What Is Carbon Fiber?
A carbon fiber is a long, thin strand of material about 0.0002-0.0004”( 0.005- 0.010 mm) in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in microscopic crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber. The crystal alignment makes the fiber incredibly strong for its size. Several thousand carbon fibers are twisted together to form a yarn, which may be used by itself or woven into a fabric. The yarn or fabric is combined with epoxy and wound or molded into shape to form various composite materials. Carbon fiber-reinforced composite materials are used to make aircraft and spacecraft parts, motor cycle structural elements, wheels, racing car bodies, golf club shafts, bicycle frames, fishing rods, automobile springs, sailboat masts, and many other components where light weight and high strength are needed. Carbon fibers are classified by the tensile modulus of the fiber. The English unit of measurement is pounds of force per square inch of cross-sectional area, or psi. Carbon fibers classified as“ low modulus” have a tensile modulus below 34.8 million psi( 240 million kPa). Other classifications, in ascending order of tensile modulus, include“ standard modulus,”“ intermediate modulus,”“ high modulus,” and“ ultrahigh modulus.” Ultrahigh modulus carbon fibers have a tensile modulus of 72.5- 145.0 million psi( 500 million-1.0 billion kPa). As a comparison, steel has a tensile modulus of about 29 million psi( 200 million kPa). Thus, the strongest carbon fibers are ten times stronger than steel and eight times that of aluminum, not to mention much lighter than both materials, 5 and 1.5 times respectively. Additionally, their fatigue properties are superior to all known metallic structures, and they are one of the most corrosionresistant materials available, when coupled with the proper resins. legendary Bonneville Salt Flats. Like all the best products and manufacturers, R & D and testing are at the heart of the process.“ A traditional metal wheel manufacturer uses one wheel per test, but our wheels are engineered to withstand four tests- cornering fatigue, radial fatigue, torsional fatigue and impact testing- all using the same one wheel,” Gary explained. The company has been ISO 9001 certified since 2003, audited by the German TÜV, the JWL in Japan and the DOT in the United States( BST wheels are DOT E certified). When I met him at EICMA( the‘ Milan Show’) last year, Gary told me that as far as he is aware, his company is the only OEM certified supplier of carbon fiber wheels in the world, and by far the largest aftermarket supplier with four different styles of wheels in sizes ranging from 12” to 23” and over 200 individual fitments for 20 different manufacturers. One of the common questions about using carbon fiber wheels concerns the effects of UltraViolet light. The testing and certification processes that BST wheels have been through, such as that with the German TÜV authorities, includes both salt spray and UV degradation testing, and the result of that testing was that BST wheels show no noticeable degradation in connection with either. Applications for BST’ s‘ Black Star’ 5-spoke wheels range from selected Harley Touring models through Twin Cam Softails and Dynas to V-Rods and Sportsters. Recent OEM contracts include the( initially) limited-edition 1200 cc, 200 bhp V4 Norton VRSS / RR( BST also produced the V4’ s carbon fiber fuel tank, which has been reinforced with Kevlar and chemically treated to safely hold gasoline) and the
Arch‘ 1s’
The limited-edition 1200cc 200bhp V4 Norton VRSS / RR
even more limited-edition Ariel ACE R. The wheel of choice for Confederate and Ecosse cruisers, BST also has a long standing“ wheels and more” relationship with American V4 Sport-Tourer manufacturer Motus, was the wheel chosen by San Francisco based E-Bike start-up Alta Motors for its Redshift ST Street Tracker concept, and will be the stock wheel on the production version. Most recently Gard Hollinger and Keanu Reeves chose BST wheels for the 2018 Arch Motorcycles S & S Cycle engined KRGT-1 update and the new Method 143 and Arch 1s. Another of BST’ s most recent successes has been with Ducati’ s new 1299 Superleggera, said to be the first ever factory bike to be equipped with carbon fiber wheels as stock. Gary says Ducati chose carbon fiber“ to lighten the load and provide a reduction in rolling resistance” and settled on BST as their carbon wheel of choice“ over all other manufacturers, including some on their own doorstep in Italy and elsewhere in Europe.” BST wheels have not only become a default choice
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