Abstract: A motorcycle uses a unique suspension system to reduce front end dive during braking. Anti-dive characteristics through full suspension travel provides a smoother ride by reducing the compression damping used in the suspension. The suspension system incorporates a rigid fork, a compression fork and a rocker arm. The front wheel is mounted to the rocker arm such that an axis of the wheel is located along the rocker arm between the rigid fork and the compression fork. A brake is coupled to the axis of the front wheel with a first support member and is connected to the rigid fork with a second support member. A brake linkage which includes a portion of the rigid fork, the rocker arm, and the first and second support members forms an irregular quadrilateral during vertical movement of the front wheel, such that a centerline of the second support member and a centerline of the rocker arm intersect behind the front wheel axis.

Abstract: Expanded foam materials having a high degree of biodegradability are prepared by combining a starch-graft copolymer (SGC) with grain based starch containing materials and 15-25% water and expanding the mixture either with or without blowing agents. The mixture of SGC and grain based material is directly expanded at elevated temperature with an extruder or other expansion means. The product may be customized for particular applications by manipulating the particular grafted monomer, manipulating the ratio of SGC to grain based material and/or by the addition of nucleators, blowing agents, plasticizers or other additives, and/or by varying moisture content and the conditions of expansion.