The Bothan Spy Network is strong this week, as we have learned some more about Mugen’s latest TT Zero entry, the Mugen Shinden Nana.
Unveiled to the public at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show, three riders – McGuinness, Johnston, and Anstey – will compete at the Isle of Man TT onboard the Mugen Shinden Nana.
Mugen was tight-lipped on its spec-sheet for the Mugen Shinden Nana though, with the specs for the Nana mimicking those seen on last year’s bike, the Mugen Shinden Roku. That isn’t exactly the case, however.
Yes, Mugen will run its special aerodynamic fairing for the 2018 Isle of Man TT, which is a piece that has been under development for over a year now. But, the Japanese brand has other tricks up its sleeve as well.
The first trick was on display in Tokyo for all to see, as the suspension gurus at Showa have taken a development path idea from the folks at Öhlins, employing carbon fiber tubes into their fork suspension construction design.
We called this technology “Ducati’s Secret Weapon” when it debuted in MotoGP last year, and it is good to see the tech making its way into other series, other racing platforms, and other suspension manufacturers.
These special carbon fiber forks were of course absent from Mugen’s press photos of the Shinden Nana, either because they weren’t ready by the time that the electric superbike was photographer, or because the race team wanted to keep the technology under its hat for a bit longer.
In application, the carbon fiber forks tubes should help trim some fat off the Shinden Nana, which will still likely clock in at over 500 lbs, despite the Mugen team obviously looking to save weight wherever it can (note the carbon fiber frame and swingarm).
Other changes are going to be more difficult to spot, however, as our Bothan reports that Mugen will increase the battery capacity of the Shinda Nana, in comparison to the Shinden Roku.
This is a logical piece of news, considering the constantly evolving space in battery technology, as each year sees denser batteries come on the market, and come into development.
The Mugen team has found its strength in using the latest batteries available, and the Shinden Nana is surely a proving ground for Mugen’s battery partner, Maxell.
In addition to more battery power onboard, Mugen is set to benefit from increased efficiency and reliability in its electric powertrain system.
Our spy reports that Mugen was only able to run the Shinden Roku at 85% of the bike’s maximum performance capability last year. As such, the Mugen Shinden Roku was certainly capable of doing a 120 mph lap around the TT course.
With those gremlins worked out of the system, and even more battery onboard, the potential of the Mugen Shinden Nana is quite high.0
With three top-tier riders at the helm, an improved drivetrain, and high-tech aerodynamics, we expect big things from Team Mugen this year. Stay tuned.
Press Photos of the Mugen Shinden Nana:
Source: Bothan Spies
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