French JBB FFE

I thought readers of the site might like to see the work of Jean-Bertrand Bruneau and the various constructors and race teams using his ideas.

In 1984 M. Bruneau was granted a patent for a new form of hub-centre steering system for bikes which is better in many areas than other more well-known designs. In particular the system is much simpler to construct and very much quicker to assemble and disassemble than the others. It also uses a smaller diameter wheel bearing than the DiFazio/Tait/Creasey type, and there is only one - although I once had to buy something similar for a front-wheel-drive Lancia and it cost a bomb. The patent [sadly, in French] is attached...

AttachmentSize
JBB Patent.pdf243.49 KB

The following links lead to pictures, movies and discussion of some of the teams and racing constructors who have chosen this system for its performance and for the speed with which they can change wheels during a race.

First...

Team Renna Website - which features a couple of lovely Ducatis, but particularly...

Pitstop Video - which is an MP4 movie [10.3Mb] of a demonstration pitstop with first a wheel being changed and then wheel, disk, and pads all being changed together.

and JBB History - which is an MP4 movie [99Mb] relating the history of the JBB front end and giving some technical detail.

The Renna website also has a potted biography of JBB himself.

Finally two photos from the Spa 8 hours 2008: the first shows the Bihr-MetisS Suzuki up on its hydraulic jack and the second shows the front end partially stripped.

MetisS on a jack

Front end in bits

Bihr-Metiss came second in this race and are always a front runner.

AttachmentSize
JBB Patent.pdf243.49 KB