Applying the manufacturing technology used for eyeglass parts, we have developed flexible and strong titanium spokes.
Miwa Kikai Co., Ltd., a company based in Sabae City, Fukui Prefecture, known as the “holy land” of Japanese eyewear, develops and produces machine tools and metal processing machinery, as well as develops its own products made primarily from titanium. They exhibited at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show for the first time, promoting their titanium parts brand for motorcycles, “titan-X moto.”
At first glance, it looks like a normal BMW R1300GS, but the shine of the spokes is different.
The vehicle on display is a BMW R1300GS. At first glance, it appears to be a beautiful, stock bike, but a closer look at the wheels reveals the shiny blue spokes. Oh dear! The spokes have been replaced with titanium. Compared to the stock steel spokes, they’re said to be approximately 40% lighter. Lighter wheels improve handling, especially on adventure bikes with a high center of gravity like the R1300GS. Strength is a concern with such a light material, but the spokes are made from a highly flexible titanium alloy developed for eyeglasses. Using a rotary cold forging (swaging) process, which applies eyeglass frame processing techniques to hammer and deform the spokes while rotating, they offer both durability and springiness. Previously developed titanium spokes for bicycles were evaluated by the Bicycle Industry Promotion Association’s Technical Research Institute, demonstrating tensile strength equal to or greater than that of steel and stainless steel, and repeated bending strength more than three times greater. They are also rust-resistant, even in harsh conditions like seawater, and maintain their beautiful shine for years to come.
The titanium blue matches the gold rims of the special edition R1300GS “Option 719”.
ADVERTISEMENT
Each spoke weighs just 8.6g, compared to a standard spoke weighing 14.3g.
One wheel with 40 titanium spokes weighs 372g.
The standard steel spokes have 40 spokes and weigh 600g.
In addition to the typical titanium blue color, the spokes can also be finished in gray or colorless using surface treatment methods. These colors offer a stylish look, but they also cater to users looking for a subtle performance boost. To purchase, remove the front and rear wheels and send them to Sanwa Kikai, who will then assemble the spokes and return them to you. For a BMW R1300GS, the price for a set of front and rear wheels is approximately 300,000 yen. While not cheap, reducing the spring weight is extremely effective, but technically difficult, and few products offer such a significant weight reduction. Furthermore, the special forging process used on the titanium material is costly, making it difficult to achieve even at this price. Sanwa Kikai manufactures these products with the desire to share their titanium processing techniques with as many people as possible. They want many riders to experience this light handling, so they plan to participate in future events.
Miwa Machinery Co., Ltd. (official website)This is the homepage of Miwa Machinery Co., Ltd.
