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Why would anyone want to paint this???
Steve Hignett - 2/3/11 at 09:04 PM

I just don't get it - I'd rather have no sponsors and look at this bodywork on the bike all day long!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


blakep82 - 2/3/11 at 09:06 PM

thats like perfect
why? who painted it?!

shaft - 2/3/11 at 09:12 PM

Here you go Steve.... more carbon to leave bare!


Steve Hignett - 2/3/11 at 09:29 PM

This is a semi painted one, and this is actually how they run our stuff...

The photo at the top is plain as it's just being used for testing before being sprayed in manu. colours and sponsors decals...


loggyboy - 2/3/11 at 09:55 PM

Is the skin a stressed panel? if so, why bother with CF other than to show off?

Peteff - 2/3/11 at 10:04 PM

quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
Is the skin a stressed panel? if so, why bother with CF other than to show off?


Weight saving probably, it's a race bike.

femster87 - 2/3/11 at 10:11 PM

Nick u show off

Steve Hignett - 2/3/11 at 10:17 PM

quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
Is the skin a stressed panel? if so, why bother with CF other than to show off?


Is this a genuine question?

(not trying to be sarcastic)

loggyboy - 2/3/11 at 10:26 PM

Genuine yes, FG weighs much the same as CF, so why bother, unlss it needs to be strong (like wishbones, arms, chassis etc)?

Steve Hignett - 2/3/11 at 10:32 PM

Just out of interest, who is it that has told you that FG weighs the same as CF?

loggyboy - 2/3/11 at 10:41 PM

Been debated for ages on forums ive used, I understood CF was marjonally lighter, but hardly enough to make a difference.
I assume there is a quantifiable difference then.

Steve Hignett - 2/3/11 at 10:42 PM

Yes.
If you've been reading the forums, do you have an understanding of different types of CF?

In the terms of race bodywork though, there are other good advantages to using CF also though...

[Edited on 2/3/11 by Steve Hignett]

blakep82 - 2/3/11 at 10:54 PM

isn't it about 3/4 of the weight of fibreglass if done right or something?

Johneturbo - 2/3/11 at 10:57 PM

Is that kagayama, i must tell him to stop using my lid design

Confused but excited. - 2/3/11 at 11:00 PM

The Cobra kevlar/carbon seats that I have are only about 2mm thick, weigh nowt and are dead rigid.
Well lighter and stronger than fibreglass. IMHO
Would also be mucho, more dinero except I got mine for £40 the pair. Yes I'm still laughing.

Steve Hignett - 2/3/11 at 11:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
isn't it about 3/4 of the weight of fibreglass if done right or something?


It's a relatively in-comparable thing to be honest Blake - we've had normal weight and lightweight race (FG) bodywork in, and I'm obviously familiar with standard FG used in kitcars etc, up to heavy weight FG used to make stuff like Ultima cars...

Our CF is always the same weight. Or I should say, dependant on lay up (how many layers and weight of fabric etc), it is always extremely consistant...

Steve Hignett - 2/3/11 at 11:04 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Confused but excited.
The Cobra kevlar/carbon seats that I have are only about 2mm thick, weigh nowt and are dead rigid.
Well lighter and stronger than fibreglass. IMHO
Would also be mucho, more dinero except I got mine for £40 the pair. Yes I'm still laughing.


A pair of R500 seats (CF/CK) are £1300. So yes, there's an obvious difference in price of yours to the Caterham ones, so you've done well there!!!

And there's a diff between those and a pair of FG seats......

loggyboy - 2/3/11 at 11:05 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Confused but excited.
The Cobra kevlar/carbon seats that I have are only about 2mm thick, weigh nowt and are dead rigid.
Well lighter and stronger than fibreglass. IMHO
Would also be mucho, more dinero except I got mine for £40 the pair. Yes I'm still laughing.


Yes, but thats where strength counts, so the thinner CF is as strong (or maybe stronger) than FG being several times thicker (and therefore heavier) to be reach the same strengh.

However, the panels on that bike could be wafer thin FG and be strong enough to perform their task.
I would suggest/assume that they are probably stronger than they need to be when made as CF as I would guess you must have a minimum thickness before CF cant acctually be made or stay rigid enough?

