November 9, 2006 We’ve been drooling over the concept of three wheelers that tilt and carve for several years now, but in the main, they rarely see production. Machines such as Heikki Naulapaa's Magnet, Tommy Forsgren's Hermes, Dimitrios Scoutas' Skipee, Mercedes-Benz F 300 Life-Jet concept and Elisha Wetherhorn's electric RIDER have not yet seen production, though they all hold remarkable promise. The only guaranteed production carving concept of recent times is Vespa's three wheeled scooter, which is powered by a 250cc motor and isn't exactly as sporty as we'd hoped. Accordingly, we’re very thrilled to write about the coming of the Norwegian-designed Brudeli 625L, which delivers the thrill of a motorcycle with the control of a four-wheeled vehicle. The 625L uses a 625 cc KTM single cylinder motor, and will enter production in 2007, at which point you’ll be able to buy one and register it for use on the street for EUR 20,000 (US$25,000). It is intended both for on-road and off-road use, so it’s sort of like a three wheeled supermotard. Very exciting prospects for consumers indeed, and an opportunity for potential international distributors to get in on the ground floor.
Brudeli Tech worked with Hareide Designmill, one of Scandinavia’s leading design firms, to develop the frame and refine the vehicle’s aesthetics.
Scheduled for launch in June 2007, the Brudeli 625L is the product of inventor Geir Brudeli’s engineering creativity and passion for motorcycles. He wanted to design a vehicle that filled the gap between motorcycles and small cars and off-road four wheelers. The result was unique, with two motorcycle tires up front, each slanted in parallel 45-degree angles to the ground when the bike is stopped. The construction allows the rider to lean into corners (as if on a motorcycle) at high speed with substantially more traction than on a motorcycle – at least at the front where it counts – a rear wheel slide is controllable – a front wheel slide usually means crashing.
Brudeli and his team chose SolidWorks as their design tool to accelerate product development, reduce costs, refine component design, and make the dream come true.
“SolidWorks software began to contribute almost immediately,” said Brudeli. “First of all, some of us here who don’t have much CAD experience were able to learn and use it with minimal practice and instruction so we could quickly create better designs. Second, this type of project demands component-level accuracy. SolidWorks allows us to fix part interferences and ensure components such as the unique wheel mounts meet design specifications, saving both time and money.”
Brudeli Tech used SolidWorks eDrawings e-mail-enabled design communication tool to share models and component sketches with partners, designers and suppliers to discuss both technical and aesthetic aspects of the bike. Recipients can zoom, rotate, and otherwise manipulate a solid model as if they were holding it in their hands. Brudeli also cited SolidWorks software’s open architecture, which enables a growing number of manufacturers to use 3D models for their computer numerical control (CNC) manufacturing processes. “CNC machining with 3D reduces up-front costs and streamlines manufacturing, so we can get prototypes on the road for testing quickly.”
Brudeli expects to begin shipping the Brudeli 625L in 2007, with the U.S., Europe, and Russia as the primary markets. Contact
The Brudeli 625L Leanster - image by Rune Baashus