Lifelong motorcyclist and industrial designer James Parker, who founded his Rationally Advanced Design Development (RADD) company in the early 1980s to change how the industry thought about front suspension setups on bikes, has died near his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was reportedly walking not far from his home when he was hit by a vehicle on July 1. He died on July 11, at the age of 76.
His RADD suspension system first appeared on the Yamaha Morpho Concept. Although front forks have long been the most common type of front suspension on a motorcycle, Parker thought he could do better if he made the steering and the suspension two separate things. The front swingarm design that formed the heart of the RADD system also meant a lower center of gravity for any bikes it was used on, which was a definite plus in terms of handling.
