Pipedreams - hubless rear wheel
 

Did anyone see "The great biker build off" programs?

One of the builders has a couple of bikes with "hubless" rear wheels. Although they are not true hubless designs (they are massive swingarms with the wheel centres milled out), I think they look fantastic.

You can see them on this site - http://www.choppersinc.com/
(Psycho Billy Cadillac and Camel bikes under the project bikes section).

I'm not really one for choppers, but this detail really stood out and got me thinking. What would it look like on a sportsbike and how much would it cost??!!

Thats amazing Chi !!!

Just had a look at the the Psycho billy that shows it really well.

Wouldnt the transmission have to be REALLY off-set to accomadate the rear drive (so it only lends the design to a belt/chain primary drive)

I've been watching the American chopper series:
http://www.discovery.com/?channel=DSC

apart from the red frame on there that looked stunning along with a Carb built in the shape of a fire hydrant (REALLY - it was awesome).

Some of the engineering and design work is stunning but it does worry me a little when something does not fit quite right in a frame, so they simply grind a bit out and fill it back in again :puzzled:

Doh!! thicko question time !!! I can't see how it works someone explain please

Imagine the rear of the swingarm is the same size as the wheel.
Now imagine the wheel doesn't have any spokes but is just a big cylinder with a lip for the tyre.
Next, picture a massive rear axle that only just fits inside the wheel rim.
Finally, hollow out that rear axle so that you can see right through to the other side.

.......I think....

(Is there another way to do this?)

Chi,

I don't think that's the way it is done.

If you look in the pics you can see the actual wheel rim, not an insert inside it.
Both bikes are done differently. One has a central spine in the rim with a red hoop bolted to the frame. The hoop acts as the wheel spindle in your description.

The other bike has the hoop on the side of the wheel (between sprocket and wheel to be more accurate) so it looks like there is nothing at all inside the wheel.

Very clever engineering. Looking through the other bikes they have some trully stunning bikes. As Iconic says though, you have to wonder just how strong the frames really are. I assume they simply use large section tubing and over engineer everything.

as often happens when I talk technical, I'm exposed for the fraud that I am!

Does anyone with graphics experience know how to do a mockup with the wheel on a ducati?