Cycle News

VOL. 52 ISSUE 49 DECEMBER 8, 2015 P63 zontal torque delivery curve which is what makes riding E- bikes so addictively thrilling. For even being fitted with ultra-long TT gearing, the Mugen didn't disappoint at Motegi, even if its straight-line performance was ultimately more or less the equivalent of a good 600 supersport. That's a function not only of the long gearing but also of the power to weight ratio, mitigated by the much hunkier torque delivery. But without any need to work the gearbox to keep the engine running up high, that perfor- mance is immediately acces- sible at all times once beyond a certain speed. Selecting Map 2 softens the power and torque delivery for a damp track surface or a tight corner exit on a dry track—John McGuinness was told to use it at places like Ramsey Hair- pin and even the Gooseneck, just to soften the pickup to optimize traction, as well as to stop the batteries from overheating. He wasn't sup- posed to use it off the line for the first flat-out blast down Bray Hill, though. Before he realized and switched it back to Map 1, that's what cost him the 120 mph lap. There's front Dunlop is loaded up to maximize grip and optimize turn speed, a key issue on an E-bike where maintain- ing momentum is the key to avoid consuming vital charge unnecessarily. Twin front 320mm Nissin discs are fitted, gripped by radially mounted six-piston calipers aimed at stopping a bike weighing 551 pounds effectively. The lever to operate the 220mm rear disc via a twin-piston caliper replaces the clutch lever on the left handlebar, and the conventional brake package is coupled with supplementary regen- erative braking whose pre-chosen level is incorporated in the two distinct riding maps included in the ECU, and varies in each of them, but cannot be adjusted by the rider, as on the MotoCzysz and Lightning. Showa's latest MotoGP-spec fully adjustable 48mm BPF/Big Piston Fork is employed on the Shinden, set at a 23° rake with 4.13 inches of trail. This has no springs fitted to save fur- ther weight, and comes with pressur- ized gas damping in the left leg, and compressed air only in the right one, plus together with a variable-rate link there's a conventional gas rear shock that's adjustable for high- and low- speed compression damping, plus rebound and preload. With the accent on weight-saving for the cycle parts, it's quite a surprise to find that the wheels Mugen use are admittedly gor- geous Marchesini forged magnesium items, rather than the even lighter BST carbon fiber wheels employed on the MotoCzysz, which deliver even further reduced weight and, being unsprung, optimize suspension compliance, but also enhance acceleration and brak- ing via their reduced rotational weight, and thus inertia. The Marchesinis are shod with Dunlop rubber, and though the two bikes present at Motegi on a gloriously dry fall day, each had a lightly treaded D812 GP intermediate front tire, one had a 195/65 rear slick and the other a 200/70 treaded D812 intermediate. Both riders used slicks in the Isle of Man, apparently. The exquisitely engineered Shinden Yon epitomizes electrical excellence on two wheels, and is clad in wind- tunnel developed bodywork aimed at maximizing top speed, as monitored by the TFT dash whose main reading clearly shows which map is selected out of the two available. This makes it all the more surprising that John McGuinness sacrificed his 120 mph lap in the race this year by starting out on the slower of the two maps, and only realized he'd done so after the fast sections down Bray Hill and out of Union Mills! There's a speedometer to let you know how fast you're going, plus a tacho sweeping across the top of the unit, and three temperature readings across the bottom for con- troller, motor and batteries, with the rate of charge being consumed and the actual percentage amount remain- ing shown on the right side. Looks like they already have everything they need for the streetbike version! UNLIKE THE MISSION R'S ADMITTEDLY ADDICTIVE AND UTTERLY THRILLING SCREAM OF SPEED UTTERED VIA ITS STRAIGHT-CUT PRIMARY REDUCTION GEARS, THE MUGEN WAFTS ALONG COMPLETELY SILENTLY AT HIGH SPEED.

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