SKF is set to be the first supplier of stop-start technology for two-wheelers. The component major has introduced StopGo –an automatic stop-start system for motorcycles and scooters. The company says the new solution lowers CO2 emissions, and improves fuel economy by an estimated 6 to 10 percent, depending on driving conditions.
Comparing the new solution to a vehicle platform, Harsha Kadam, Director – Global, Two Wheeler business, SKF India told our sister-magazine Autocar Professional that it can be further developed to offer anti-lock braking system (ABS) and perhaps even tyre pressure monitoring for the two-wheeler.
The StopGo can be customised as a ready-to-fit unit which can be assembled by OEMs and as a retrofit for a wide range of makes of two wheelers already on the road. The system can be applied to a wide variety of motorcycles, independent of engine size. The technology has been developed by SKF India with input from the mechatronics division of SKF France.
When the vehicle stops at traffic the StopGo system shuts off the engine after a predetermined, but programmable time. It restarts the engine when the throttle is turned.
SKF StopGo is a three-in-one integrated sensor-bearing solution that performs a bearing function, speed sensing and stop-start function. The unit fits into the hub of the front wheel, like a standard bearing, and is connected by a plug-and-play connector to a mating connector attached to the engine stop-start electronics.
As well as sensing the speed for the stop-start function, the speed sensor in the SKF StopGo provides normal speed data for digital tachometers, which are becoming more preferred than analog systems in new 2-wheeler models. SKF says the new solution offers weight saving of up to 60 percent compared to the many current separate mechanical components needed for the front wheel bearing and speed sensing.
SKF has conducted trials in premium bikes like TVS Apache, Bajaj Pulsar and Hero Karizma. Kadam says that work is on to offer the StopGo solution also to entry level bikes which do not have an ECU. The first StopGo fitted bike is expected to hit the road this year.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
