Newsletter : A Next-Generation Ergonomically Designed Handlebar Switchbox developed based on ergonomics --Intuitive Usability for Lowering Rider Stress and Contributing to Purer Riding Fun--

Designing and engineering switches is a remarkably delicate process. For example, in analyzing how a thumb works to pull a switch, the rider first lightly places their fingertip on the switch to feel it out and confirm placement before then actually starting to pull with the thumb. Additionally, it is also important to design the switch to have the rider's finger stop said pulling action in a way they find natural. To find the optimal solution, the team built clay models and scraped away at them, the shavings sometimes so thin that they were nearly transparent. This delicate process of exploration was conducted over and over.
　A similarly meticulous approach was also taken for adaptability and versatility, with repeated verification tests run on the track to assess a variety of specs and settings accounting for differences in finger lengths, glove thickness and construction, and more. "Slight differences in a switch's stroke or clicking feel can make just a single push feel nice or unnatural," explains IKEGAYA Ryosuke. "That's why we brought a number of different switch specs to compare during testing." His colleague, HORIUCHI Tomoki, adds: "We put the internals for our switches together using FPCBs that can be twisted so that what we created wouldn't be compromised by purely mechanical requirements. As a result, we were able to put together a very compact and versatile switchbox."