JAKARTA – Kawasaki has not been too aggressive in presenting a basic level commuter electric motorcycle. However, the latest patent that appears shows that the Japanese manufacturer is secretly preparing a more advanced technology, which has the potential to be a big step in the development of their electric motorcycles.
Until now, most electric motorcycles are designed with an integrated drive system. In some models, the motor and battery pack are even structural parts of the chassis.
This means that the motor frame is specifically designed to follow the configuration of the motor used. This method does provide advantages in terms of performance and frame stiffness, but on the other hand it makes the flexibility of model development more limited.
Unlike this approach, Kawasaki’s latest patent offers another concept. As noted by Ben Purvis of Cycle World, the manufacturer proposes a modular mounting system that allows different types of motorcycles to be used in the same motorcycle frame.
In appearance, the basic design is still similar to existing electric motorcycles, such as the Kawasaki Z e-1 and Ninja e-1. This motorcycle uses a steel trellis frame with a removable battery pack, placed between the frame rails, while the motor unit is near the swing arm shaft.
Launching Electrek, Monday, March 9, but the difference lies in the way the motor is mounted. Instead of installing the motor directly to the main frame, the design in this patent presents an intermediate subframe.
This component is positioned between the main chassis and the motor or transmission unit, so that it serves as an interface mounting point. The subframe is designed to consist of two separate parts, namely the upper and lower segments.
These two parts can be replaced or adjusted according to the configuration of the motor used. With this concept, Kawasaki has the potential to use one main frame for various electric motorcycle models.
The change only needs to be made to the mounting structure on the subframe to accommodate different types of motorcycles. In the patent document it is stated that different motor units can be installed without making major changes to the main frame, but only require minor adjustments to the mounting components.
Although it sounds simple, this approach can have a significant impact. Modular platforms allow manufacturers to streamline production processes, increase the use of common components across models, while reducing development costs.
This is important because the price of electric motorcycles is still often higher than gasoline-powered motorcycles. If production costs can be suppressed through engineering solutions like this, it is not impossible that the selling price of electric motorcycles will also be more affordable for consumers.
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