Italian E-Bike Brand Thok Showcases 3D-Printed P4 Prototype
The prototype will eventually become a production carbon-fiber, full-suspension electric MTB.
When it comes to high-end electric mountain biks, Thok is one of the most popular brands in the business. The company has an ongoing partnership with none other than Ducati, and produces models such as the TK-01RR and MIG-S for the brand under Ducati branding. Apart from this, however, the brand has a selection of high-end electric bicycles, too, and it has plans of tapping the ultra-lightweight e-MTB sector with its upcoming Project 4.
Naturally, tooling your facilities to produce a brand new model is extremely costly and time-consuming. As such, in order to prototype a brand new model, companies have to come up with creative ways to bring their concepts to life. In the case of the Thok P4, well, they used 3D Printing technology – but not just any 3D Printing technology.
You see, when testing prototypes, these bikes need to be able to withstand the rigor of real-world abuse. As such, in order to bring the P4 prototype to life, Thok teamed up with Materialise, a Belgium-based company that specializes in the 3D printing of aerospace and automotive components. This means that its 3D-printed goods are more than capable of withstanding tremendous forces. Materialise's tech is called Selective Laser Melting (SLM), wherein lasers are used to melt metal powder.
Sure, the prototype is very different from the intended full-carbon fiber frame of the production version of the P4. However, having a working prototype like this means that Thok can test important parameters like suspension, frame geometry, handling, and the integration with the motor. Speaking of the motor, Thok will be using the Bosch Performance Line SX for the P4. This is Bosch's newest performance-oriented e-bike system, and is touted as one of the lightest in the business. Bosch says that the Performance Line SX takes what's great about the Performance Line CX, and drops the weight thanks to a magnesium casing.
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As for the battery, the production P4 will be offered with a wide selection of battery packs. Riders will be able to choose from 400, 500, 625, and 750-watt-hour options, with Bosch's Powermore 250-watt-hour range extender reportedly compatible with all models. Having said all that, the official launch of the Thok P4 electric mountain bike is expected to take place sometime in 2024.
Sources: Cycling Electric, Bike Perfect
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