Yamaha Sets Course for Future in e-Bikes

TOKYO, Japan – Yamaha, the company that over a decade ago pioneered in e-Bikes with its PAS system, is once again taking the lead in technological developments for electric bicycles. The company is showing at the Tokyo Motor Show (October 24 – November 4) the ‘PASer’; a Star Trek looking e-Bike that features dual motor assist.

One is mounted in the front hub, the other centrally in the bottom bracket and is integrated in the carbon frame. That also houses front & rear suspension. Remarkable detail: sensors pick up the rider’s heartbeat and adjust the power to match. All that is combined with an automatic transmission with electronic shifting. According to Yamaha’s R&D chief Yuki Hosoi it will not take long before a production version is offered.

Playground of the Japanese brands

Eco-friendly two-wheelers like the Yamaha PASer are the stars at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show. With virtually no foreign participants the 41st Tokyo Motor Show is the playground of the Japanese brands. Green two-wheelers are featuring prominently in the Makuhari Messe. They account for many world premiers.

The Tokyo Motor Show proves that the Japanese embrace vehicles with electric drive or hybrid drive as a major solution for the future. They were present on just about any stand in the three exhibition halls. Cars and bikes. And looking at the avalanche of two-wheelers with all possible variations in ‘e’ and Hybrid technology it’s obvious that these will play a starring role in that development. Even in future generations motorcycles, as Yamaha HV-X ‘technology display’ proves. The designers aim at a whopping 50 percent reduction in CO2 consumption.

Interestingly, Yamaha have co-developed a two-wheel drive, 8-speed Nexus, 17 kilogram (carbon) bicycle for Lexus. The renowned automotive brand is thinking of a production version.

Yamaha also showed the PAS Brace-L Special. An upgraded version of the electro-hybrid sports bicycle, aiming at maximum performance. It too has an electronic control of the level of assist in all eight gears in the hub. It weighs a slim 23 kilograms and has 240 Watts of power and a lithium-ion battery. Which by the way is the preferred battery choice in virtually all electric verhicles. On two and four wheels.
 
Suzuki is also stepping into e-Bikes and showed its own, more classical, electric assist bicycle. The Love SNA26. Which was flanked by a fuell cell version – also electric drive – of the Suzuki Burgman scooter and a quirky vehicle for seniors.  Honda too seems to have serious plans to launch 100 percent electrical two-wheelers in the foreseeable future. They showed the EVE-neo electric scooter and a 21st century two-wheel drive offspring of the famous Cub; the most sold two-wheeler in the world.

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