The Road to Falco Fusion Sports Drive

The Road to Falco Fusion Sports

The Scalable Architecture

 

Back in 2012, Falco had launched its' classic  system, it was built on a scalable architecture. It was scalable on many fronts. Falco chose the industry standard ANT+ communication protocol. With this protocol, the drive could eventually be integrated with biometric functions. The drive torque and power also had to be scalable without redoing the tooling over. As a result of this, all the components had to be modular. Those goals were achieved and we were able to introduce platforms 3.0 and 4.0 in a rapid succession.

The 5-Year Warranty

Falco perfected the art of making robust and reliable drives. Falco implemented stringent quality control at all levels of the manufacturing process. The drives were tested rigorously before they were shipped to the customers. Falco was able to use that benefit by announcing a 5-year warranty on the drive in 2013.

The iPhone App that was not to be

In 2012, Falco developed an iPhone app based on the ANT+ protocol. However, with the introduction of the iPhone 5 and Bluetooth LE, that became a fairly unattractive option. The ANT+ adapter for the iPhone 4 was expensive and no ANT+ adapter was available for iPhone 5. ANT+ Android option was also not on the table as well. Another problem with the ANT+ those days was, that the battery on the smart phone could never last for more than 20 minutes while using the app and there was no easy way to charge the smart phones while cycling. We designed an integrated USB chargingport placed in the operation +/- switch which solves this problem.

The Wireless Console that was not to be

The ANT+ wireless console had easier acceptability in the US than Europe. That was surprising. There was almost a love hate relationship with this device. In the US, folks were more impressed that we had no wire from the handle bar back to the drive system. In Europe, they were less impressed with the fact that they had to change the cells in the console.

Freewheel vs. Freehub (aka Cassette)

Freehub Integration

Although, it was less important in the US that we had the freehub/cassette, it mattered a great deal in Europe. Apparently, Europe did not have access to high quality freewheels and it became a big issue. In the US, our customers liked the fact that we had a stronger axle and high quality freewheels. There were no issues commonly associated with the use of the freewheels on a bicycle wheel such as bending of the axle etc. Also our freewheel interface is made of hardened steel unlike the bicycle wheels where it is made of Aluminum.

Falco Fusion Sports Drive Technology Benefits

Responsiveness

The technology is built inside the hub of the bicycle wheel. 16 sensors monitor human, drive and bike interaction. The wheel provides assistance based on the torque produced by the rider. The high speed processor is extremely sensitive to rider actions and processes information at the rate of 20,000 cycles per second.

Safety

Falco Fusion Sports Drive has an integrated heart rate control function which allows control of the wheel through a target heart beat. The motor helps to maintain the heart beat. While riding, many can be afraid to go downhill fast with just the mechanical brakes. With our Falco Drive, you can control the decent precisely, because the motor has an integrated engine break. And when you no longer wish to pedal, you can activate power on demand which delivers the power directly to the wheel instantly.

The wired control unit puts everything under your control on a tiny  manageable piece on the handlebar

Simplicity of Plug and Play

The drive system can be installed and ready to use in short amount of time, without the use of extensive tools. The tiny multi-functional control unit provides battery level, assistance level and active control of assistance and regeneration on the fly.It also has an usb charging port for the smartphone.

Robustness and Reliability

Falco has been built to be extremely reliable and robust. It can take on extreme weather conditions without a glitch. The hub has a 5-year warranty which is the highest in the industry. The 50V, 400Wh Lithium-Ion battery has 18 month warranty.

The Smart Phone Integration: 

With the Android and iPhone Smart Phone App, we have added new functionality:

1. Unlocking of the Off-Road Mode;
2. Heart Rate Control;
3. Personalized Fitness Program;
4. Biometrics Feedback;
5. Voltage, Current, Battery Capacity Information;
6. Power Training;
7. GPS Mapping of the ride data;
8. Social sharing.

Customers will receive future software updates also.

The Color Palette:

 You can personalize your bike with the color palette we have added. Black is the standard color and 5 extra colors are offered.

See our website here: http://www.falcoemotors.com/
See our Falco Fusion Sports Kickstarter Campaign here.
See our online store here.