RMIT Superbike frames

[AP81]

A guy on eBay is selling these...just wondering whether it would make a good roadie. I'm currently looking for a road frame at the moment, and this looks like a good project.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/180715239505

More info: http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/hsc/bike/article.htm

Whilst it is primarily a TT/Triathlon bike, the seat angle is 74 degrees, which is more of a road setup. It takes all standard parts and would be a really unique bike. I think with standard drop bars and maxing out the headset spacers, it would be set up quite fine.

Here's another one on bikeexchange.

Opinions?

[The 2nd Womble]

5kg frame and forks?

[AP81]

5kg frame and forks?

Where did you read this? Still waiting back from the seller to find more info on frame weight.

[The 2nd Womble]

Just a very wild guess but that frame in Aluminium can't be a feather weight

[MichaelB]

I'd want more details and a pic you can actually see.

Sounds too cheap to me.

Also, who owns the frame design ? Is it still RMIT IP ?

[MichaelB]

.

[find_bruce]

The listing sets of a few of my alarm bells.

• The original superbike was carbon fibre & carefully designed, not just the shape, but the construction
• I am having difficulty in conceiving how you could form aluminium into the same shape
• "T1" does not refer to an aluminium alloy but only to a heat treatment "Cooled from hot working and naturally aged (at room temperature)"

I have a very limitied knowledge of metalurgy, but when a "manufacturer" appears to know even less than I do, I would be finding somewhere else to spend my money

[jacks1071]

A guy on eBay is selling these...just wondering whether it would make a good roadie. I'm currently looking for a road frame at the moment, and this looks like a good project.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/180715239505

More info: http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/hsc/bike/article.htm

Whilst it is primarily a TT/Triathlon bike, the seat angle is 74 degrees, which is more of a road setup. It takes all standard parts and would be a really unique bike. I think with standard drop bars and maxing out the headset spacers, it would be set up quite fine.

Here's another one on bikeexchange.

Opinions?

If you find a genuine unit it would be a nice collectors item and thats about it. They arn't really any good to ride, they are heavy as hell, arn't stiff at all and illegal for a lot of competition - my buddy has one and his new Felt TT bike is a lot quicker (and lighter).

The ebay guy has reasonable feedback BUT his listing looks very dodgy as someone else has already mentioned. Those bikes are made from carbon, not alloy and no-way on earth would there be so many different sized NEW frames floating around.

Buyer beware.

[AP81]

If you find a genuine unit it would be a nice collectors item and thats about it. They arn't really any good to ride, they are heavy as hell, arn't stiff at all and illegal for a lot of competition - my buddy has one and his new Felt TT bike is a lot quicker (and lighter).

The ebay guy has reasonable feedback BUT his listing looks very dodgy as someone else has already mentioned. Those bikes are made from carbon, not alloy and no-way on earth would there be so many different sized NEW frames floating around.

Buyer beware.

Was thinking as such. Ended up buying a decent carbon frame instead...at least I know what I have bought.

[smartie]

Just trawling through and ran across this post about Superbikes. the Aluminium Superbike does exist, it was produced under license by Technique Sports in Melbourne. The sections were pressed and welded by Bocar in QLD, before they went bust. as far as i know the tooling went for scrap.

I bought their display frame and my brother bought a complete one from the Bocar foyer when the liquidators went through.....


definately Aluminium, and noisy as anything in gear changes.

[jules21]

these are actually now produced under license as the melbourne hire bikes

[sogood]

What's the weight of that frame?

[pauls51]

What's the weight of that frame?

One would think built up, well over 12kg.. Would be good for some bicep curls

[jacks1071]

What's the weight of that frame?

I'm guessing more than the carbon version which is damn heavy. Does look cool though - would be a nice collector piece.

[smartie]

Just checked with the trusty bathroom scales and it is just on 12kg. I did weigh the frame itself when i got it, but can't find where i wrote it down

From what i understand from someone who worked at Bocar, Technique were looking at selling into the USA and Japan but it never really happened. There were some built, which are probably the ones at the top of this forum, as there were some more listed on the liquidators auction list (as i found out later), and some part made and some destroyed in testing. at a guess there would be about 300 tops... Including ones sent O/S.

