Maxon Bikedrive Air: Next Drive for Ebikes Ready for Take-off

Update 17th September 2021

At this year’s edition of the Eurobike in Friedrichshafen, the manufacturer maxon presented two first ebikes on which its drive called Bikedrive Air is installed.

Slim expert for off-road use – Transalpes E1

Along with the Transalpes E1, there is a moderate-sized surprise. Given the limited battery capacity and motor power of the system, it had been expected that mainly light urban ebikes and e-racing bikes would be considered for integration. Now one of the premieres is a potent full-suspension e-mountain bike that cries out for trail and enduro tracks.

Transalpes E1 e-mountain bike with Bikedrive Air drive from maxon

Partner Transalpes also comes from Switzerland and produces high-quality bespoke mountain bikes. Their equipment can be individually configured in the shop. Obviously, two have come together who place a lot of value on local production and don’t necessarily have the mainstream customer in mind.

Depending on the configuration, you can trim the Transalpes E1 to a total weight of less than 16 kilograms. The whole thing is packaged in a classic design with a sleek look. Of course, maxon played a big part in this with the Bikedrive Air. The price currently starts at 7,990 Swiss francs, which is about 7,300 euros.

The name says it all – Cipollini Flusso

Premiere number two is unlikely to be any cheaper. After all, the Cipollini Flusso is an e-road bike in a class of its own. Frame weight around 1.1 kilograms. The fork weighs a touch more than 400 grams. In total, that’s 10.7 kilograms. This means that the Italians, with the former exceptional sprinter Mario Cipollini as the figurehead, are still about two kilograms above the HPS Domestique Ekar. Nevertheless, this is more than worth considering.

E-road bike Cipollini Flusso with Bikedrive Air drive from maxon

Conceptually, the Flusso follows Cipollini’s traditional approach. The competition idea and the uncompromising conversion of muscle power into propulsion clearly dominate here. This is evidenced by the use of carbon as an extremely light and at the same time warp-resistant material, as well as the decidedly sporty seating position. Nevertheless, the bike is not devoid of rather practical details. These include, for example, the rear lights integrated into the seat post. You can also equip the racer with either one or two chainrings, depending on your preference. In this case, too, of course, via an individual configurator. Mario Cipollini himself probably didn’t buy off the peg either.

Original post 30th June 2021

Light and invisible. That’s how the drive for an ebike should be. At least this is how the manufacturer Maxon understands it. That is why it has developed its own drive system called Bikedrive Air. The first ebikes with this system are due to appear on the market in a few months.

In advance, Maxon has now presented the most important facts about the system in a press release. Based on this information, it is clear that you can soon expect the next drive system on ebikes, which belongs to the category of minimal assist bikes. It includes a mid-motor, a battery pack firmly integrated into the down tube and a control unit mounted on the top tube. The key figures reveal where the journey is headed:

• Total weight of motor unit and battery around 3.5 kilograms
• Motor output; 220 watts
• Maximum torque: 30 Newton metres

Minimum support, maximum natural feel

Given this background, the manufacturer sees its drive as most suitable for e-road bikes, urban ebikes, lightweight e-mountain bikes and e-bikes for children. With the Bikedrive Air, there will thus be another counter-design to the powerful but at the same time significantly heavier drives from Bosch, Yamaha, Brose and Shimano. Basically, it is a mix of the Fazua Ride 50 Evation, the HPS Watt Assist and the X35+ rear hub motor from Mahle. Manufacturers like FreeFlow Technologies have also announced in the past that they want to go in a very similar direction. Specifically, Maxon expects that bicycle manufacturers will be able to realise e-road bikes with a total weight of less than eleven kilograms and e-mountain bikes of less than 16 kilograms on the basis of the Bikedrive Air.

Test rider Ralph Näf on an e-mountain bike with Bikedrive Air

The Swiss company’s system focuses primarily on the motor. They themselves speak of a “unique free-wheel technology”. Looking at it more soberly, it can be said that they have indeed created something completely their own and have protected it accordingly with a patent. According to Maxon, the freewheel has no noticeable resistance. This means that when pedalling backwards and riding unassisted, there are no frictional forces caused by the motor. This is supposed to make the engagement and disengagement of the assistance seem particularly natural.

E-road bikes as one of the potential main applications according to Maxon

Very low Q-factor

Overall, the drive unit consists of a brushless EC internal-rotor motor with a single-stage planetary gearhead. You benefit from the support up to a maximum cadence of 115 revolutions per minute. Another remarkable feature is the Q-factor, which, according to Maxon, is between 152 millimetres and 160 millimetres. In comparison: with Fazua it is 171 millimetres, with the EP8 motor from Shimano 177 millimetres and with the somewhat older PW-X from Yamaha it was 168 millimetres. This puts the Bikedrive Air more or less on a par with the Q-factor you are used to on bikes without an electric drive. In general, a narrower Q-factor should always prevent pain in the hips, especially when cycling for longer periods of time.

With a capacity of 250 watt hours, the battery is on a comparable level with the competitors Mahle, Fazua and HPS. The suitable range extender is also part of the Maxon equipment. With it, you can double your range. In terms of shape, the additional battery resembles a water bottle and can be magnetically attached to the frame or stowed in a backpack. Once completely empty, the charging process of the permanently installed battery should take about 3.5 hours.

Leeway in motor adjustment

At first glance, the control unit on the top tube also leaves a good impression. For example, the display of the remaining capacity of the battery with the help of seven bars seems easier to read than with Mahle and Fazua. The manufacturer even mentions alternatives on its website. For road bikes and mountain bikes, there are supposed to be cable-connected solutions for the respective handlebar types – on the one hand with two small buttons and on the other with a small lever. Both are likely to be retrofittable.

Meanwhile, the choice of assistance levels seems almost standard. Three modes are provided: Cruise, Push and Blast. This will be defined later by the bicycle manufacturers themselves. However, you will also be able to customise your own setup via an app. In addition, the Bikedrive Air can be controlled via devices from Garmin, Sigma and o-synce. This is based on ANT+ and Bluetooth (BLE) interfaces.

Space technology on the ebike

Anyone who now has the impression that the whole thing seems very well thought-out and competitive does not need to be very surprised. Maxon is anything but a newcomer in the business. Since 1961, the Maxon Group has been developing and building various electric drives for a wide range of applications. These range from insulin pumps to humanoid robots and tattoo machines to racing cars and prostheses. At the moment, the most prominent vehicles with motors from Maxon are over 360 million kilometres away from us. They are the Perseverance rover and the Ingenuity helicopter drone, which are part of Nasa’s current Mars mission.

With regard to the Bikedrive Air, development and production take place entirely in Switzerland. Incidentally, Maxon has been active in the field of ebikes for some time now.The company offers the Bikedrive Kit, a retrofit kit for ebikes. It includes a rear wheel hub motor, a battery and a twist grip on the handlebars. There is even a version of the kit for speed pedelecs.

Pictures: Maxon Motor AG