Goodbye trellis frame ...

[PSk]

Ducati patents frameless roadbike

Clever, but I have to admit does not look as cool as the trellis. Modern Ducati's are starting to look too "clean" ... a bit like a Honda IMO.
Pete

[viper1]

I wonder how long it will take to make it to the street bikes? But you are correct, the trellis frame is what make Ducati a Ducati!

[El Gladiateur]

The one that'll replace the 1198/848 range will have that kind of frame.
IMO, you'll see the thing occur in mid-2012 for a MY2013.

[sburns2421]

It is surprising there wasn't a patent on this already. It seems like a logical evolution to make a huge sturdy airbox the front frame. I'm surprised Honda doesn't already have this one locked down.

As for this ending up on a road bike I'm not so sure. It would have to be metal rather than CF for cost reasons, which might make it fairly heavy and have that weight high. I guess we will find out in a few years.

[john S.]

For Ducati to buck tradition and even think about an alternative to the trellis frame is a big deal. It would indeed be a shock if they came out with a street V4, but the precedent has been set eventhough for now the V Twin is apparently safe due to displacement/power increases since the 1098 release. They won't make the changes unless they are up against the wall like they were in MotoGP and close to it the last couple years of the 999. The trellis is still viable for years to come, both on the street and track.

[Bill H.]

That old trellis may look good, but the one on my 900ss weighs 26.5 pounds!

[boostedt0y]

Originally Posted by sburns2421

It is surprising there wasn't a patent on this already. It seems like a logical evolution to make a huge sturdy airbox the front frame. I'm surprised Honda doesn't already have this one locked down.

The title is a little misleading. It states that the Ducati patents the frameless road bike, but the content of the article suggests that Ducati merely filed a patent application. If they just filed a patent application, they haven't been granted a patent on their design yet. They still have to go through prosecution where the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will do an extensive search for any prior art that can be used to reject the claims in the patent application. Only after the USPTO determines that the claims are not anticipated or obvious in view of prior art, then only at that time will the USPTO issue Ducati a patent.

-Carlo