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Technology

Unmatched Engineering Technology

We leverage the latest and most advanced engineering technology in the design of our products. This level of technology is unmatched in the motocross industry.

Unlike other aftermarket motocross companies, we are an engineering focused company. Our goal is to provide the most advanced products available: light weight and high strength parts with ideal stiffness/flex characteristics. We leverage advanced engineering technology in the design of our products; to a level unmatched in the motocross industry.

Our triple clamps are the flagship example of our engineering, so we'll focus on those here. More details about that down the page, but first we must address stock parts and how other aftermarket offerings stack up:

Stock vs. Typical Aftermarket

Many riders make the argument that stock is good enough, and for many riders that's completely true. Riders who demand the absolute best though, turn to aftermarket components. While the OEM manufacturers have huge budgets and vast design resources, they must also produce a bike affordable for the majority of riders. Stock parts are designed to be “good enough”; OEMs can't extract the last 10% of performance out of each and every component, otherwise the bike's retail price would be astronomical. For this reason, nearly every component design on the motorcycle leaves room for improvement.

This is where the aftermarket industry comes in; aftermarket companies can focus on the full performance potential of a design... But they often don't! Many have limited capabilities, limited time, and/or limited experience. They're often machine shops that decided to make motocross parts. Take the triple clamps shown here for example:

Stock vs Aftermarket

The image shows a stock Honda lower triple clamp on the left and Xtrig's version on the right. See the similarities? Xtrig's version, aside from the split clamping and adjustable offset, is just a machined version of the stock component. Why? Because that's what they know works; there's no risk in machining the same design as little has changed from an engineering standpoint. They can offer a product with minimal design effort that they know will work. That's not engineering, that's just designing.

Most aftermarket companies use this approach. It's relatively easy to copy a stock design, machine it out of billet, anodize it a bright color to look good, and claim that it's high performance. In the Xtrig example, the split clamping does increase performance over stock, and the adjustable offset gives the customer some tuning capabilities not otherwise available with stock. But the rest of the design is essentially the same as stock and won't preform any better.

The stock clamps are typically cast (top clamp) or forged (bottom clamp), and their design is heavily driven by that manufacturing process. In general, most stock (and aftermarket) clamps are flat across the top and cored out on the bottom leaving ribs which function structurally. Also though, the ribs aid in manufacturing by maintaining a consistent part thickness and directing the flow of metal through the casting or forging tool. But CNC machined part design is not limited by these manufacturing requirements, so why are so many companies releasing product that follows unnecessary manufacturing constraints? Because the parts are copies of what's known to work, not highly engineered designs that increase performance.

When you see them, the difference is obvious... Luxon triple clamps (Yamaha model shown here) take full advantage of the reduced manufacturing constraints of CNC machining to offer a product with a substantial performance advantage, not just a machined version of the stock parts. Our process employs an advanced engineering technique: topology optimization.

Lighter, Stronger, with Improved Stiffness Character

Visibly, our clamps are very different to every other clamp on the market. The differences don't end with appearance, though; the performance of our clamps is unmatched - lighter and stronger than the competition, with revised stiffness in different directions for precise steering yet increased rider comfort. We are able to achieve this using a process called topology optimization, with the help of the most advanced engineering software available. This software is the same as what's used by NASA, Formula 1 teams, and various top automotive and aerospace manufacturers. “Optimized” in this case is not just a marketing buzzword as it is often used; our clamps are truly optimized for performance in an engineering sense.

Topology Optimization Process

The topology optimization process is illustrated in the image above from left to right:

  1. Optimization begins with a finite element analysis (FEA) model. The model includes material that is necessary: the bar mount holes, the steering stem holes, etc. (shown in blue) and material that can be there, but doesn't necessarily have to be there (shown in yellow). This yellow material is the optimization variable.
  2. The computer runs multiple simulations altering the amount of, and placement of the yellow material, to achieve our goals while satisfying various constraints. Typically, the goal is to minimize weight while achieving stiffness targets in various directions. This simulation is also constrained to maintain an adequate strength. The raw optimization result is shown here (necessary material is shown in grey to highlight the optimization result). This reveals the material that needs to be there in the optimal design, with all unnecessary material removed.
  3. The optimization result is turned into a manufacturable 3D CAD model. Further analysis runs and revisions are preformed to refine the design, minimize stress, achieve target stiffnesses, and reduce weight.
  4. The resulting design is truly optimized: lightweight, high strength, with stiffness targets achieved.

The topology optimization process is fully automated; there is no human intervention leading the design astray as with traditional FEA methods. The result is a high-performance, lightweight triple clamp like no other. A precise steering feel and smoother fork action is achieved through targeted stiffness in multiple directions and increased strength gives peace of mind in demanding riding conditions.

Each performance metric varies depending on make and model of the bike. For example, KTM/Husqvarna/GasGas triple clamps are already lightweight stock, but lack strength and torsional stiffness. The Luxon KTM/Husky/GasGas clamps are stiffer in torsion (steering) for precise handling, while allowing more flex longitudinally (front to back) for comfort, nearly twice as strong, and even a few grams lighter than stock.

Stock Yamaha clamps, on the other hand, are adequately stiff in torsion as-is, but very heavy and not very comfortable. Our design goals for the Yamaha clamps were to maintain the stock torsional stiffness, increase flex longitudinally, and reduce as much weight as possible. In the end, our Yamaha clamps did just that: idealized stiffness, higher strength, and nearly a full pound lighter than stock!

Performance Details and Features

Multiple design details add to the performance of the Luxon clamps. Our triple clamps feature opposing fork tube clamps to eliminate the slippage experienced with many other designs. Integrated mounting points eliminate brackets and other band-aid fixes used by other companies.

The upper and lower clamps are the star of the show, but we don't ignore the rest of the assembly. Everything is engineered for performance. The lower bar mount bridge is also topology optimized and a one-piece design dramatically stronger than stock, making twisted bars a thing of the past. The bar mounts are also rubber mounted to reduce vibration and reversible for adjustable reach. Grade 5 titanium bolts come standard for further weight savings without sacrificing strength and we only use OEM or high-quality OEM equivalent (SKF, NTN, Timken, etc.) bearings and seals.

Manufacturing and Quality

Highly advanced design must be matched to advanced manufacturing to bring a product to life. Luxon MX manufactures nearly all of our products in-house at our San Diego facility to ensure the highest quality standards are met. The latest in CNC machining technology is used; precision machining with intricate surfacing delivers product quality greater than that of works level factory parts.

Have a look around our website for more information about us and be sure to check out our blog posts for more technical details!

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