For various reasons the seat has been slow to develop. However, I’m enthusiastic to get this finished so it can be ticked off the list of things to do. Being the kinda guy who is always happy to learn new things, I I’m going to have a go myself. Because I’m new to the upholstery…
Tag: design
New colour-way (w/video)
Testing a new some new animation features in Twin motion. Trying a new colour-way too, because I can. Always best to visualise a variety of ideas. Liking the hi-vis green and tan/cork leather.
Just xj600e renders
Been trying hard to suck at something new again… and have finally worked out the correct buttons to push to improve the quality of some of my visualisation skills on my #xj600e Have moved from UE5 to Twinmotion. Finding it amazing to work with new programs.
Design Freeze 01
Okay, I think this project has reached a design freeze. Or at least a freeze until all is printed out and it has passed the DVLA MSVA (Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval). The last task was to cover cables that route from the lower battery box to the controller at the top of the frame with…
Panel dry-fit
K — Think I’m getting close now. Still needs electronic mods but this is the first time i have been able to see the whole bikes form. To be honest I have seen in in VR and on screen a million times but it was good to see it in the flesh. Noticed that I…
… colours?
I think my obsession with detail and fiddly bits is getting out of control. Out of all the bits printed for my electric motorcycle so far, this is my favourite design & part. Just a plain old cable collar (about 150mm in length) that holds the front and rear panels together, keeps them on the…
Put a cork in it!
I have been thinking about how I can further fulfil my sustainable ‘manifesto’ of design. I have thought about using recycling PVC tarps. Discourse with upholsters have indicated that it can be hard to work with because it is not flexible and from my personal experience I have found that it is quite hard to…
330mm shock test length
As mentioned in the last post, I decided to try a TW125 shock to test the length. No bottoming out, I had a jolly good bounce on it, felt like a child again. No clearance issues around the swingarm or linkages. The stance has changed, greater incline on the frame, more rear wheel clearance on…
Wheel covers (v2 angled)
The first version (v1) of the wheel covers had flat side. The geometry was adequate on v1. However the original design visualised an angled conical cover, so amendments need to me made to v1. On v2 print time has increased from 2hrs to 6hrs. But maybe some volume reductions in the void created by the…
Back-top panel fitment
The print of the first part went surprisingly well. Fitment was good on the frame to my relief. I had to make pre-planned cuts to the controller cover. Plus, I needed to make changes to the seat pan to pull the surface that interacts with the panels back to give some clearance for the upholstery…
1st split panel
Back to the print… First split panel has been detailed with preliminary locator & fixing points. Yes, I need to get a load more completed. But, so chuffed to get the first one out of CAD and into the 3D printer. After looking at the model and the new part I think the only additional…
Control panel v2 installed
Long time no post. Have recently replaced the brake cables, one was too short and was twisted, think it effected brakes. Also managed to change the handlebars to the white set pictured in renderings. I have installed the v2 control panel that will accommodate the covering covers for the bike and now holds the contactor….
Switch panel v2 & cover
Have finally printed out a solid version of the switch panel and cover. Looks okay for a first bash but would like to make some amendments to some parts to increase the quality. All new part fi together perfectly. Need to find a rubber strip about 1-2mm thick to place in the channel where the…
Security
I have decided to take some measures to give the bike a small level of security by locking up the activation switches. I have designed a cam lock into the switch cover. Quite simple really and there is enough purchase at the back of the new switch panel to hold the lever securely. Ultimately this…
Surface update
Have worked on some surface updates that include a load of details that aren’t so visible but are needed to make printable parts that fit to the frame securely. The surfaces are still WIP so still a shed load to finish. Main area to date have been the formation of : – The new blistered…
Control Panel v2
The first switch panel was great as a mule to test the system but it didn’t match the upper panels so it’s time to make a new design that works better with the upper panels. Once I have finished this i need to make a flip-up cover to give access to the panel and make…
Cover redesign
3 issues that seem important at the moment: Access to the control panel – Currently thinking of a hatch over the control panel that hinges from the front (pivot point arrowed in red). Potentially this could be locked. Air flow to the bottom of the controller – Marked in green thinking that it would be…
Isolator carriage v2 printed
I know I should be used to it by now (after all I see it happens all the time in University and in the design industry) but it still amazes me that I can print designs into reality that only exist on a computer. Anyway, I managed to push out a rough print overnight to…
Isolator carriage v2
Have made some changes to v1 design of the isolator carriage. A bit more cable management and some amendments to the BMS to ensure the charge input cables are orriended correctly, etc. Need to print the design to double check it maybe get some advise of the management of the cables. Currently the high and…
300mm cuts
Have started to think about the opportunity to 3D print panels rather than metal form them. The more I think about it the more it makes sense. Plastic doesn’t conduct electricity, useful trait on an electric bike… and the production will be easier for my CAD skillset. Having had the printer for a while I…
Rear battery box cover v2
I have spent an evening making some changes to the design of the original battery box to give better clearance for the cables I originally planned to through the bottom of the box because that is where the BMS used to be but now that it is better placed above the battery amendments need to…
Step back and see…
Great light today, thought it word be a good opportunity to take a step back and have a look at the old bike to observe it from a distance. Being stuck in the garage I’m often working up close and never get to see how it looks from a ‘normal’ street level perspective. Social media…
Brake lines
How long should the brake lines be? As long as a piece of string! Planning the final dimensions for the brake lines. Measurements have been taken with a cord. The factory lines at the front (1 x 310mm upper / 2 x 495mm lower) do not need to be changed. However the rear line is…
Lights behind
The 3D print is delivered, LED strip installed and bolted to the frame. Works well, slightly worried about the suspension travel now but will have to run it over some heavy ground before final seat design to see how much actual movement there is in the rear swingarm. Worst comes to worst I turn it…
v3 Sketch surface update
Surfaces have been update for the xj600e. Using the sketchwork seen in a previous post CAS renders visualise the potential outcomes of using new riser bars instead of the Cafe racer clip-ons and how the change of design direction works in 3D with the current powertrain.
