Innovation on the wheel

It all started when Gary was looking for a way to make his highly customized race bike faster. He already had the lightest fairings, covers and huggers which he had made from carbon fibre. The bike looked stunning, was performing well, and was featured in several magazines – but there was more to be done. He knew the wheels were a problem. Too heavy, they were the single greatest cause of inertia, using too much of the bike’s power to get them moving, and too much effort from the rider to manage them. “This is the single biggest way to change the performance of the bike without opening the engine. I can do this”.

So he did.

A South African, racing in Europe from the age of 21, he was managing race teams and customizing their bikes. Ironically, in his home country, another South African was looking for the most sophisticated uses to which carbon fibre could be put. Chris Adrian, an aeronautical engineer specialising in composites, had worked at the CSIR doing the initial research into the application of this wonder material. He had designed and created the first wheels from carbon fibre and knew what still needed to be done to make it a commercial success.

When the two finally met up and threw all their experience and ideas into the pot, the company BlackStone Tek emerged. It would create the first ever carbon fibre motorcycle wheel made in the strongest possible way – a single monocoque structure that would be lighter, faster, safer and stronger than anything the world had seen. And most important, BST would pioneer the manufacture of a composite product as a fully repeatable item at top quality standards. To put the company together, to take the product to the world markets and raise the required funding, they joined forces with business woman Terry Annecke whose experience with giants IBM and Microsoft would bring professionalism, marketing and flair to the organization.

BST started in 2002 – a company of real innovation and entrepreneurship (as well as blood, sweat and tears). It has sold 8,000 wheels and exports 90% of its production. It is recognized worldwide as a leading centre of composite knowledge with the unique ability to conceive the ideas and then bring them through design and testing onto the production line.

BST has the skills to capitalize on the unique properties of carbon fibre. They make wheels for sportbikes – street and road use – and for customized Harley-type bikes, for the ferocious Supermotard sport, and high performance drag racing. BST also makes structural parts for the only American MotoGP bike manufacturer Motoczysz (frame and sub-frame) and several other OEMs, and makes the highly specialised X-ray beds used by fellow South African entrepreneur company Lodox.

BST participated in the DTI’s SPII program for its innovative product and design, and won the category of SME companies in 2006. The 5,000 m² factory houses state-of-the-art equipment and is ISO 9001:2000 certified by the German TUV.

BST uses ‘Prepreg’ carbon fibre embedded in a resin matrix. The design specifically reduces weight on the rim and spokes without compromising strength. Autoclaves are used to cure the carbon wheels at 125º C and 6 bar of pressure. The moulds as well as the aluminium hubs are designed and manufactured inhouse. Every step is controlled and documented, and each wheel has its own serial number with full traceability identical to that implemented in aerospace manufacture.

The result is a wheel that shows a significant reduction in the Moment of Inertia (MoI) – the most critical aspect that affects speed and handling of the motorcycle. Sport Rider (USA February 2004) confirmed the BST wheels have the lowest weight and MoI of all the wheels they tested. Success!

Testing of this critical structural part is obviously essential. They have undergone stringent testing to verify the design and to assess the strengths at various institutes where they passed all impact, cornering, radial and torsional fatigue tests.

BST is in North Riding, Johannesburg and employs 40 people, many of whom were unemployed. Training is provided to maintain the skill level required to produce world class products.