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2006-05-10 News Headlines

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Triumph motorcycles feature BASF specialty plastics

British manufacturer Triumph motorcycles is making the fairing of its new Daytona 675 sports bike out of a blend of specialty plastics from BASF.

Terblend* N, a specialty plastics blend of ABS and polyamide, was instrumental in considerably reducing the weight of the Daytona 675 urban sports bike from British-based motorcycle manufacturer Triumph.

Triumph wanted not only to build the most exciting and useable sports bike that’s ever left their Hinckley factory, but also to steal the crown for the most beautiful sports bike in the market. The reaction from the motor cycling press suggests that they may have succeeded. Bike magazine described the new Daytona 675 as “staggeringly beautiful”. The fairing panels are injection moulded in-house by Triumph Motorcycles in Leicestershire, using BASF’s Terblend N supplied by Ultrapolymers. Terblend N belongs to the PlasticsPlus* line of BASF’s styrenics.

Find information about Ultrapolymers.

New urban sports bike is a Triumph British motorcycle manufacturer Triumph is using BASF’s Terblend N (ABS/PA) for the fairing of its new model, the Daytona 675. Click Go for High resolution image. photo: BASF

The specialty plastic Terblend N combines low density and high toughness, allowing the production of thinner and thus lighter components. Triumph has succeeded in drastically reducing the total weight of the motorcycle. Thanks to Terblend N’s good dimensional stability under heat, the fairing can even be installed close to the engine and to the exhaust pipe, giving the Daytona 675 its characteristic sleek silhouette.

Lower density reduces weight

Weight is a very important factor on modern sports bikes. Terblend N is much tougher than ABS, and has a lower density than the polycarbonate blends used in similar applications, enabling Triumph to produce thinner, lighter panels that help to reduce the overall weight of the bike. The Daytona 675 weighs 165kg, and reviewers have said that it feels even lighter.

The polyamide component in Terblend N improves heat resistance. Performance up to about 110°C is mainly determined by the content of amorphous ABS, but beyond this the semi-crystalline polyamide takes over, allowing finished parts to retain their shape at up to about 160°C.

Terblend N’s higher softening point has allowed the designers to position the fairing panels close to the engine and exhaust system. This, together with Triumph's three-cylinder engine, has helped to achieve a very narrow front aspect to the bike.

Good resistance to high temperatures

The 123 bhp Daytona 675 – available in Scorched Yellow, Tornado Red, and Graphite – is painted at Hinckley. Terblend N’s good resistance to high temperatures helps to reduce any problems in the high temperature stoving process Triumph uses to harden the paint. The surface does not need to be pretreated and paint adhesion is good. Triumph Production Engineer, John Phillips, says Terblend N is easy to process. “It does not exhibit many of the cosmetic problems associated with painted ABS components.”

Terblend N, a blend based on ABS and polyamide, combines the good properties of the individual components and also reduces the disadvantages of PA, such as the shrinkage and inadequate low-temperature impact strength. Terblend N offers an interesting combination of important material properties: extraordinary impact strength even at temperatures below freezing, excellent toughness, ease of processing, outstanding chemical resistance, good dimensional stability under heat, high-quality surface finish as well as a pleasant feel.

The automotive industry uses Terblend N for center consoles, air vents, gear levers and airbag covers as well as for radio faceplates and glove compartments. It has also proven to be a good choice for applications for car bodies, bumpers and spoilers.

Find information about BASF.

* Terblend and PlasticsPlus are a registered trademarks of BASF.

Read a recent press release from BASF about - 'A collaborative research effort with BASF Chemicals R&D Division and the University of Heidelberg, lab CaRLa, is dedicated to developing new homogeneous catalysts.'

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