Britten front fender design?

Baketech · 01-10-2004, 11:31 AM

Everytime, I see a picture of one, I wonder if the Britten front fender design was effective or not.
Anyone know why it hasn't been copied?

Latebraking · 01-10-2004, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baketech

Everytime, I see a picture of one, I wonder if the Britten front fender design was effective or not.
Anyone know why it hasn't been copied?

That bike was engineered by one person (John Britten), and every part was there to perform a function. The fender contributed to the aerodynamics. Despite the racebike's lack of bodywork, it was a fairly 'slippery'. The fender design hasn't been copied probably because its shape worked with that bike, and that bike only. Another possibility is because of patent infringements, but I very much doubt that. John was an enthusiast and racer more than anything else, not an entrepreneur looking to make a buck.

sacto929 · 01-10-2004, 11:52 AM

The front fender on the Britten works on that particular bike because it doesn't have conventional forks. The Britten has composite forks and stem that ride on a four-bar linkage hidden below the front fairing. The whole assembly of wheel, fork, stem and fender ride up and down over the bumps, as opposed to just the wheel and lower fork on a conventional telescopic fork design. There's a front shock hidden under the front fairing area (look closely in the first picture).... The weight trade of the entire assembly moving versus just the wheel and lower fork is about equal since the Britten wheel, fork, fender, etc. are all carbon composite.

Britten Motorcycle Company

I hope this helps.

Proto · 01-10-2004, 12:50 PM

Britten was bonkers. He even cast his own engine parts in his shed. Fantastic.

It's got sweet fanny adams to do with the front fender and even if you've heard it before you'll want to hear agian I' sure .............

Hear it growl

sweetonion · 01-10-2004, 3:57 PM

I think on a conventional design it would take too much air off the radiator.

Baketech · 01-10-2004, 4:28 PM

Interesting points all.....

I sort of followed the Britten story while it was going on, but haven't thought too much about it since.

Did anyone see the Discover Channel episode where one splits in half on the track?!?! Scary as hell....the rider wheelies out of a corner, and the bike comes apart.....