What if a person wants to ride electric motorcycles, electric bicycles, and conventional motorcycles, with as few confusing control false-duplications as possible? The answer may be a rear thumb brake, as shown below. Other opinions or suggested configurations are most welcome.
A false duplication is a control that appears to be the same between two bikes, but actually performs two totally different functions. Like a clutch vs left hand rear brake.
Ideally you would have the same controls in the same places on all 2 wheel powered vehicles, but gas engines appear to prevent you from doing this due to the need for a clutch.
Fortunately, e-bicycles are overall different enough in terms of places you ride, how you ride, the light weight, the pedals and overall feel that with some experience, false duplications are not much of an issue.
Conflicting motorcycle preference one: rear brake on left handlebar. This is a likely a problem mostly from the perspective of becoming used to riding gas bikes, since you can lock your rear brake and crash while thinking you're pulling in the clutch. Especially if you like to do most or all your braking clutch in on a gas bike.
Conflicting preference two: the best place for a front motorcycle brake is actually on the left side, since that way you can "left foot brake" much more easily giving the bike extra grip in some situations, like tight turns. Of course the front brake can't be here on a conventional bike since you need a clutch, which practically speaking has to be operated by your off hand (or does it?)
Solution one for conflicting preferences one and two: a mouth operated clutch for gas bikes. The mouth has some of the most dense wiring of any proprioceptive region in the brain. One method would be a mouthguard pressure transducer. You could use nerve input to the jaw to make sure the clutch isn't disengaged when bumps make your jaw temporarily apply pressure while not intentionally biting. By moving the clutch to the mouth, you can move the front brake to the left lever, rear brake to the right, just like they should have been in the first place.
Solution two for conflicting preferences one and two: a thumb clutch. This should be doable with hydraulic clutch and / or special mechanical advantage in bikes without heavy throwout. Or you could have electric actuated for feather-weight. This solution also has the advantage of moving the front brake to the left lever, rear brake to the right, just like they should have been in the first place.
Solution two for conflicting preferences one and two: a thumb brake. Although this solution would appear to be intrinsically incompatible with a right hand rear brake, it still presents the advantage of keeping both brakes on the bars with the further advantage of not disturbing the conventional clutch position. Can be implemented on bicycles as well.
Why rear brake on bars is better: Easier to apply and modulate especially with heavy motocross boots. More feel. No issues going leg-out on a right turn and still having access to the brake. No awkward rear brake-leg out transitions on right turns.
Why flipped controls are probably not better for an experienced rider: although front brake on left and rear brake on right are theoretically most perfect, this is most easily accomplished with someone who has no motorcycle experience and might hinder or even prove unsafe to an experienced rider.
A false duplication is a control that appears to be the same between two bikes, but actually performs two totally different functions. Like a clutch vs left hand rear brake.
Ideally you would have the same controls in the same places on all 2 wheel powered vehicles, but gas engines appear to prevent you from doing this due to the need for a clutch.
Fortunately, e-bicycles are overall different enough in terms of places you ride, how you ride, the light weight, the pedals and overall feel that with some experience, false duplications are not much of an issue.
Conflicting motorcycle preference one: rear brake on left handlebar. This is a likely a problem mostly from the perspective of becoming used to riding gas bikes, since you can lock your rear brake and crash while thinking you're pulling in the clutch. Especially if you like to do most or all your braking clutch in on a gas bike.
Conflicting preference two: the best place for a front motorcycle brake is actually on the left side, since that way you can "left foot brake" much more easily giving the bike extra grip in some situations, like tight turns. Of course the front brake can't be here on a conventional bike since you need a clutch, which practically speaking has to be operated by your off hand (or does it?)
Solution one for conflicting preferences one and two: a mouth operated clutch for gas bikes. The mouth has some of the most dense wiring of any proprioceptive region in the brain. One method would be a mouthguard pressure transducer. You could use nerve input to the jaw to make sure the clutch isn't disengaged when bumps make your jaw temporarily apply pressure while not intentionally biting. By moving the clutch to the mouth, you can move the front brake to the left lever, rear brake to the right, just like they should have been in the first place.
Solution two for conflicting preferences one and two: a thumb clutch. This should be doable with hydraulic clutch and / or special mechanical advantage in bikes without heavy throwout. Or you could have electric actuated for feather-weight. This solution also has the advantage of moving the front brake to the left lever, rear brake to the right, just like they should have been in the first place.
Solution two for conflicting preferences one and two: a thumb brake. Although this solution would appear to be intrinsically incompatible with a right hand rear brake, it still presents the advantage of keeping both brakes on the bars with the further advantage of not disturbing the conventional clutch position. Can be implemented on bicycles as well.
Why rear brake on bars is better: Easier to apply and modulate especially with heavy motocross boots. More feel. No issues going leg-out on a right turn and still having access to the brake. No awkward rear brake-leg out transitions on right turns.
Why flipped controls are probably not better for an experienced rider: although front brake on left and rear brake on right are theoretically most perfect, this is most easily accomplished with someone who has no motorcycle experience and might hinder or even prove unsafe to an experienced rider.
