The year is 2020, and at best, the climate control systems for motorcycles are rudimentary. Only a handful of motorcycle models come from the factory with heated grips or heated seats installed, but if you want to cool down, the options are even more scant.
The best bet for motorcyclists who want to cool down is to look to the apparel market, where vests made from freezer pack border on our best option…unless you want put a backpack sized A/C unit on your passenger seat, and run a hose into your jacket.
Thankfully, the eggheads at Indian Motorcycle have been thinking about this very issue, and have developed a pretty clever solution to tackle motorcycle air conditioning.
The tragically named ClimaCommand Classic Seat system is a hight-tech approach to a low-tech problem, and it offers both heating and cooling options to motorcycle riders and passengers.
The core technology involves three key elements:
- A proprietary thermoelectric module that pumps heat away from the rider
- A patent-pending ducting system for cooling the thermoelectric module
- Graphene, a highly conductive and flexible material that optimizes the distribution of heating or cooling while maintaining superior comfort
Because of its direct contact with the rider and passenger, Indian’s ClimaCommand Classic Seat offers a more efficient air-conditioning option than traditional HVAC systems that blow air. Not to mention, this means that the heat exchange doesn’t get lost in the turbulent space created by an open-air vehicle, like a motorcycle.
This is most critical on the cooling side of the equation, as many cooling seats on automobiles simply channel cold air through tiny vents in the seat, whereas the ClimaCommand Classic Seat cools the seat itself directly, through a thermoelectric module.
The technology behind this is both simple and high-tech at the same time, as Indian uses a thermoelectric module located within the seat to regulate the temperature. Electricity is applied by a thermoelectric module to a graphene material embedded in the seat, causing one side of the material to absorb heat and the opposing side to dissipate heat.
By reversing electrical flow, the hot and cold temperatures alternate sides. The graphene material, which is a nanomaterial created from 100% carbon atoms, is then used to ensure the heating and cooling is dispersed throughout the entire seat.
“Despite advancements in heating and cooling for seats, we had yet to see a cooling technology that truly eliminated the discomfort of hot-weather, and with ClimaCommand, our engineering team has finally solved this problem,” said Ross Clifford, Vice President of Parts, Garments, and Accessories at Indian Motorcycle.
“Our thermoelectric technology paired with graphene material is truly a game-changer, and another example of Indian Motorcycle bringing difference-making innovation to the market.”
Available on Indian’s Thunderstroke model, the ClimaCommand Classic Seat is now shipping to dealers and available online from Indian directly.
Source: Indian Motorcycle
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