Indian Motorcycles is thinking of supporting our hardcore motorcyclists who continue to ride in chilly weather by working on a sort of wireless heated gear – and as a proud Canadian, I’m curious to see when this stuff debuts.
According to Ben Purvis’s findings (published to CycleWorld), the system doesn’t sport the usual heat-tech-plugged-into-battery method. Instead, Indian’s patent features both gear and bike in an equation that Purvis calls “inductive-power-transfer tech.”
The short version: Indian wants to make heated gear that is charged up by a motorcycle.
Neat, eh?
Imagine your smartphone on a wireless charging station, then imagine this gear is the phone and the bike is the charging station; should everything go to plan, this system could foster lighter gear that uses multiple charging points to stay juiced up, tossing the energy-wasting inefficiencies of today’s heated saddles and grips for a full outfit that directs heat to the source with speed and efficiency.
Purvis confirms that the patent suggests charging points located at the saddle, backrest, floorboards, front and handlebars; there’s even mention of the potential for temp-regulating sensors to ensure riders stay cozy.
Naturally, maintaining a toasty passenger will sap a lot of energy from the motorcycle of choice; to ensure riders aren’t left stranded with a dead bike, Indian’s patent shows one of their more techy machines – a Roadmaster – as the model for the tech.
Additional imagery makes mention of a wireless charging pad that can be installed at the home base, utilizing the bike’s kickstand as a charging point.
What does all of this mean for our motorcycling industry?
Well, it’s the first time we’ve seen heating tech use this particular system combo, leaving Purvis (and us) to wonder if something bigger isn’t afoot.
We will leave Purvis’s thoughts on this below:
– Ben Purvis (CycleWorld) |
What do you think of Indian Motorcycle’s budding wireless heated gear-charging tech?