Beijing-based Davinci Tech has unveiled its new battery electric motorcycle, the DC100, which the company bills as a high performance “futuristic café racer” which not only boasts an impressive 350-kilometre range but promises self-balancing capabilities and the ability for the bike to follow you around.
The Davinci DC100 brings together a lot of features which certainly makes it interesting to talk about – though, for all that, some specifics are missing.
With a top speed of 200km/h and peak power of 135-horsepower, or 100.75kW, the DC100 accelerates from 0-100km/h in what the company describes as “3.X seconds” and delivers peak torque of 627ft-lb, or 850Nm.
Davinci Tech provided two battery range figures – 400.75-kilometres according to the NEDC metric, and 357.51-kilometres according to WLTP.
Charging is compatible with level 3 DC fast chargers, which are able to deliver a full charge in around 30 minutes, or the DC100 can be charged using a conventional home outlet using a portable charger.
It’s uncertain exactly what is under the hood, as the company’s website explains that the bike’s smart control system “seamlessly integrates multiple different motors”, while a separate press release available to some outlets states that the bike has peak power of 137-horsepower running through a hub motor.
Unlike older fashioned motorcycles, which requires braking involve coordinating the clutch, gears, front, and rear brakes, the DC100 has a single brake lever linked to a braking system that integrates ABS, CBS, and TCS.
The DC100 also offers Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) which, when the brake lever is released, automatically moves the bike forward and applies high torque at a low speed to ensure a smooth take off. Or, when riding downhill, the DC100 adjusts its speed to optimise both balance and energy recovery.
The DC100 also offers added benefit on the flats, when in drive mode and releasing the brake the DC100 inches forward slowly at 7km/h to enable a smooth start, or when in reverse the DC100 moves backwards slowly with high torque to make reversing easier.
And, as with many smart electric vehicles these days, a companion smartphone app provides full access to the bike’s performance information.
But it’s the DC100’s “robotic” offerings that are drawing the most attention. Including the already mentioned HAC, Downhill Assist Control, and Reverse Assist, its combined braking system and enhanced traction control, the DC100 also offers kinetic energy recovery and a battery management system which monitors the battery pack’s safety in real time.
The DC100 can also receive firmware updates over-the-air, which is good news, considering the advanced features that Davinci Tech says are “coming soon” which include self-balancing capabilities, remote control, and open-source software access.
Of particular interest is the bike’s self-balancing capabilities, which uses what the company describes as EPS – presumably electronic power steering – and a six-axis IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) to balance itself on two wheels.
This self-balancing is also integral in both the promised remote control ability and self-riding and target recognition which, thanks to the bike’s EPS and a sensing module, will mean the bike can automatically follow a target. As Davinci Tech suggests, “Imagine your motorcycle as your jogging companion.”
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.