Considering they already make everything from vitamins and cocktails to 410-square-foot houses, 3D printers are prepped to create almost anything you can imagine in the near future.
And based on the looks of the bike Italy-based Tex Design just printed out, the future looks bright.
Created in studio using Autodesk Alias CAD software, designer Paolo “Tex” Tesio digitally worked on the bike — which is based on a two-cylinder 2006 Buell XB12 Firebolt — for about a year and spent another six months on printing and assembly.
Tesio was able to keep the bike’s original suspension, wheels and brakes intact, but all of the 3D-printed superstructures you see on top (subframe, tail unit, fork coverage system, etc.) were bolted on and fit together seamlessly without any cutting or welding required.
Normally accustomed to sketching out builds on a piece of paper, Tesio says the new tech-assisted process allowed him to have “perfect command” of the custom Buell’s “volumes and proportions.”
“I find the technology wonderful,” he told Bike EXIF. “There is no waste of material, and if you’ve done a good job with your design, everything comes back without any surprises. It’s the future in the design field.”
Like we said, the future looks bright.
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