fibre swingarm can be mass produced

- BMW has a carbon-fibre motorcycle, the HP4 Race, on sale

BMW Motorrad has developed a carbon fibre swingarm that can be mass produced. For now, it’s still a prototype , but it has already won the 2018 JEC Innovation Award. 

This swingarm looks like it belongs to the G310 series of bikes and is made of carbon-fibre and reinforced materials. It’s a modular design making it possible to adapt the swingarm for different demands. It also uses carbon-reinforced plastic, with short strands of carbon instead of the usual sheets of the material. 

“We opted for chassis components under continuous load since the requirements involved are especially demanding. While car chassis parts are concealed, the visible motorcycle rear swinging arm was ideal for our project since the forces at work are immediately evident,” said Dr. Joachim Starke, project manager, BMW.  

BMW already has a carbon-fibre motorcycle, the HP4 Race, on sale. But with great components comes great pricing and that makes the HP Race out of reach for most motorcycle enthusiasts.