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On February 9, 2023, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Workplace printed a patent utility filed by KTM AG in Mattighofen, Austria on August 2, 2022. The applying itself considerations a “guide transmission lock for parking help,” which sounds pretty innocuous by itself. Nonetheless, while you begin to delve into the main points of the invention, you get a reasonably clear glimpse into what seems to be KTM’s future plans for a semi-automatic gearbox on no less than a few of its 1290 Tremendous Duke variants.
Because the patent textual content describes, parking bikes typically entails partaking a gear to stop the wheels from merely rolling away, resembling when parked on sloped terrain or throughout transport. It goes on to explain that in bikes with computerized gearboxes (resembling scooters), use of both a separate parking brake or a system that engages the present entrance and/or rear brakes as an alternative is critical. Nonetheless, this stuff each have sure disadvantages, together with both set up of further components or potential additional pressure on the present braking system.
KTM’s resolution, as described on this patent, entails a gearshift lock with a pawl wheel inside the gearbox that may be blocked by a pawl and successfully locked in place. Because the patent considerations this machine, understandably, a great deal of the textual content (in addition to the detailed diagram drawings) considerations the trivia of how this method would work.
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Nonetheless, the half that’s most attention-grabbing is what comes subsequent, when KTM spells out what sort of gearbox it sees such a system being fitted into. The textual content reads, “Ideally the gearbox is designed as an computerized gearbox, ideally whereby the gearshift cylinder might be rotated via a gearshift motor and/or a gear drive. Because of this gears might be shifted fully-automated, or mechanically based mostly on an actuation by the motorcyclist.”
It then goes on, a few paragraphs later, to say, “In a single embodiment, the bike contains a ‘usually open’ clutch, ideally a centrifugal clutch, whereby the drive motor might be coupled to the gearbox via the ‘usually open’ clutch. On this approach, the drive motor is coupled to the gearbox solely when reaching a sure rotational pace. That is significantly typical of bikes with computerized gearbox. Apart from centrifugal clutches, different ‘usually open’ clutches are additionally conceivable, for instance hydraulic ‘usually open’ clutches.”
That is nice, you is perhaps considering, however how do we all know this particularly has to do with the 1290 Tremendous Duke lineup? For those who’ve checked out KTM’s extraordinarily detailed patent drawings, chances are you’ll have already got seen that a few of them are so detailed, they characteristic half numbers. Naturally, the gifted Ben Purvis over at Bennetts BikeSocial did what any cheap individual would do and appeared these half numbers up—and lo and behold, he discovered (and RideApart has confirmed) that they’re already in use in present 1290 Tremendous Dukes.
It’s price noting at this level that whereas the patent utility we’re discussing right here was filed within the U.S., a really comparable patent utility (solely in German) was additionally filed with the European patent workplace on July 22, 2022, and printed there on February 8, 2023—simply sooner or later previous to its publication within the U.S.
Whereas there are by no means any ensures with regard to patent purposes and OEMs, and when (or if) we could finally see what’s been patented on machines that we are able to really journey, the concept definitely isn’t with out precedent. Honda has been driving excessive on its Twin Clutch Transmission expertise for years, as provided on the NC750X, the Africa Twin, and naturally, the Gold Wing. MV Agusta equally has provided its SCS system on each the Turismo Veloce Lusso and Dragster RR. Why shouldn’t KTM need to faucet into comparable markets with its personal variation of such an thought?
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