Here's the review from 2006;
http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/tech/?id ... /superbike

[awilkinson]

Hi, I managed to pick up an AIS / RMIT Superbike (road version). It has internally routed gear cables and I am having trouble replacing it as there are no outers or guides internal to the frame. There is an aluminium plug just above the bottom bracket that has 6 holes that fit an old bottom bracket removal tool. Anyone know if that comes out of have any good tricks for replacing the front mech cable once removed? The place the cable enters the frame up near the headset has no clearance (i.e. won't allow a cable and a plastic liner from a cable casing / outer to go in). I would appreciate any help or guidance anyone has or input from anyone who knows anything about these frames. Thanks


My AIS Superbike (road version) partway through rebuild.


A close-up of the mysterious alloy plug just above the bottom bracket.

[find_bruce]

Best advice I have seen is to use a vacuum cleaner to suck a piece of string through the holes & use that to pull your cable

[awilkinson]

Thank you. Great tip. I saw something similar on YouTube and tried it. I managed to get the cotton through - now just have to tie the cotton to the cable somehow and (gently) pull it through. Thanks again.

[smartie]

Mine doesn't have that 6 hole disc in it, it is completely clean in that area. I would suggest that has been put there to either drain something out or aid feeding the front cable, only to find the routing tube goes all the way to the cable exit hole.



From memory, the outer sheath of the cable feeds all the way down the internal tube inside the frame to essentially where the cable feeds out of the frame at the front derailleur, which is the small hole above the 6 hole disk.from memory i fed a cable backwards from the derailleur end, slid the outer sheath of the cable down along the cable and tube, then joined the proper gear cable to the 'pull through' cable and pushed it back down the outer sheath, making sure that the pull through, piece of joining tape and gear cable all exit the right spot.

You need the outer sheath to run all the way through to the cable exit as the routing tubes are aluminium and will wear away quickly with the stainless steel gear cable rubbing on them.

Is yours carbon or Aluminium? As there are slight variations to mine... My brother's one is slightly different as well.

Someone has had some fun with the decals, it shouldn't have the BT stickers on it, it should be Technique sports, as per the red one in this review. http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/tech/?id ... /superbike

[awilkinson]

Thank you for the post Smartie. Nice looking frame by the way.

My frame is carbon.

I think you're right - the 6-hole plug is probably there to help with cable routing (or draining). The cables are loose inside and don't appear to have any internal routing tubes (even with the old cables, you could feed both ends in without limit).

The cable outers won't fit in either end. If I strip a cable outer down to the internal white plastic sheeth (that touches the cable), it will fit in the bottom end near the derailleur but not at the top near the headset which is so tight that only a cable goes through.

I think the decals are original as they are under the gelcoat and are consistent with the ones here:
http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/hsc/bike/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://campagnolodelta.blogspot.com.au/ ... rbike.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[smartie]

It sounds like you have the original road version of the BT Superbike then, Technique only did aluminium versions, which mine is. As for the extra hole, it may possibly be original i would suggest that it is removable to get into the monocoque to route the tubes. I would think that it is possibly removable, like a big welsh plug.

[awilkinson]

Thanks for your post smartie. I managed to speak to a guy from Bike Technologies (still operating in Bundoora, VIC and making frames). He couldn't remember much but said he thought that the (Carbon) Road versions had an access plug. Now if I can just unscrew it....

[smartie]

You may be able to put some circlip pliers into the holes and turn it. Don't bother asking BT if they have any seatpost clamps though, i asked a few years ago and they have zero bits and pieces for them.

[awilkinson]

Thanks for all the help. Gave up trying to remove the plug.

Used cotton, gravity and a vacuum cleaner to get cotton threaded through. Pulled through fishing line (stronger). Figured I had to thread from the top near the headset to the bottom near the front derailleur. Couldn't pull through a cable (not enough clearance at the top frame entrance hole for cable and knot and the bend down near the front derailleur was too tight). Then resorted to pushing a length of cable sheath (the inner part of a cable outer) over the fishing line from the front derailleur inside the frame up towards the top frame entrance / exit where it stopped (too big to fit through the hole). With the help of my wife, I managed to get insert the cable in through the top entrance and into the sheath (a few tries were needed). From there just held the sheath and fishing line taught at the bottom exit and kept feeding in cable until it appeared.

Fiddly but worked.

[smartie]

Well done, now we know that the aluminium and carbon versions are both a right pain to get the front derailleur cable through.