SCOOP: Shaft-driven Aprilia on the way! Patents show radical plan

SCOOP: Shaft-driven Aprilia on the way! Patents show radical plan.

We have been sent a new patent drawing that shows that Aprilia is planning a new SHAFT-DRIVE bike.

Info is scarce at the moment and the only details we have is that the patent is callled: Homokinetic Motorcycle Transmission and Motorcycle Comprising Said Transmission, the above drawing, and this brief description:

A motorcycle transmission (4) comprising a swingarm (8) which extends from one hinging end (12) to a motorcycle chassis, defining an oscillation axis (X-X), at one connection end (16) to a wheel (20), a homokinetic joint (36) arranged on the side of the hinging end (12), and a a geared coupling (40) positioned on the side of the connection end (16), wherein the homokinetic joint (36) kinematically reciprocally connects a first end (44) of an input shaft (48), connected to a power take-off, and a second end (52) of an output shaft (56) mechanically connected to the geared coupling (40), and wherein the geared coupling (40) transmits the motion to the wheel (20). The homokinetic joint (36) performs an instantaneously constant transmission ratio between the first and the second end (44, 52), the homokinetic joint (36) is offset to the hinging end (12) of the swingarm (8), in a vertical direction (Y-Y) perpendicular to the support surface (P) of the wheel (20) and permits an oscillation of the output shaft (56) between a stroke start and a stroke end, parallel to the oscillation axis (X-X).

The most likely explanation for the patent is that that Aprilia is considering shaft-drives for their Caponord bikes in an attempt to challenge the class-leading BMW R1200GS, which is shaft drive already.

But then again, they might be planning on equipping the RSV4 with a shaft-drive- stranger things have happened. That last one does seem unlikely though.