Why invert the engine?

 

In the car and motorcycle world, the term “revolution” is often used, even for a banal/minor change in a model that does not add anything special to the state of the art. However, over many years we  witnessed few real revolutions.

 

The 32 has been designed to demonstrate a really new concept: making a bike fast, beautiful, small, lightweight, sharp in the bends and at the same time, powered by a big displacement engine with a huge torque and power. This possible only by inverting the engine.

 

Is it a true revolution?

 

Most bikers are still persuaded that, in a motorcycle, to get the best dynamic performance, or the best behavior on the road, the centre of gravity has to be as low as possible. That’s certainly fundamental in a car, while for bikes it’s different. In a motorcycle the centre of gravity has to be neither low nor high, it has to be “right”.

 

Moreover, the mass, above all the main rotary engine mass, has to be centralized within an ideal circle comprising, of course, the rider too. The smaller that circle is, the better the motorcycle behavior will be. Naturally, to reach all these goals – above all, extreme mass-centralization – Nembo Motociclette had to design and built its own engine from scratch: an inverted three-cylinder, transverse in-line, naturally aspirated (because a supercharger is not so “elegant”).

 

An engine not based on existing engines and so totally new, which has to work upside-down. Really a big challenge for so small a firm. Only by means of this fresh architecture can a big displacement engine (more than 1800cc/ 110 Cubic Inch) be used. It gives huge torque and power in a relaxing way, still maintaining the dimensions, weight and behavior of a 600/1000cc sportsbike at the half the RPM. And, we have to say, this is the first inverted engine in the world to meet and exceed 8000 RPM: the previous inverted (aircraft) engines could reach just 4500 rpm.

 

Note that the Nembo “Super 32 Rovescio” engine is also the first inverted engine designed to work as a chassis, where the transverse crankcase block is the only link between the steering hub and the swinging-arm, and where heads and cylinders are not involved in the structural work.

 

As we know, unlike a sports 1000cc engine, a two-liter engine is able to deliver power and torque in sweeter way, from low revs.

 Having it in such a lightweight bike, you are not forced to reach 15,000 RPM to go fast, and you have a wider choice in exploiting the engine’s potential. But the 32 is perfectly able to be “ferocious” if you like: just twist the throttle and you get an exhilarating, mighty thrust.
 
Maybe that’s one of the best aspects of the bike.

 

The 32 is not conceived to be a faired track-oriented bike, it’s rather a road naked bike, a sport-roadster made for the enjoyment of the lucky ones who will ride it. So, it’s not even conceived for long journeys or commuting: that would be a waste. Its natural habitat is among the bends and straights of secluded and magnificent roads. But along with the fun of riding it, the 32 is more comfortable than a traditional superbike, as the heat generated by heads and cylinders is located at the bottom of the engine, so not between the rider's legs to roast them.

 

The 32 Facts:

 

Nembo Motociclette is a new, small Italian motorcycle company based in Rome, Italy. It’s led by Daniele Sabatini, sole owner and designer. The first project of Nembo Motociclette started in mid-2009 to create a totally new "naked" sportsbike from a clean sheet. The result was the type "32", the first and only motorcycle in the world to mount an engine inverted (or upside down) with the block eplacing the frame and where heads and cylinders don’t have a structural function. Inverted inline engines are not new in the history of engines. Indeed, they are a very important element in it. De Havilland, Daimler-Benz and Junkers, for example, built hundreds of thousands of them, in the thirties and forties, such as aircraft engines. In particular, inverted in-line engines powered most of the German fighter aircraft used in World War II. Even radial aircraft engines have half the cylinders inverted and these were also mass produced during World War II, serving until the sixties in the military and civilian air forces around the world. Nor we can say that these engines are new in the history of the motorcycle, as in 1939, a french motorcycle, the 600cc MGC was equipped with an inverted in-line engine.

 

However, it had a totally different architecture compared to the 32: in fact, the French engine did not work as a frame and its 4 cylinders were lined-up along the longitudinal axis of the bike.

 

It was built and tested, but the project ended because of the war. The production of Nembo Motociclette consists of top-end sport-motorcycles, for road and track, equipped with in-house designed and manufactured engines. Even the frames, the swing-arms, the tanks, the bodywork and the other components are designed and constructed in-house, handcrafted and made with CAD/CAM precision machinery. Only wheels, front suspension, brakes and electronics are from third-party suppliers, of global significance.

 

 The "Super 32 Rovescio" engine is very small to be a 2-liters three-cylinder. It’s even more compact and short than most of the current 1000cc three/four-cylinder traditional engines. Also, this is the reason why the bike can be equipped with a very long carbon fiber 680mm axle-to-axle swingarm, that allows excellent stability and great traction. Another record. The displacement chosen for the "Super 32 Rovescio" engine is two litres, because unlike a 1000cc current engine, a 2-litre engine is obviously capable of delivering more power and torque in a more gentle way at low revs too, making riding the 32 fun, relaxing and "friendly" even for the

less-expert riders. However, it’s very powerful and installed in such a lightweight and agile bike, allows terrific performance and an extraordinary experience. In October 2010 the upside-down engine

was assembled for the first time. At the end of 2010 came the first check dry assembly with the real components of the bike. In July 2011 the first prototype was on the Franciacorta track in a first dynamic test session. In October 2011, it performed its second test session on the Adria track for a medium-revs engine tune-up.

 

In May 2012, the 32 was selected by the BMW Group/BMW Classic to be shown at the famous and prestigious “Concorso d'Eleganza di Villa d'Este” 2012 at Cernobbio on Lake Como.
In July 2013 all the tests on the prototypes had been completed and the second prototype had been tested by the main Italian motorcycle magazine “Motociclismo”. Tests have shown the validity of the original concept based on the inverted engine: great handling in the bends, great balance, great stability, excellent dynamic behavior, great fun. The first two prototypes, the 001 and the 002, are the only 32’s with the 1814cc engine. Since the #003 bike, the first production model for sale, all the engines will be 2000 cc. The bikes are built and accurately assembled by hand in Italy by excellent Italian staff. And they are built only to order.