Canadian start-up electric motorcycle manufacturer Damon Motorcycles (Damon) continues to evolve.  The company has just released details of its proprietary HyperDrive™ platform.  Damon says that Hyperdrive™ is the world’s first monocoque-constructed, high voltage powertrain that can be used in a wide range of models and submodels.

HyperDrive™ platform

And to go with the announcement of the HyperDrive™ platform, Damon is also announcing two new models that will have the Hyperdrive at its core.  The two new bikes are called the Hypersport SE and the Hypersport SX.

Damon’s monocoque powertrain is an impressive piece of engineering.

In announcing the new platform and bikes, Damon Motor’s founder and CEO, Jay Giraud, said:

“As we at Damon continue to reinvent two-wheel mobility, the HyperDrive lies at the heart of our innovation.  The HyperDrive serves as the nucleus of our creations and will allow us to further evolve our technology and continue to introduce the world’s most exciting and groundbreaking electric motorcycles.”

Echoing CEO Giraud’s comments is Rob Enderle, a Principal Analyst at the Enderle Group.

Damon continues to electrify the entire motorcycle industry with unprecedented features and next-generation technology that sets it apart from the competition.  The Damon team has set a new standard in modern motorcycling with its ongoing commitment to maximizing all aspects of its motorcycles from the ground-up to deliver an unparalleled riding experience.”

Motorcycle performance

If you’re wondering about what kind of performance HyperDrive brings, the company released this information:

• 450 Nominal Volts – HyperDrive is the first-of-its-kind, all-electric powertrain with 450 nominal volts designed as a platform to usher in the future of motorcycling.
• High-Energy Pack – A liquid-cooled and thermally managed high-energy pack enables many battery capacities for various future motorcycle models.  It provides the HyperSport SE with 100 miles of range, the SX with 150 miles of range, and HS and Premier with 200 miles of range.
• Track-Ready Performance – Using industry-leading cells that deliver an over 200 Wh/kg pack level density, all HyperSport models can deliver track-ready performance with a >3C continuous discharge to the ultra-dense, direct-oil-cooled, 6-phase internal permanent magnet (IPM) motor.
• Lightweight Motor – Spinning at a peak of 16,000 rpm and capable of delivering over 200 hp and 200 nm of torque, the HyperDrive’s motor weighs in at 48 lbs.
• 6 kW Integrated Charger – Developed in-house, the HyperSport can charge at the many level 1 and level 2 public charging stations found around the world.  It is also capable of 25 kW DC fast charging in under 45 min and can also be charged at home on 110V outlets.
• Proprietary 150+kW Inverter – This inverter allows Damon to control traction, engine braking, and performance like never before using proprietary algorithms and unique safety-focused architecture.

Damon says it Hypersport uses technology to help make riding safer.

Motorcycle Design – Battery as a structural element

Damon claims its HyperDrive includes the most energy-dense pack in transportation at over 200Wh/kg.  But that has not stopped them from pursuing increased range and performance.

• Dual Purpose – To further reduce weight, HyperDrive is engineered to act as a structural component of the motorcycle itself. The battery enclosures optimize weight distribution for high-speed stability and handling and act as the motorcycle’s load-bearing frame. This design saves both weight and cost.  And, it further reduces bulk, compared to conventional framed motorcycles.
• Designed for Performance – Damon has rigorously focused on optimizing HyperDrive’s final form factor.  It plays a crucial role in the HyperSport’s overall performance.  The company’s focus on aerodynamic design, using extensive wind tunnel testing to reduce drag, will enable Damon to deliver more speed, acceleration, and range than its competitors.
• Slim Design – To achieve the slipperiest profile possible, the pack’s total cell count, cell orientation and layout, heat dissipation materials, optimization of liquid-cooling performance, and material selection are engineered to create the slimmest possible battery pack.  All without compromising energy density or output.

Damon’s two new Hypersport models, the Hypersport SX and the Hypersport SE.

Damon’s Chief Technology Officer Dom Kwong thinks motorcyclists see motorcycles as visual diagrams of how they work.

Motorcyclists love to see motorcycles as visual diagrams of how they work.  We aimed to emphasize this in a modern electric powertrain for the first time. The structural aspects of HyperDrive celebrate the optimization of mechanical design and performance as its central design expression.”

Damon is making rider safety one of its key priorities with all of its Hypersport models.  They believe that as well-meaning as they are, no awareness campaigns, compulsory riding lights, or neon vests have or can significantly reduce motorcycle accidents.  They believe the only way to bring about a paradigm shift in motorcycle safety is through disruptive technology.  Technology which is deployed in all Damon motorcycles.

Increasing motorcycle safety

According to Jeff Sand, Damon’s Design Director, the company’s mission is to radically improve motorcycle safety:

We’re on a mission to radically improve motorcycle safety.  Our core values permeate the vehicle’s design and the systems in them.  From passive thermal propagation resistance in our battery packs, to redundancy in critical drive systems, to our novel CoPilot 360º collision warning system, our aim is to invent the future of motorcycle safety and performance.”

All Hypersport motorcycles include “disruptive” technology that hopes to make motorcycling safer.  Each Hypersport motorcycle will include the following as standard:

• CoPilot™ Advanced Warning System – Damon says that similar to a modern fighter jet, the 360-degree CoPilot system uses embedded radar, cameras, and other sensors to track the speed, direction, and velocity of dozens of objects at a time. Using an onboard neural net, it anticipates a threat to warn the rider, who is then alerted with LED’s for blind-spot warnings, vibrating handlebar grips for forward-collision warnings.  It also displays rearward threats with a digital rear-view mirror fed by the motorcycle’s embedded, wide-angle rear-facing camera.
• Machine Learning – Every time a rider responds to a threat warning by swerving or braking, the onboard system captures and tags the incident details in 360º. It then transmits data to Damon’s cloud over its embedded wireless connection so that the system can learn to detect more threats faster over time.

Hypersport specifications

With Damon’s latest announcement, there are to be four models of Hypersport motorcycles.  Below is a chart showing what you can expect from each of the Hpersport models:

The HyperSport Family

If you’d like more information on Damon’s Hypersport electric motorcycles, you can find it on Damon’s website.

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