Interview about Enduro2 Electric MotoBike, winner of the A' Vehicle, Mobility and Transportation Design Award 2022
Enduro 2 was born from the idea of combining MTB and Enduro motorcycle in a single product.
Its design is made up of a combination of shapes that embody its roots: an agile and light frame in exposed carbon fiber is inserted into a CNC-engineered Ergal engine, derived from motorcycling.
The union of the two materials has synergistically merged into a new innovative form.
The front of the bike seeks a sinuous and soft line, which integrates the electrical components inside, while the rear recalls technicality and strength.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsThe idea of fusing Ergal and carbon together arose from the aim of obtaining a frame that was as light as possible but at the same time maintaining very low dimensional tolerances, which are difficult to achieve with heat welding of materials such as aluminium.Furthermore, the two materials merge together the idea of a front bicycle with that of a motorcycle engine and swingarm.
In addition to the above answer, linked to the frame, the biggest challenge was certainly to create a load-bearing motor block that acted as a frame, in this way we drastically lowered the overall weight.
The double transmission has a twofold advantage: on the one hand it eliminates the problems of heavy wear of traditional transmission components (sprocket set and derailleur) and on the other it creates a system that works in synergy with your legs, allowing you to change gear under stress and have a double system as a backup.
The challenge was to integrate the electronic part as much as possible into a frame that resembles a traditional ebike as much as possible, in this way, the electrical components that are usually located near the motor, in contact with dirt and water, in the Enduro2 are located high up near the handlebars, protected and dry. To do this, the frame was designed with a millimetric housing of battery and control unit, trying to maintain a streamlined and slim shape at every point.
I think my architectural background made it possible to create an unusual shape because my approach came from a sector outside of the bicycle sector, and for this reason it probably made me think of solutions that were partly unrelated to the world of two wheels (such as carbon-ergal bonding or a structural motor).
The plug-in assembly of the Enduro2 mainly allows to keep the geometries unchanged during manufacturing (different is the heat treatment of a welded frame, which causes warping).In addition, it is a system that allows the end user to disassemble and replace only the damaged component in case of breakages.
The centrally integrated motor offers three main advantages over rear motors:- reduces weight on the wheel, for a better riding feel, by centralizing the weights- reduces motor fatigue, working with a reduction ratio lower than 1:1 via a gear reducer- reduces heat produced on steep climbs by dissipating it throughout the frame
During development, the biggest challenges faced were weight reduction (the first prototype, all welded in aluminum, weighed 2.5 kg more) and the integration of such a large engine into the chassis. Dry assembly also represented a major manufacturing challenge, where tolerances must be perfect, and for this I thank the Italian mechanical workshop that helped me with this.Finally, after choosing the carbon front solution, it was very stimulating to think of an innovative shape to give to the front part, both for the electrical part and for the passage of the cables coming out of the seat tube.
The Enduro2 has been designed with geometry and weights that are inspired by the world of mountain bike racing, so it is suitable for both an amateur outing and for use by more expert users.The power delivery is very manageable even for users who are not experts in the world of motorbikes.
The Enduro2 could bridge the gap between motorcycles and e-bikes even more today, after the development of a new control unit that I made, which allows to obtain, together with the management via the throttle grip, also a torque sensor of the pedaling, like traditional e-bikes. It would be very nice to find an investor who makes a series production of this model possible, a lot of people (especially in an older age group) could find in Enduro2 the answer to their needs.
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