Anybody Seen This...Hubless Chopper

[Steve83]

Some nice fabrication work here!

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=18&v=yJPTSaARlvs[/video]

 

[Omega Man]

Haven't hub-less wheels been around since the eighties?

~O~

 

[zman]

Pretty cool, I have heard of hubless for quit some time but nothing seems to come of it other than prototypes at bike shows and a few on the road..Must be something that requires allot of maintenance or just cant get DOT approval..Not sure but cool looking to see.

 

[Omega Man]

I wonder how you mount the tires, the zip-tie method?

~O~

 

[AApple]

"Hubless" is word play....it does have a hub, just not in the center of the rim as we are used to seeing. Personally, I see a major safety issue for mass production, road worthy bikes. It's kewl and all, and shows some really imaginative thinking and fab work, but really more suited for show vehicles, imho.
Here's another vid that mostly explains "how it works".

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UHoHAmrEbrk[/video]


Sure would make changing rear tires a lot easier, that's fer sher! :yahoo:

 

[mike in idaho]

I see, it uses a version of the Rotec bearing, such as used in the turntables and buckets in excavators and log loaders. They have been around for a long time. I wonder what the drive mechanism is, a little rubber wheel against the front of the tire?