Fuller Moto prints futuristic motorcycle

Fuller Moto takes advantage of the design freedom offered by cutting-edge metal 3D printing technology to create the 2029 Majestic, an ultra-modern electric motorcycle inspired by a classic.

A custom car and motorcycle shop based in Atlanta, Georgia, Fuller Moto specializes in transforming the imaginative ideas of its customers into reality with created design, engineering, and metalwork.

The 2029 Majestic is a sleek high-tech design commissioned by the Haas Moto Museum and Sculpture Gallery to create a futuristic motorcycle concept based off the century old French classic, the 1929 Majestic.

Starting with a barebones aluminum frame by Zero Motorcycles, an electric motorcycle production company out of California, Fuller Moto opened up a new realm of fabrication possibilities with the use of 3D metal printing.

"I get jacked up about the 3D printing, because you can take ideas, you put it directly into a part and the part comes out of the machine how you dreamt it." said owner of Fuller Moto, Bryan Fuller.

Bryan Heidt, lead metal fabricator at Fuller Moto, worked on design concepts and provided the initial CAD (computer assisted design) model dimensions to ensure optimum form and function.

The Fuller team then shared the models with futurist designer and movie concept artist for Star Wars, Nick Pugh, to help bring the concept to life.

The finished designs were then taken to Oerlikon AM, a 3D printing specialist, where they began to print the dream into reality, with titanium.

Titanium is currently the strongest, and lightest material being used in 3D printing. Its excellent strength to weight ratio makes it an ideal material and allows shapes that otherwise would be practically impossible to hand craft.

"There's a laser, basically like TIG welding a really fine layer at a time, microns at a time. The laser, it's actually refracted around by a mirror, so the mirror is turning and pointing the laser where it wants. It swipes another thin layer of powder, that can be aluminum, magnesium, stainless steel, titanium and laser (it) in," said Fuller.

With just about a years' worth of design and labor, the 2029 Majestic is now complete and is being showcased in the Haas Gallery.

"I was inspired by 3-D printing, allowing my creativity to run wild and create organic shapes that are nearly unmakeable by traditional means," said Fuller. "With no limits to design, I was able to create something unique that could only exist in the space between craft and the innovation of technology."

Power-wise, the 2029 Majestic has a top speed somewhere in the ballpark of 85 mph, with 46 horses, 78 foot-pounds of torque and a range of 100 miles. For comparison, a restored 1929 Majestic has just 14 hp and a top speed of 55 mph.

"This is the first custom motorcycle that's been extensively using 3D printing in metal, I think people will talk about this bike for a long time," Fuller said.