Design and Fabrication of a Motorcycle Swingarm Utilizing Composite Materials

A conventional steel motorcycle swingarm was redesigned, and fabricated utilizing fiber-reinforced composite materials, achieving a greater than 50 percent weight savings. This component is a primary structural member of a motorcycle, securing the rear wheel, and reacting all acceleration and road-induced loads. The swingarm is a stiffness-critical component. The use of composite materials in this primary structural member permits a much lighter and more efficient component to be fabricated, without loss of strength or stiffness.