"Nera" E- Motorcycle

 

Only twelve weeks after its conception and just three weeks printing at the BigRep headquarters, NERA took its maiden voyage in Berlin.
The idea was simple: create a functional prototype that would revolutionize e-mobility. The execution, however, was incredibly complex. NERA was designed from the ground up and every aspect of traditional motorcycle engineering and production had to be rethought. The result is a functional prototype that is completely customizable, made faster and cheaper than ever before possible. In building NERA, the engineers didn’t simply adapt existing motorcycle designs, but instead envisioned a bike for large-format FFF technology, setting a benchmark for truly creative design; breaking the limits of traditional mechanical engineering.
More than just an exercise in what can be achieved with 3D printing – and specifically FFF printing with BigRep technology – the NERA shows that the low cost and fast results of additive manufacturing allows designers to immediately test prototypes and rapidly produce iterations of experimental engineering.
NERA illustrates the massive benefits that 3D printing offers for the production of functional parts, particularly for unique to small series production, by reducing lead times and costs, optimizing supply chains and limiting dependency on supplier networks.
Lead designer Marco Mattia Cristofori with Maximilian Sedlak and the NOWLAB team developed smart solutions to embed functionality and innovative design into every aspect of the NERA E-Motorcycle.

• Fully functional, full scale 3D printed prototype
• All parts printed with BigRep printers except electronics, including body, rims, tires, steering, seat, headlight, shocks
• Flexible parametric bumper replaces suspension as a shock absorber
• Custom fitted seat and chest rest printed with flexible thermoplastic
• Airless tires with customized tread printed with flexible thermoplastic
• Front tire has an arch structure for a softer, smoother ride
• Back tire has a stronger hexagonal structure for load-bearing parts
• Electronics fitted in a customizable case
• Programmable smart LEDs as headlight, tail light, and accent lights along the body
• 3D printed light reflectors printed with transparent PETG
• Forkless steering with eight pivot points increases joint strength
• Lightweight, structurally optimized rhomboid wheel rims

Materials used:

• BigRep Pro Flex for flexible parts (tires, bumper, seat, handles)
• BigRep Pro HT for rigid parts
• BigRep PLA for color details
• BigRep PETG for light reflectors

 - Marco Mattia Cristofori
- Ph: @itaivino
- BigRep 3D Printers