Sci-Tech Innovation: EntroSys BikeAir Motorcycle A/C System
As someone who likes to have my skin wrapped around my body rather than smeared up and down the highway, I cringe every time I see a motorcyclist cruise past without suitable protective gear on. There is an (albeit still completely flawed) rationale behind this, though - leather jackets, boots, gloves and scrape-resistant pants are hot, heavy and uncomfortable. All of this leaves motorcyclists in an unfortunate predicament because when the weather is at its best, the inclination to pull on protective gear is at its lowest. The EntroSys BikeAir motorcycle A/C system is a product designed to let you enjoy the best of both worlds by providing portable cooling (and heating) for the rider. It sounds great in theory, but does it work? We ventured out under the burning Australian sun to answer that question.
We first encountered Entrosys back in 2010 when the product was still in development. Now on the market in the US and rolling out in Europe, Japan and Australia this year, the BikeAir is made up of a compact A/C unit and a specially-designed cooling vest worn under your regular motorcycle jacket that allows the air to circulate around the torso. Power is supplied by the bike's battery and the three heating and cooling modes and three fan speeds are controlled wirelessly via a matchbox-sized unit that can be mounted on the bike's handlebars.
The system achieves its small footprint, light weight (for an air conditioner) of 4.56 kg (10 lb) and low power requirements by using a patented solid-state thermoelectric system rather than compressor-based technology. Given that the only moving parts are the fans, this approach also makes the unit durable enough for use on motorcycles and other open-air vehicles and means it doesn't use any ozone-depleting gases. The current system is designed for a single rider, but there are also plans for a two-up system for the touring community.
It should be noted at this point that the system isn't designed to be tacked onto a 125 cc dirtbike. It's for "heavyweight motorcycles" with enough power to run the unit and enough space to install it comfortably. The bike we used for the test was our trusty Suzuki 650 DL V-Strom, which isn't the heaviest of heavyweight of bikes but proved more than adequate for the job at hand.
Setting up the system is quite straightforward. Strap the solidly built textile mounting kit onto the rear of the bike, connect the power cord to the battery terminals, don the vest and connect the insulating hose and you're away.
With this basic set-up it is important to remember to switch off the unit or unplug the power cord before switching off the bike (flat batteries are no fun), but there is also an option to wire the unit so that it shuts down automatically when you kill the bike's engine. Entrosys recommends that this installation is carried out by a dealer.
With the temperature hovering around 95º F (35º C) I donned the cooling vest under my leather jacket, plugged in the air hose, fired up the Suzuki and set off for my first road test. A couple of minutes into the ride I hit the on switch on the controller and went straight to the highest fan setting and... ahhhh. I was immediately sold on this jigger. The initial burst of cool air under my jacket brought sweet relief from the heat and went a long way towards getting rid of that clammy, wearing-leathers-in-summer feeling.
The key to this effect is the combination of the cooling vest and the cleverly designed rubber manifold, which allows the air to circulate nicely. The manifold curves around your body and distributes air into the vest via a series of holes on the top side. The vest itself has a lightweight mesh lining which creates room for the air to move and, overall, is quite comfortable to wear.
This isn't to say that the air circulation is seamless. I found myself wriggling around a little to get the most out of it and I definitely noticed the airflow more when I pulled up at the lights. To be fair, Entrosys recommends that you wear a wicking sweat T-shirt for best results, which I wasn't, so the odd sweaty patch I encountered might have been avoided. In short, using the unit is obviously not comparable to sitting in an air conditioned car, and your hands and feet still swelter inside their respective cladding, but it's a hell of a lot more comfortable than simply sweating it out.
While riding I found the system to be surprisingly unobtrusive. The weight of the A/C unit is negligible on a bigger bike and the ventilation hose is long enough to allow you to move about in the seat and stand up when necessary. One potential pitfall to be avoided - ensure you have the power cord correctly inserted and locked in place or it can come adrift.
