ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
Tech => Parts, Mods And Hacks => Topic started by: BrianTRice@gmail.com on September 13, 2016, 08:58:33 AM
-
Although most electric motorcycles don't travel far or long yet, highway travel is in reach and will be more common soon with better chargers and aerodynamics becoming available. I'm used to using some nice cheap options over the years on my Suzuki V-Strom. After trying what I had lying around and reading reviews, my current choice right now for an electric motorcycle throttle is the Atlas, which I've installed along with a Crampbuster hand rest.
The Atlas is a privateer design that went through a Kickstarter phase successfully and now seems to be a side business for the designer. This ADVRider thread (http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/atlas-throttle-lock-a-universal-motorcycle-cruise-control.1014518/) shows some practical photos and discussion.
The Atlas throttle lock (http://www.atlasthrottlelock.com/) seems to suit the Magura throttle (http://www.evdrives.com/product_p/thr-magura-assy.htm) on my Zero, though it should fit the Domino throttle as well, particularly because it avoids taking up valuable handgrip space and has a generic fitment. The Magura throttle's space for the Atlas to fit into is extremely narrow, though, so you can only use the thinnest friction pad provided.
Atlas nicely posted a comparison chart (http://www.atlasthrottlelock.com/pages/throttle-lock-comparison-chart) illustrating how different throttle lock mechanism approaches have tradeoffs, to which I'll add my experience:
- Kaoko throttle locks operate as bar ends with a dial and are good if the bike fit is confirmed, which no electric motorcycle model has yet. Operating the dial does feel a little awkward since you have to reach for the bar end, but the build is very solid.
- Go Cruise throttle lock is also generic and easy to use but does take up space on the inside of the throttle grip, which makes the throttle harder to use unless you have small hands. On the other hand, it's cheap and extremely easy to install and remove.
I've documented these findings on the Zero wiki manual (http://zeromanual.com/index.php/Common_Modifications#Throttle_Lock).
-
Many motorcycle owners have used a rubber O-ring installed between the end of the throttle and the bar end weight to provide tension on the throttle so as to act as a sort of throttle "locker".
Many years ago I used an old piece of wire coat hanger, wrapped around the throttle grip in a loop, open to the front with the ends of the wire extending above and below the brake lever. Tension on the wire loop was provided by a rubber band, which could be adjusted by bending the ends of the wire and/or increasing the rubber band tension. ;)
-
Those are good cheap solutions. Of course, a Zero needs a bar end in the first place...
-
I've been trying this in my 85 mile per day commute, and I have to say this performs really well, and more or less solves touring ergonomics for the throttle. It's basically the game-changer for the throttle.
Benefits:
- This basically maintains a relatively constant efficiency (Wh/mi measure) because constant torque output easily adjusts the bike to the current incline and headwinds. I used it on the (very windy and long) San Mateo bridge and found this pleasing effect of speeding up as the winds eased or turned into tail winds. I'll recheck on a route that takes me into a strong gusty headwind soon.
- Alternatively, I can't think of a better way to make sure I ride at 50-55mph (75 Wh/mi currently), say, to conserve range for a long trip leg.
- I may be able to perform efficiency tests now, but I'll just need to check/match twist angle for comparisons.
- The friction lock isn't super firm, so you can make throttle tweaks in flight with not much effort and even close the throttle quickly while locked.
Side effects / issues:
- Operating the throttle at least at first has a little more resistance from the friction pad contacting the housing. This makes using the throttle a little more intensive on the wrist without the lock. It also might go away as the pad wears from use.
- I'll ask the guy who makes them what pad thickness I'm using so I can have some spare material to cut new ones from.
- Obviously, it's a good idea to release the lock as early as you can anticipate any traffic trouble. The lock does release smoothly because the friction pad is there, and the Magura throttle doesn't jerk closed even if your hand is not on the throttle.
- Constant torque does have one slight surprise for highway traffic: if you come up behind a truck to draft, you'll speed up towards the truck if you don't carefully tweak the throttle, and I wound up instead just letting the throttle speed me up so I can pass. The momentum does help pass a bit but passing a large tractor-trailer will obviously require another throttle bump for a bit.
I'll take photos once I've figured out the ergonomics for sure, to illustrate a good angle I found and why, and show how I use a Crampbuster in concert with it. Right now, it's pretty close but I'm trying to decide whether another tweak would make a significant difference.
I wish I'd figured this out earlier this year - I would have ordered one of these to deliver to Ben to help him out with his trip, but at least we found a Crampbuster for him to have/use.
-
Okay, here are photos now that I'm basically satisfied:
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160916/710d361754655e874d9befe0de88cc15.jpg)
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160916/3e1402a52bfbcf915f87a54d6e2982e9.jpg)
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160916/6ae0e88ebadfeddfbe0871a4c09b0c39.jpg)
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160916/2190dd06432e859cef8ca902e599bf51.jpg)
-
This continues to be really great for highway cruising. A little practice makes it very easy to lock and unlock the throttle quickly. I even adjust the crampbuster so that my hand can rest with my thumb on the button easily.
I'll state the obvious advice: only use this on boring highway stretches with good visibility and no traffic crowding.
-
The photos that were in this thread are missing. Can they be recovered/recreated?
-Crissa