Sketches… v2 (out with the old)
More sketches… this time with a mince pie. It’s Christmas! Version 1 of the XJ600e used aesthetic features that would make it acceptable to the traditional rider. However, further research and dialogue with manufactures indicated that the new rapidly moving marketplace for 2020 preferred aesthetics that were more aggressive and ‘gadget-like’.
Rough ‘n’ sketchy…
Got bored so I started to sketch on top of the frame. Need to do more… Nice to scratch around in the photo though.
Battery mounting spacers
Have fudged about with different sized washers for the day as well as defacing the queen’s head (1.5mm penny washers) to find out some dimensions that work. Might have CAD but nothing beats really fitting parts to see if they are good. Scribbled down some sketch dimensions (below) and bashed together an STL file. Might…
Saddle bags?
Been thinking about options for storage for some reasons. If I can make the offset surface on the battery case a bit deeper then I could nest a saddle bag into the design to break-up the surfaces and add interest to the area. Could be an interesting feature. Maybe made from reused leather or weather…
XJ600e (v3)
With a new set of batteries a new design is needed for the faring surfaces. So far these are the closest to the final cells so these designs can move further than the last set. With the Nissan cells the package size is reduced so this leaves. leaves more space in the frame and they…
xj600e: Surface update v4
Have updated the sketch surfaces on the xj600. Tried something different to lighten the body. The front of the lower farings now aligns with the contours of the frame to see how that works out. The bike definitely looks lighter. However on the next iteration I might re-establish the lower air intake to get more…
Surface update 3
Surfaces are developing slowly in the time I have between teaching and living the parenting life. Have pushed the top and bottom covers closer together to make the over all form smoother rather than fragmented. Also refining the surfaces around the feet. Traditionally clearance is needed around the feet to allow foot pivoting from the…
Seat Chop?
Have been thinking about a seat chop [rough mock-up pictured above] to improve the proportions of the XJ600 in profile. The old seat felt to rear heavy and to be honest it’ll never carry more than one person. Pimmel and Messer [pictured below] have made an interesting seat chop on an XJ600 mounting the seat…
XJ600e: Sketch surface v2
The design of the XJ600e sketch has seen updates. However much still needs to be resolved for this single designs. Looking forward to seeing more focused designs. It would be good to this in different formats. Proposals for the X, Y, Z generation will be v-interesting.
XJ600e: Integrated body?
Tried a design that integrates the tank and side farings together. Looks interesting. bit more mordern. Is this what I want. dunno. Will sleep on it. Zzzzzzz!
XJ600e: Knee scoops
Had a quick go at a loose human occupant package. 97.5 male %ile manikin and xj600 bike are to scale. When laid over a sketch it would seem that I am on the dot for the scoops at the moment when it is positioned in line with the intersection of bars that are normally under…
XJ600e: v2 front end & side
Started to think about body work at the side and front end. Knee scallops need refining. Really need to do a package to see where knees actually sit on 95th %ile male. Saw some leaf batteries in a e-motorbike and they looked wide so pushed out the body work to see what it would look…
XJ600e: Contours & details
Need to start thinking about surface contours for knees, air outlets for front intake (presuming batteries produce some heat) and to create more interest in places. Just doodling. Need to start sketching in perspective to get a better feeling for the forms. Preferring shorter seat and gap between tank, may continue with these features.
XJ600e: V2 stance
Pulled an underlay from the last photo of the frame to sketch on top of to help see if all is going in the right direction aesthetically. I like the lower rear wheel but feel either front drops of the rear needs pushing up slightly as it looks like it is squatting slightly at the…
XJ600e: Shorter tank
Experimented with a shorter tank in sketchwork to give more variability on the seating position. Also increased the height of the tank to raise ensure it is the highest part of the bike, a traditional stylistic factors of a cafe racer. not sure about the seat but think the farings and the covers under the…
XJ600e: Nobbly vs Race tyres
– Nobblies look much more interesting. – Nobbiles. More authentic, The great escape springs to mind. – Nobblies are my choice, more in proportion to the frame. Although some question the function of a nobbly tyres on a low bike with race posture and stance: – The seating position is head down, bum up, which…
An electrifying life on two wheels... 