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Brake Systems

Regenerative Electric Brake (on Rear Wheel/Hub Motor)

All Motorino Electric Scooters have a built-in electric brake that is a feature of the hub motorhub motor. Basically, what is happening is that the hub motor (which actually forms the rear wheel) is switched from a motor to a generator. This has a braking effect on the wheel and generates a small charge for the battery. Hence the term 'regenerative' - the energy needed to slow the scooter is converted into a charging current for the battery pack. Electric cars use a similar technique to recover energy that would otherwise be lost as heat in a friction braking system.

The regenerative brake is the first braking system that activates when you squeeze either the front or rear brake lever. Careful pressure on the brake levers will result in very little wear on the mechanical brakes - the regenerative brake will do all the work.

In addition to the regenerative brake, all models have a mechanical front wheel brake and a mechanical rear wheel brake. The mechanical brakes are either drum-type operated by a cable, or disc-type operated by a hydraulic system. Each model has a specific combination of brake systems.

Models XPa and XPc

These models achieve very effective braking with simple drum-type brakes on both the front and rear wheels. The close-fitting nature of the drum parts keeps these systems relatively free of mud and water. Periodically, it is necessary to tighten the screw stop on the cable at the wheel to adjust for wear on the drum brake shoes. Typically, this can be done by finger pressure, without tools. When the brake lever comes too near the handlebar, it is time to adjust the screw stop. Again, careful control of the lever pressure will make the electrical brake do most of the work and the mechanical brakes will wear very slowly.

Model XPh

The XPh model uses a hydraulic disk-type brake on the front wheel and a drum-type brake on the rear wheel. Front brakes are thought to account for 80% of the braking force required by a vehicle.abs cyl

Newer XPh models also have an ABS feature on the hydraulic brake. Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) sense when a wheel has stopped too quickly (locked up) and the mechanism slightly releases the braking pressure to allow the wheel to turn again. ABS systems are designed to lessen the chance of locking the brakes and skidding without control.

The hydraulic systems on Motorino scooters are simple: there is a reservoir on the brake lever assembly, a hose from the lever to the wheel, and a wheel cylinder. The abs partsmain advantage of hydraulic disk brakes are that they are self-adjusting. As the friction pads wear, more fluid is held in the cylinder to keep the pads close to the disk. No manual or periodic adjustment is needed. Maintenance consists of watching for fluid leaks. A leak indicates a puncture or loose fitting somewhere in the system and this should be attended to without delay.

As to the drum brake on the rear wheel of the XPh, see the notes for the XPa/XPc.

Models XPn, XPr, and XPv

These models use ABS hydraulic disk brakes on the front and rear wheels, which offers the best combination of effective braking and low maintenance. Refer to the disk brake notes for the XPh model above for technical details.

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