After the first teaser pictures of the Arc Vector were released, I was pretty excited about it. Not only because the Vector looked futuristic and is an electric motorcycle, but also because of the minds that made the Vector stand on its feet are some of the best we have got in the industry. Arc launched the Vector at the EICMA 2018. And everyone has been talking about it ever since. So what is the Arc Vector? Here are the things you need to know.
The company
Arc is a British company founded by Mark Truman. Mark is the largest shareholder in Arc. He is a committed environmentalist, designer and engineer won the Society of Automotive Engineers International Young Engineer of the Year Award in 2005 for his experimental work on motorcycle chassis and swingarm flex and design parameters. He’s also a former Data Acquisition Engineer in top-level racing, during 35 years of motorcycling experience, and has built many of his own road and race machines.
Arc Vector as a project
The Vector is Mark Truman’s vision. Arc claimed that this project would be ‘the most fulfilling, safest and cleanest motorcycle – ever.” Mark needed a solid team to make his vision a reality. So the team that he put together had a MotoGP chief engineer and FEA analysis specialists to push the concept from sketch boards to production lines.
Mark Truman, says, “With Vector, we’ve set out to build the best performance electric motorcycle. With electric vehicles in general, the powertrain weighs a lot. This really can’t be avoided if you want capacity, distance, and performance. So, it was about stripping everything back and using a lot of exotic, lightweight materials, such as carbon-fiber. The chassis and battery module had to be one, and because of this approach, we’ve been able to reduce the weight as much as possible to achieve the performance we wanted. The design brief was; if the term ‘cafe racer’ was going to be coined in ten years’ time, what would that look like?”
Performance
Arc Vector is powered by a 399-volt electric motor that generates 140PS of power and 85Nm of peak torque. While these figures might not sound much but keep in mind that this ain’t a gas-powered motorcycle, it’s an electric bike. This means that all the 85Nm of torque is available instantly and throughout the rev range. Arc claims that the Vector is capable to do the 0-100km/h sprint in under 3 seconds! That’s some get going, isn’t it? Also, the top speed of the Vector is over 200km/h.
Arc has used some high-quality material to keep the weight of the Vector at a minimum. There is a carbon fiber monocoque chassis that houses the battery pack and motor. This setup helped Arc to keep the CG as low as possible, and thus enhanced the bike’s handling capabilities.
Mark Truman says, “The cells we have are still prototypes. There is no other electric bike that will have the sort of cells we have.” The battery pack provides a range of around 320km on a single charge in the city and on highways it would be sufficient for covering around 200km.
Vector utilizes carbon swingarms front and rear, custom-made Ohlins dampers for
telepathic handling and feedback, and meaty Brembo brakes on anorexic BST wheels. The
entire package tips the scales at 220kg, which is almost 60kg lighter than comparable
machines. Vector has the best power-to-weight ratio of any electric motorcycle of its class by a considerable margin.
Human Machine Interface (HMI)
“The Vector is more than just the world’s most premium electric motorcycle; it’s the world’s first motorcycle with integrated multisensory HMI (Human Machine Interface), it’s an innovative heads-up display helmet and it’s a tactile riding suit – all making up the most involving motorcycle experience on the market today,” said Truman.
The unique Arc Pilot System delivers a transformational riding experience, providing you with feedback and notifications, keeping you safe and agile – freeing you to enjoy your journey and make the most of your moment. Working with Knox to develop the Origin armor and jacket system that houses the Pilot System’s haptic element, ARC has brought together the most innovative motorcycle brand with a company at the cutting edge of impact-protection clothing design.
Arc Zenith Helmet
Each Vector motorcycle comes with a helmet and a smart riding jacket. The helmet has been designed in collaboration with Hedon. It comes with a HUD (head-up display) that shows various information like speed, sat-nav, and ancillary graphics onto the rider’s visor so they can keep their eyes affixed to the road. There is also a live rear-view camera giving the user the ability to see what’s behind them.
Origin jacket
The Origin smart jacket is tailored in collaboration with Knox. It has three settings. Urban Mode focuses on safety, alerting the rider to dangers such as vehicles in their blind spot with a polite tap on the shoulder. Sports Mode gives the rider feedback on the bike’s dynamic position and parameters by taking G-Force related data from the Vector’s carefully
nuanced sensors and providing a graduated level of feedback. This tells the rider how close to the limit of the motorcycle’s capabilities, the rider is. For example, the harder you brake the more feedback you receive.
Euphoric Mode lets you play music through the haptics as you ride and simulates the bass through the jacket’s amplifiers, making your hairs stand on end. It communicates with the Vector bike and the Zenith helmet wirelessly, emboldening freedom by enhancing the senses.
Price and availability
Arc is planning to make 399 units of the Vector in the first year. As we mentioned before, each motorcycle comes with the custom-made Zenith and Origin ride-wear. The price is set at £90,000 (approx AED 419,472).
