Fuller Moto’s 2029 electric motorcycle combines metal 3D printing and traditional manufacturing
Based in Georgia, the American Fuller Moto is one of the leading workshops for the design and customisation of cars and motorcycles. It offers, in addition to this expertise and passion, a real education to its customers, whatever their profile. Subsequently, the company has just unveiled a brand new motorcycle concept, the 2029, imagined by Bryan Fuller. It combines metal 3D printing with more traditional manufacturing techniques to create a completely unique vehicle. Thanks to this project, the workshop clearly shows how the two production methods can be combined in the automotive sector to produce more efficient and stylish solutions.
Additive manufacturing for motorcycles is starting to make people talk: 3D technologies make it possible to create optimised, lighter and sometimes very aesthetic components. We remember the Nera electric motorcycle, which had a very refined design, weighing only 60 kilos – the entire vehicle had been 3D printed, a first for this industry! Fuller has also opted for subtractive techniques such as CNC machining.
The Fuller Moto 2029 is inspired by the famous Majestic 1929 and was commissioned by the Haas Moto Museum and Sculpture Gallery, their objective being to create a futuristic vehicle. It is therefore an electric motorcycle with a fully enclosed sculpted aluminium body, hub-centred steering, transparent polycarbonate wheels and 3D printed titanium parts. Bobby Haas, collector and owner of the Haas Moto Museum and Sculpture Gallery, explains: “We know that what we do has never been done before. We don’t have plans, we’re not on a production cycle. We are making a simple piece to revolutionise the art sector.“
Instead of using traditional methods to manufacture the chassis components, Fuller turned to metal 3D printing. He explains that he studied parametric design, human bones and generative design, all of which are sources of inspiration for suspensions and handlebars. The workshop turned to the Oerlikon 3D printing department to create lighter titanium parts, one of the most interesting metals in the 3D printing sector due to its weight and strength. Among the 3D printed elements of the bike are the front stabiliser arm, located outside the swingarm, and the steering plate mounted on the hub at the front. Fuller explains that the also turned the chassis over and modified the batteries so that the engine would line up with the large 58 cm wheels.
Finally, a blue tint was sprayed over a large part of the bike’s body, including the gills – a colour that recalls the original Majestic bike. You can find more information about this electric bike on the official Fuller Moto’s website HERE.
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