Another benefit is that not only does the BikeAir allow you to wear all your protective gear, but it allows you to wear it properly. Correct fitment is critical to getting the best results, which means that you do not find yourself tempted to unzip your jacket. On that note, there are different vest sizes available and it's designed in such a way that it can be adjusted to fit most body shapes. It's also important to keep the vest itself a little loose to facilitate airflow and to tighten the elastic waist band (as well as making sure your jacket is tight around the waist) so that air cannot escape.
From: Science & Technology World
[http://en.twwtn.com/Innovation/90_58507.html]
We first encountered Entrosys back in 2010 when the product was still in development. Now on the market in the US and rolling out in Europe, Japan and Australia this year, the BikeAir is made up of a compact A/C unit and a specially-designed cooling vest worn under your regular motorcycle jacket that allows the air to circulate around the torso. Power is supplied by the bike's battery and the three heating and cooling modes and three fan speeds are controlled wirelessly via a matchbox-sized unit that can be mounted on the bike's handlebars.
The system achieves its small footprint, light weight (for an air conditioner) of 4.56 kg (10 lb) and low power requirements by using a patented solid-state thermoelectric system rather than compressor-based technology. Given that the only moving parts are the fans, this approach also makes the unit durable enough for use on motorcycles and other open-air vehicles and means it doesn't use any ozone-depleting gases. The current system is designed for a single rider, but there are also plans for a two-up system for the touring community.
It should be noted at this point that the system isn't designed to be tacked onto a 125 cc dirtbike. It's for "heavyweight motorcycles" with enough power to run the unit and enough space to install it comfortably. The bike we used for the test was our trusty Suzuki 650 DL V-Strom, which isn't the heaviest of heavyweight of bikes but proved more than adequate for the job at hand.
Setting up the system is quite straightforward. Strap the solidly built textile mounting kit onto the rear of the bike, connect the power cord to the battery terminals, don the vest and connect the insulating hose and you're away.
With this basic set-up it is important to remember to switch off the unit or unplug the power cord before switching off the bike (flat batteries are no fun), but there is also an option to wire the unit so that it shuts down automatically when you kill the bike's engine. Entrosys recommends that this installation is carried out by a dealer.
With the temperature hovering around 95º F (35º C) I donned the cooling vest under my leather jacket, plugged in the air hose, fired up the Suzuki and set off for my first road test. A couple of minutes into the ride I hit the on switch on the controller and went straight to the highest fan setting and... ahhhh. I was immediately sold on this jigger. The initial burst of cool air under my jacket brought sweet relief from the heat and went a long way towards getting rid of that clammy, wearing-leathers-in-summer feeling.
The key to this effect is the combination of the cooling vest and the cleverly designed rubber manifold, which allows the air to circulate nicely. The manifold curves around your body and distributes air into the vest via a series of holes on the top side. The vest itself has a lightweight mesh lining which creates room for the air to move and, overall, is quite comfortable to wear.
This isn't to say that the air circulation is seamless. I found myself wriggling around a little to get the most out of it and I definitely noticed the airflow more when I pulled up at the lights. To be fair, Entrosys recommends that you wear a wicking sweat T-shirt for best results, which I wasn't, so the odd sweaty patch I encountered might have been avoided. In short, using the unit is obviously not comparable to sitting in an air conditioned car, and your hands and feet still swelter inside their respective cladding, but it's a hell of a lot more comfortable than simply sweating it out.
While riding I found the system to be surprisingly unobtrusive. The weight of the A/C unit is negligible on a bigger bike and the ventilation hose is long enough to allow you to move about in the seat and stand up when necessary. One potential pitfall to be avoided - ensure you have the power cord correctly inserted and locked in place or it can come adrift.
Another benefit is that not only does the BikeAir allow you to wear all your protective gear, but it allows you to wear it properly. Correct fitment is critical to getting the best results, which means that you do not find yourself tempted to unzip your jacket. On that note, there are different vest sizes available and it's designed in such a way that it can be adjusted to fit most body shapes. It's also important to keep the vest itself a little loose to facilitate airflow and to tighten the elastic waist band (as well as making sure your jacket is tight around the waist) so that air cannot escape.
From: Science & Technology World
[http://en.twwtn.com/Innovation/90_58507.html]
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