THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If ever you have felt riding a bike with a hubless wheel as unimaginable, four youngsters of P A Aziz College of Engineering and Technology (PAACET) have a different idea to share. In fact, the idea of hubless tyres (without axle) has already been worked out and they have come up with the hubless concept which they say is the first in the country.
The bike with hubless wheel has been made by Shabin S, Asif Shereef, Abhijith Mohan and Bibin Salim, final year mechanical engineering students at PAACET. The bike was made as part of their final year project. ‘’ We worked on the idea since we felt that it was something new,’’ says Abhijith Mohan.
It took three months for these students to complete the project. Yamaha Enticer was chosen for the project and they say that the choice was driven by the design factor. ‘’Often, cruiser bikes have a large wheel base. The most important advantage of having a hubless wheel is that it would reduce the weight considerably and eventually fuel consumption,’’ says Abhijith.
The project, named ‘Hubless Ryder’, ensures accurate steering, enhanced braking, reduced vibration and easy wheel changing. The hub is as big as the wheel itself and the axle is hollow following the wheel at close tolerances.
The boys are now planning to get a patent for their project. The project was completed under the guidance of Azeem Hafiz, lecturer, PAACET.