The V1 Prototypes were slightly out of tolerance (as is often the case with protos), so they were reworked and then sent out to racers around the globe to put through their paces.
The V2 version (as seen in place on my legend above), was just an experiment to see if there would be an issue with the axles loosening over time due to sticky hub bearings unscrewing them... there was one case where the axle loosened half a turn... so even tho some loctite could solve this issue, I thought it wise to just add a lock bolt to remove this issue completely.
The V3 axles as pictured above use a very simple lock bolt design which in itself is not load bearing, but just there to keep the axle in place by locking into the frame and then holding the axle in place not by opposing thread directions, but just variation in thread pitch.
The axles and bolts are made of Grade 5 6Al 4V titanium alloy for excellent strength to weight ratio... the V2 axles and bolts combined weigh about 55-60g according to kitchen scale (sorry, don't have an accurate scale here). However this does match the theoretical value of 57g based on volume of alloy used.
The 3 versions will now be put through their paces to check there are no unforeseen issues and that they are more than strong enough (calculations suggest that it is more than 5 times stronger than Maxle Lite, and supports the hub body completely). The idea behind the project is to come up with a lighter, stronger and better supporting (to the hub) axle.Once we are happy with the performance and strength then these axles will come as standard on all applicable Banshee bikes, and will also be available aftermarket for people looking for another option to the maxle system on whatever brand of bike they ride. When we start shipping them, we will post it on the blog so that you can pre order.
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