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Ducati and MT Distribution have signed
a deal for a new line of Ducati branded
electric mobility vehicles to be
distributed under licence by MT in
2020. Seven new products, including
folding e-bikes and electric scooters,
are expected - branded Ducati, Ducati
Corse and Ducati Scrambler. The entire
range has been developed in
collaboration with the Ducati Design
Centre, which has worked in
conjunction with Italdesign for the e-
bikes. The new range will consist of
four electric scooters and three folding
e-bikes - the scooters that come from
the partnership between Ducati and
MT have motors from 250W to 500W,
while the e-bikes are equipped with
250W motors (the maximum value
stipulated by law for this type of
vehicle).
Founded in 2013, Belgium based
Bullit Motorcycles has followed up
its 50 cc Hero with the retroinspired
Bluroc range. Available as
an air cooled 4-stroke 125 cc, 11.5
bhp learner version with a classic
front fork and spiral oil suspension
set-up with five gears and single
disc CBS and in 250 cc, described
as "a reliable 4-stroke, V-twin air
cooled engine capable of a top
speed of 78 mph", features
include hydraulic conventional
telescopic forks, hydraulic mono
shock suspension and a five-speed
manual transmission.
Two years of development
for new 'Made in Italy'
centre ground road discs
Turin, Italy based brake components
specialist Newfren has been respected
worldwide for its brake discs for
decades. Newfren was an early entrant
into the brake discs market 'back in the
day' and has continuously invested in
materials research, testing and
manufacturing technology to stay at
the cutting edge of brake disc design
and performance.
The company has now taken its "high
quality, Made in Italy" production to a
new level with a new range of road
discs that are being laser cut and
centre ground from AISI 420 steel
plate.
The production process includes long
term established and trusted partners
in the Turin area, and starts and
finishes at the company's 10,000 sq m
Turin factory. This involves thermal
treatment after laser cutting in order
to harden the raw material, then
immersing each disc into a paint bath
to protect all the parts that will remain
exposed and not affected by contact
wear with the brake pad.
For the grinding process, Newfren is
using what is considered to be the
hardest of the available techniques in
order to guarantee the highest quality.
Also referred to as vertical grinding
with opposing planes, centreless
grinding is a machining process that
uses abrasive cutting to remove
material from both the parts at the
same time.
It differs from centered grinding
operations in that no spindle or fixture
is used to locate and secure the
workpiece - it is secured between two
rotary grinding wheels, and the speed
of their rotation relative to each other
determines the rate at which material
is removed. As a manufacturing
technique it is typically used in
preference to other grinding processes
for operations where many parts must
be processed in a short time with a
very high degree of precision.
Newfren says that in order to
guarantee the best possible braking
performance from its new discs, and
reduce vibrations to the absolute
minimum possible, it has trialled,
tested and explored a wide range of
factors - including the mechanical
characteristics of the materials, the
geometry of the hub and braking
band, the holes of the band and the
tolerances of flatness and parallelism -
and evolved, refined and modified
production processes repeatedly.
This new road disc project has
dominated R&D activity for two years
now and extensive after- track testing
and releasing them to racers and
teams for competitive use earlier this
year before the coronavirus lockdown,
the company says it is now ready to
release them as a new aftermarket
programme, having concluded testing
on the new Moto3 discs at Misano and
Mugello as soon as the teams were
able to get back on the track.
Newfren says that the response from
its riders was "totally enthusiastic",
reporting "excellent feeling, no
vibration and progressive and high
performing braking power". The discs
are mated with CNC-machined from
solid hubs and bobbins in 7075 Ergal
(aluminium zinc alloy) and T6 heat
treatment hardened with hard
oxidation 50 ยต.
www.newfren.com