Swiss cleantech materials innovator, Bcomp, has teamed up with leading Japanese composite specialist, Tras, to bring natural fibre composite solutions to the world of motorcycle racing. Building on previous successful collaborations in the luxury furniture and motorsports sectors, this marks the first venture into the racing bike industry as collaborators, bringing sustainable materials to a new sector, aiming to redefine the future of motorbike racing and motorcycle performance.
By combining joint expertise in composites and heritage in motorsports solutions, Tras and Bcomp are helping to further advance the pinnacle of motorcycle racing technology, pushing the limits of innovation, speed and competition to not only improve the sport but the wider motorcycle industry – as MotoGP technology transfers from the track all the way down to street bikes.
Tras has been making the bodywork of Suzuki’s MotoGP bikes for over 20 years, including manufacturing the full body of Suzuki’s winning machine GSX-RR. This demo machine featured a natural fibre cowl made using Bcomp’s cutting-edge materials.
The flax-based ampliTex™ and powerRibs™ composites offer a sustainable alternative to pure carbon parts – with up to 85% CO2 footprint reduction and viable end-of-life solutions – while also improving safety, and reducing debris on track, due to the ductile fracture behaviour of these innovative fabrics. Delivering the same lightweight performance and stiffness of carbon fibre parts, Bcomp’s bio-based materials prove that sustainability and performance can go hand in hand, even in endurance racing, one the most demanding environments in motorsports.
Most recently, Tras and Bcomp collaborated on the SUZUKI CN CHALLENGE racing motorbike, used to participate in the FIM World Endurance Championship Suzuka 8 hours race. Tras used Bcomp’s materials to create a natural flax fibre body and its flax composites to develop the front, rear fender and winglets of the motorbike.
Tras’ continued use of these flax composites is a testament to the suitability of this technology in bike racing environments, furthering Bcomp’s heritage in the motorsport world with longstanding collaborations with multiple OEMs.
These projects have supported Team SUZUKI CN (Carbon Neutral) CHALLENGE which aims to accelerate sustainable performance solutions by using parts and fuel made from sustainable materials – from tyres that use an increased ratio of recycled materials, to recycled carbon materials parts or Bcomp’s natural flax fibre parts.
The front fender, rear fender and wings of the SUZUKI CN CHALLENGE and the Suzuki MotoGP cowl will be exhibited at JEC 2025, where conference visitors can experience these cutting-edge parts first hand.
Natsumi Nitta, General Manager at Tras, commented: “This collaboration with Bcomp has enabled us to push the limits of MotoGP performance while utilising new sustainable technologies. The use of his natural fibre has been a major turning point which is changing the status quo of the motorcycle racing and the motorsports industry more widely. Ultimately, this collaboration isn’t just about playing a role in winning races. It’s about accelerating progress across the two-wheeled world, ensuring that the breakthroughs seen on the track today will shape the motorcycles of tomorrow.”
Johann Wacht, Manager Business Development & Strategic Customer Relationships at Bcomp, added: “Teaming up with Tras’ industry-leading composite experts has enabled us to demonstrate that ampliTex™ and powerRibs™ can push the limits of MotoGP, in performance as well as sustainability. With race organisers increasingly demanding more sustainable alternatives, our collaboration with Tras showcases how bio-based materials can be seamlessly integrated into part manufacturing and vehicle design, offering a glimpse into the future of sustainable motorsports.”
More information
Learn more about Tras
Read more about the SUZUKI CN CHALLENGE
