Luxury Bike Shop Eliminates Prototypes Using SolidWorks Simulation Software

Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp today announced that Travertson Motorcycles is using a variety of tools in the SolidWorks® 2012 3D design solution to create its motorcycles, including molding design, flow simulation and product rendering capabilities.

Luxury motorcycles attract a very specific following; the typical buyers for high-end bikes know what they want, are often sophisticated collectors and understand the meaning of performance. To meet these expectations, the team at Travertson found SolidWorks SimulationXpress to be in particular the most valuable part of SolidWorks Professional, enabling its designers to validate designs and virtually determine effects of force and pressure. This allows Travertson to avoid physical testing on an expensive, long-to-fabricate prototype and dramatically cuts the cost of designing each part.

“When I first began designing bikes in the 1970s, my only tools were a ruler and my imagination. What a difference to have SolidWorks today—it enables us to not only make a stellar product, but to provide a level of customization that our competitors can’t,” said Christian Travert, owner of Travertson Motorcycles. “The simulation capabilities have saved us a lot of time and money by acting as a safety net for design integrity.”

Travertson takes an artist’s approach to its products, balancing beauty with performance. The company’s customers come ready to buy, and Travertson must be able to turn around a quality product to meet the customer’s exact specifications. SolidWorks also helps support the constant interaction between the engineering and manufacturing groups within the Travertson facility.

“Travertson’s approach to building bikes is both efficient and unique,” said Stephen Endersby, product manager, simulation, Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. “Leveraging the simulation capabilities in SolidWorks to stress test the bike’s frame, seats and other load-bearing parts, the design team can ensure both the integrity and luxury of the product.”

Travertson relies on authorized SolidWorks VAR, The SolidExperts for ongoing software training, implementation and support.