This greatly simplifies the Gates belt drive system and constantly maintains proper belt tension, but is a unique design challenge often saved for more premium bikes such as the Zero SR/F and Zero SR/S. Stuffed into the “tank” are the 12V electronics, the throttle box, DC-DC converter, battery wires, and routing for the controller wires (which is hidden under the seat).Īnother interesting engineering and design consideration that is almost hidden from view is the way the motor and rear swingarm are designed to be coaxially mounted. Not only does it help retain the classic motorcycle heritage while still creating a modern twist (and provide the rider somewhere to grip with his or her knees - an important aspect for motorcycle riding regardless of gas vs electric power), but it also neatly hides away much of the electronic wiring to create the clean look of the bike. The cells are cooled using aluminum and copper heat transfer plates inside the box which dissipate the heat out through the box, covers and cooling fins. Working in collaboration with the engineering team, myself, Sam Dekok and Hector Alvarez, we developed the initial pack size and unique internal (proprietary) design with a power of 11kWh (going up to 13 kWh), which is very big for a midsize motorcycle (the same as the Zero SR). Michel began with basic box sketch designs and built the frame around this. Michael further explained the process for developing the battery box: The battery box came with its own interesting engineering challenges and designs. This greatly simplified the process and made assembly of the bike easier and cheaper for mass production. It was all very practical with Matthew’s engineering team building in tandem on the ground. This meant we could understand the bike more and how it would actually work and fit together. We started with the core structure, box and frame, as opposed to more stylistic items such as the ‘tank’. It was then a process of back and forth - cad - sketching - cad - sketching on each component until it was ready to prototype. Michel started off with some basic dimensions and proportion layouts which were loosely based on the concept eTRACKER, before sketching and adding in the CAD over the top. Having such a talented designer like Michel on the team, who also has the ‘hands on’ custom and practical skills, meant we could design the bike from the inside out, rather than wasting time on over the top sketches and building down trying to make them work. Michel worked on the design in tandem with Michael’s engineering team, as the company described: The bike is powered by a 50kW (67hp) electric motor. The eSCRAMBLER has a top speed of 150 km/h (93 mph), 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of 3.2 seconds, and a real-world range of 150 km (93 miles). That resulted in performance that is quite impressive for a mid-sized electric motorcycle. This wasn’t going to be vaporware - this was a bike designed from the outset for production.Īnd of course it had to have real-world specs that riders demanded. That meant tooling, CNC’d welding jigs, parts designed to be molded, the works. The design brief was simple: It had to be a mid-sized motorcycle with a powerful belt-driven mid-mounted motor and be production ready. Matthew partnered with ex-Yamaha Advanced Labs industrial designer and former Danish Flat Track racing champion Michel Riis to develop the eSCRAMBLER’s design. Matthew founded Switch Motorcycles to produce larger electric motorcycles with higher-performance specs, which describes the eSCRAMBLER well.īut before we dive into the tech specs, let’s check out how it was designed.
In addition to Shanghai Customs, which mostly focuses on custom electric motorcycles and moped builds, he’s back with another new electric motorcycle company, Switch Motorcycles, which has just unveiled a decidedly impressive electric motorcycle known as the eSCRAMBLER. In 2018, we covered his work developing and bringing to market an electric conversion kit for the classic Honda Cub moped as part of Shanghai Customs. New Zealand native Matthew Waddick knows a thing or two about retro-inspired electric motorcycles.
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