Touring motorcycles from Harley-Davidson and Indian form the basis of the King of the Bagger motorcycle series, that sees touring bikes adapted to race at speeds exceeding 180 mph.
“For us to be successful we need to respond rapidly to what we are learning on the racetrack and we need a partner that can bring these ideas to life in just a few days. As a digital manufacturer, Protolabs allows us to make those weekly incremental improvements that lead to season-long success,” Jason Kehl, Harley Davidson factory team racing boss, said in a statement.
The production Harley-Davidson Road Glide weighs up to 960 lbs., while King of the Baggers bikes race at 620 lbs. The racing team said it relies on Protolabs’ digital manufacturing processes to implement new part designs, to increase speed and performance critical lean angle while maintaining race weight.
During the week between races, the team can prototype, test, learn, iterate, and order a new final part using a race-ready lightweight material before the next race.
In one example, a 3D printed exhaust allowed the team to take tighter turns on the track to gain extra time. This is particularly complex on a Harley Davidson tourer due to its size. The team said that the design freedom of using 3D printing allowed them to create an ‘organic design’ that brings the components nearer to the bike, while maintaining the foot position for the rider’s comfort.
This incremental change was crucial, the team said, because every 1/4 degree extra lean angle saves 1/10 of a second in a corner, with some racetracks having as many as 14 turns a lap.
Throughout the season, Protolabs has produced injection moulded, machined and sheet metal as well as 3D printed parts for Harley Davidson Racing. They have also used the company’s global network of manufacturing partners for larger, complex parts.
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