[Edited on 2/3/11 by loggyboy]

Alfa145 - 2/3/11 at 11:09 PM

Nice Carbon grill there Shaft......

Steve Hignett - 2/3/11 at 11:18 PM

quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
quote:
Originally posted by Confused but excited.
The Cobra kevlar/carbon seats that I have are only about 2mm thick, weigh nowt and are dead rigid.
Well lighter and stronger than fibreglass. IMHO
Would also be mucho, more dinero except I got mine for £40 the pair. Yes I'm still laughing.


Yes, but thats where strength counts, so the thinner CF is as strong (or maybe stronger) than FG being several times thicker (and therefore heavier) to be reach the same strengh.

However, the panels on that bike could be wafer thin FG and be strong enough to perform their task.
I would suggest/assume that they are probably stronger than they need to be when made as CF as I would guess you must have a minimum thickness before CF cant acctually be made or stay rigid enough?

[Edited on 2/3/11 by loggyboy]


No. Your assumption isn't correct (in my humble opinion).

Some panels on the bike are around 0.85mm thick and some are 1.18mm thick.

There are strengthening ribs (of CF or CF/K) in certain areas. Because it's not just the forces of being able to keep it's shape as purely bodywork that's an issue on something like a race bike. If you watch the TT races on TV, a lot of the front runners use our bodywork, so if you are lucky to catch the bits of the prgoramme that do the super-slo-mo's then you'll see stuff like the front mudguard flexing under the weight/force of a 200+mph wind hitting it. And we had to put in specific crosses of material to let it carry on flexing (so it didn't rip itself off it's mounts), but to not flex enough to destroy itself on the front tyre...

Also, as I said above, the CF or more specifically, the CF/K serves a greater pruprose than just being 5 times the strength of steel per weight, it's abrasive resistance is essential when these bikes crash (they crash A LOT! ) and the CF and CF/K that we make and sell tot he race teams (and the kitcar stuff we sell) is all repairable, which has a huge advantage when the cost of proper, pukka CF has to be paid for...

Richard Quinn - 2/3/11 at 11:19 PM

The body parts on a race bike have a reasonably important aerodynamic role to play. CF can be made thinner and lighter than even lightweight GRP without the same risk of flexing/distortion affecting airflow.
If you want some idea of the sort of forces involved, try driving along at motorway speed and put your hand out of the window and see if you can feel any sort of force on it. Then imagine doing the same thing at 180mph.

and Steve, it needs to be painted to include sponsor logos etc as without these, they couldn't afford the bloody stuff in the first place!

loggyboy - 2/3/11 at 11:26 PM

Thanks for the info

Steve Hignett - 2/3/11 at 11:48 PM

quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
Thanks for the info



No worries, hope you read, understood and enjoyed the U2U link I sent you!!!

Oh and I've just replied to you back too...

ATB
Steve

[Edited on 3/3/11 by Steve Hignett]

DaveFJ - 3/3/11 at 09:51 AM

So... is it just me thats getting a bit tired of the whole 'carbon look' ?

I mean when every chav this side of the thames has a carbon (or carbon look) bonnet on their damn Corsa... at the end of the day it's just another material... why not paint it...

<runs for covesr and awaits outraged flaming>

deezee - 3/3/11 at 10:41 AM

quote:
Originally posted by DaveFJ
So... is it just me thats getting a bit tired of the whole 'carbon look' ?

I mean when every chav this side of the thames has a carbon (or carbon look) bonnet on their damn Corsa... at the end of the day it's just another material... why not paint it...

<runs for covesr and awaits outraged flaming>


I am utterly indifferent to the stuff myself. Its the same ethos as large exhausts. People see the stuff used on performance race cars / bikes and assume that any application on their vehicle will suddenly elevate it into the same league. Sadly thats not how it works. Personally I'm more impressed with crafted aluminium body work on race vehicles.

contaminated - 3/3/11 at 10:55 AM

quote:
Originally posted by DaveFJ

<runs for covesr and awaits outraged flaming>


I still love CF. To be honest I'm happy to admit that's because of the closet chav in me!

welderman - 3/3/11 at 10:55 AM

I know what you mean, but Its not really applicable to the two (actual) race bikes above...