In the event you’re a pupil of Ducati racing historical past, you’ll know the Supermono—one of the tingle-inducing singles of all time. Within the mid-90s, simply 65 of the sunshine and compact racebikes had been constructed, shot via with carbon fiber and draped with elegant bodywork designed by Pierre Terblanche.
We’ve typically questioned what a modern-day Supermono would appear like, and that query has simply been answered by Chris Cosentino of New Jersey. It’s referred to as the Hypermono, and it’s a outstanding feat of engineering.
Not many workshops can listing tasks for NASA and Victoria’s Secret on their CVs, however Cosentino Engineering is one in every of them. Chris has been machining, welding, and fabricating stuff for greater than three many years, and now leads a staff of likeminded souls in a 4,000 sq. foot facility full of each previous and new college tech.
The Hypermono is the end result of 25 years of racetrack R&D, with a objective of making the lightest and strongest single-cylinder race bike doable. It’s a nearly ground-up construct, with a customized body, engine and suspension setup—plus 3D printed bodywork.
“A listing of mods is answered by ‘practically all the things’,” Chris tells us. “The undertaking began as an exploration of alternate entrance suspensions—impressed by the Britten, and knowledgeable by the writing of Tony Foale.”
Chris has a whole lot of expertise on this discipline. Within the early 2000s he raced a Honda RS125, constructed a motorbike with a ‘Humorous Entrance Finish’ body, and grafted a Ducati 999R cylinder head onto Rotax crankcases. However the 2008 financial downturn killed the marketplace for costly customized race bikes and put Cosentino Engineering on life help.
Ten years or so later, after a enterprise restoration and abstinence on the racing entrance, Chris received the racing itch once more. And he seen that Kramer was promoting race singles with some success.
With a bit assist from famend petrol head Jamie Waters, Chris kicked off the Hypermono undertaking by designing a brand new backside finish to suit a Ducati Panigale 1199 cylinder head. Machined out of 4340 alloy billet is a reverse rotation crankshaft and counterbalance shaft, enclosed inside billet aluminum crankcases. Capability is 600 cc and there’s even an electrical begin.
The facet covers and oil sump are sand solid magnesium, and the 62 mm exhaust has been printed utilizing cutting-edge direct metallic laser sintering (DMLS) tools.
The electronics are equally refined, constructed round a Marelli REX-140 ECU/information logger—the official engine management unit for the Moto2 Championship within the 2019-2021 seasons. There’s additionally a mixed GPS/Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), and Chris describes the setup as “MotoGP degree software program with rider aids.”
The powerplant is snuck right into a body welded up from 4130 metal tube, with lugs which have been funding solid from 3D printed surrounds.
Tony Foale’s affect is particularly apparent within the entrance finish. It’s a linkage suspension with intricately engineered uprights, pivoted supporting arms and a direct-acting customized Öhlins TTX shock. The idea could also be considerably classic, however the execution is completely trendy.
The rear finish is dominated by a one-piece magnesium swingarm, sand solid by Yankee Casting. “The mould used for printing was instantly 3D printed in sand by Humtown, so no sample was mandatory,” says Chris. Adjustable chain idlers make it doable to dial out on-throttle squat and damping is dealt with by one other customized Öhlins TTX shock.
To maintain weight down, the edges are five-spoke carbon fiber models from BST. Braking is dealt with by Brembo billet calipers with customized Braketech forged iron rotors.
“I’m now nearing completion of this construct,” says Chris. “It incorporates all the things I’ve realized from racing for the previous 25 years into a brand new, clear, and stylish design. I used to be fortunate sufficient to have Nick Graveley of ClayMoto supply to design customized bodywork, which appears to be like completely superior.”
Chris is presently 3D printing a take a look at set of that bodywork—on a 3D printer he made himself for this activity. And as soon as the shapes are optimized, full with cooling ducts and aerodynamic wings, he’ll use the printer to create components that shall be used as patterns for carbon fiber layup.
That’s the race facet sorted, however there’s one other improvement we’re much more intrigued by: Chris has constructed a bobber model of this bike too, and is taking a look at doing a brief manufacturing run.
“I not too long ago confirmed the unfinished bike on the One Moto present and it had an ideal reception in its bare kind. That led me to analyze the opportunity of providing them for avenue use, and I’m now a registered automobile producer underneath Cosentino Motor Firm, LLC,” he says.
“So avenue gross sales are an actual chance. That will create a pleasant wave to trip earlier than my subsequent undertaking is completed: a battery electrical model of the identical rolling chassis, meant for greater quantity avenue gross sales.”
Given Cosentino’s fame for top-drawer engineering, that seems like a really attractive prospect certainly.
Cosentino Engineering | Pictures by Michael Lichter Pictures
