This Looks Interesting
Usually, the frame and swingarm are two different parts, but BMW is experimenting with new designs. According to MoreBikes, the company has a design that uses carbon fiber that is both the frame and the swingarm in one large piece.
What’s interesting about this isn’t the carbon fiber. Companies have done carbon for the frame and swingarm before. What sets this apart is that this patent shows it all as one piece. This might make you wonder how the swingarm moves to allow damping like is done with two-piece setups. Apparently, BMW is betting on the carbon material to provide that movement.
From what I understand, the frame/swingarm will literally flex as it needs to in order to provide the bike with the movement it needs. This keeps it from simply being a hardtail carbon-framed motorcycle.
It’s a really interesting design, and it relies heavily on the material itself. The thought behind the overall design is pretty simple. It’s the material that is complex. It has to be able to flex but still be strong. As MoreBikes points out, this patent appears to be hypothetical and not something BMW will be rolling out on new models anytime soon.