Electric motorcycles are slowly - but surely - becoming far more accessible to the average rider as battery technology continues to improve. Not be left in the sooty past, eleven industrial engineering students and one design student from Elisava University built the Eray electric motorcycle for the Barcelona Smart Moto Challenge 2019 (BSMC); which consists of a series of challenges designed to determine who has built the best motorcycle suitable for commercialisation (real life).
The BSMC began in 2013 and its sole purpose to prepare future designers for a competitive sustainable future.
About the ERT Eray
Despite none of the fourth year students ever designing motorcycles in the past, the Eray took just nine months to complete from scratch.
The motorcycles 2mm thick tubular steel frame employed extensive ergonomic studies of enduro riders, which were then simulated in CAD (computer-aided design) to adjust and fine-tune the chassis geometry, surrounding bodywork and fine controls.
Olle R16V competition-spec suspension can be found at the front, with the rear swingarm being attached to a custom Olle momo shock (made exclusively for the Eray), linked up to Morad spoked rims being slowed by J.Juan calipers.
Power is provided by an off-the-shelf Ashwood IMP 200-50 motor and a Sevcon gen4 controller. The powertrain draws charge from a custom 252 cell battery pack with 3000 mA that delivers 54 Ah at 51,8V, with a max discharge current of 300 A. In layman terms that’s about 13hp.
The cell(s) has a range of 31-miles (50km) and can be swapped out for a fresh cell in under two minutes.
The Eray also features sleek and premium design touches such as KTM power parts inspired triple trees and controls, an oval LED Halo daytime running light and rear brake light with integrated indicators - very clean indeed.
Equipment
So much techy stuff it’s easier just to list it:
“Intelligent interaction system” with blindspot detection
Seven-inch touch screen dash
GPS
Bluetooth
Real-time diagnostics
Powertrain system monitoring
Multiple programmable ride modes.
The smart system is also linked to a smartphone app that can calculate range based on a given route’s gradient and traffic for extra accuracy.
How did the Eray perform at the BSMC 2019?
In its inaugural year at the BSMC the Eray achieved two first-place prizes for best battery pack and best smart solution, and three second-place awards - finishing 2nd overall at the event.
Whether you like electric motorcycles or not, you’ve got to admit that the Eray is an incredible achievement in just nine months?
Click here to find out more about the people behind the Eray and its design.
