KTM Developing Leaf Spring Suspension
Composite rear leaf spring promises more adaptability and less weight.
By Ben Purvis
KTM is exploring some interesting new rear suspension designs to improve packaging and reduce weight.Simon Cudby/KTM
Mention the term “leaf spring” and there’s a tendency to think of old-school muscle cars with unsophisticated, cart-sprung, solid-axle rear ends or, in motorcycle terms, prewar bikes with leaf spring front suspension. However, KTM is now looking at reviving the idea for motocross bikes.
In reality, while crude, old suspension systems often used leaf springs, the spring itself isn’t usually the source of their lack of sophistication. Chevrolet’s Corvette used transverse leaf springs on independent suspension from the second generation in 1963 right until the launch of the eighth generation in 2020, adopting composite plastic single-leaf springs in the ’80s. Less famously, Volvo uses composite, transverse leaf springs in several of its latest models. Used correctly, leaf springs made of modern materials can be lighter than steel coils, and in some instances their long, flat shape is easier to package. Composite leaf springs, made of a single piece rather than the stacked leaves of traditional metal leaf springs, also avoid the friction of the multiple leaves rubbing together, which was one of the main drawbacks of older designs.
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https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-news/ktm-developing-leaf-spring-suspension/