Frenchtown, NJ – Machineart Industrial Design has completed the R1200GSM, a design study that proposes a new visual language for the iconic BMWR1200GS, the best selling motorcycle in the Adventure Touring category. The primary goal of the GSM project was to take the GS to the next aesthetic level and make it look lighter, smaller and more agile than the current product. A secondary goal was to build the prototype in a reasonable period of time utilizing FDM digital manufacturing technology.

“We designed the GSM to promote the design focus of the MachineartMoto brand and its products for BMW R & F series bikes”, says Andrew Serbinski, Principal Designer and President of Machineart. “Our X-Head cylinder guards, Slipscreen windscreen, and MudSlingä fenders are solutions to rider needs and enhance appearance at the same time.” MachineartMoto products are sold through its online store www.machineartmoto.com and through dealers.

The GSM Design

Machineart’s design creates a new design language that is more beautiful, yet tough, characterized by line and surface flow, and a part and color break-up that reduces visual bulk. Surfaces of the mid section are shaped like the torso of a body builder – taught, with convex and concave shapes and crisp definition. The body tapers from the broad mid-section to the tail like a broad chest to a narrow waist and tapering legs. The thick mid-section is satin metallic black to reduce mass and is divided by the red “wing” that wraps around the fuel tank and directs one’s focus to a smaller area within the larger shape. In the side view a
line begins at the nose, flows under the wing and curves back up through the rear side panel. The nose serves only as an air intake for the oil cooler, eschewing its traditional role as a vestigial fender. The sweep elongates the shape, reduces apparent height, and evokes a look of agility and forward movement. The GSM concept achieves beauty and sophistication in a market segment where appearance has been secondary to functionality, and looks ahead while retaining the essential GS attributes of toughness, versatility, and customizability.

Direct Digital Manufacturing

GSM body parts were modeled in Alias Studio Tools and SolidWorks 3D CAD software, and produced in ABS-M30 plastic directly from 3D CAD data using two Fortus 3D Production Systems (www.fortus.com) from Stratasys. Fortus systems use FDM, the leading technology in 3D printing and 3D production. Fortus systems eliminate the need to make tooling to mold plastic parts and allow easy revision and customization from one set of parts to the next. A total of 16 parts were made in the large Fortus 400mc and Fortus 900mc machines, including two parts that served as the female halves of molds used to cast polyurethane foam seat cushions — an example of direct digital manufacturing of manufacturing tools. The lower
cowl near the exhaust pipes is produced from PPSF (polyphenylsulfone) a heat-resistant material option for the FDM process. This process enabled making ABS-M30 body parts in less than a month, saving many months of time over traditional prototyping methods.

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