When the warm spring day drives away the winter frost, it also evokes the heat of motorcycle enthusiasts. The riders finally decided to start again, smell the smell of asphalt and conquer the world! Get out of the car and start planning a short or long distance. Travel. However, where can travel without luggage? What is the best way to store luggage? Which baggage system can make the motorcycle design exceptionally attractive? Which baggage systems are light, strong, safe and easy to operate?
These are the questions considered by the experts of Hepco & Becker GmbH. The company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of high-quality motorcycle baggage systems, headquartered in Pirmasens, Germany. The family company is also an expert in the field of toolboxes. Accumulated expertise and years of experience are integrated into a new bag called XCEED. The top loader is developed by the company in cooperation with EGON Engineering Goes On, a technical consulting company from Memmingen (Germany). Design based on high quality anodized aluminum and Covestro's impact resistant Makroblend® UT6007 plastic.
Extremely strong
'Through these material combinations, we can use modern lines and shapes to give the luggage elegance and value, and keep it light. This suitcase can withstand many shocks and collisions in daily life and will not immediately cause its appearance. The damage was explained by Nils Arnold, design and development specialist at Hepco & Becker. The impact resistant plastic of Covestro was used for the base part of the luggage and weighed only 4.5 kg. It was covered by the cover, the shell lock and the cover and the edge of the main body. In addition, the lid handle, which can be opened and removed from both sides, and accessories such as beverage cans and beverage bottle holders are made of a mixture of polycarbonate and polybutylene terephthalate (PC + PBT).
Matte fine textured surface
'Our material has proven itself in many respects with excellent properties. For example, it has extremely low temperature impact resistance and is not susceptible to cracking and chipping even at low temperatures, which is good for safety,' explained Thomas Vaillant, Covestro Plastics expert. The material is also resistant to typical motorcycle fluids such as gasoline, grease and fuel, and cleaning and maintenance products. In addition, the matt textured surface can be injection molded without any defects, which complements its aluminum appearance.
Good fluidity and dimensional stability are other advantages of this modified elastomer thermoplastic, ensuring accurate reproduction of some of the filigree filament geometry. For example, in the lock industry, the entire box (capacity 38 liters) is fully adapted to the support and installation environment. .
The various materials of the Makroblend® UT series are also suitable for other motorcycle applications. For example, they are used to produce weatherproof and shock-resistant battery housings for electric motorcycles.
XCEED will be launched in mid-2018 and was exhibited at EICMA, the largest European motorcycle exhibition in Milan in November 2017.