Kinetic Air Pressure System (KAPS)

The next step in bicycle and motorcycle tech

The development of a tyre pressure management and control system is a logical next step in the technology roadmap for bicycles and other two-wheeled vehicles (like enduro motorcycles). The increasing interest in off-road riding, mountain biking and gravel racing, and the appearance of tyre pressure monitoring systems are an important trigger for our development. In road racing, races like Paris-Roubaix and Strade Bianche put a lot of attention to the choice of tyres and the optimal tyre pressure.

In the automotive sector there is an increasing awareness for environmental issues and the need for a safety related control and monitoring system.

Tyre pressure has a proven influence on vehicle stability, (fuel) efficiency, comfort and reliability as well as lifetime of the tyre.

Various efforts to develop a tyre pressure management system have been undertaken by well-known manufacturers but did not create a breakthrough or were not technically successful. It was found to be either too complex or just not sufficient in weight, size, performance or usability.

Our patented kinetic air pressure system (KAPS) is a fully integrated solution that focusses on performance without compromising. It will just do what it needs to do, adapt your tyre pressure on the fly, very fast and extremely accurate without any limitations.

Usability means that the system is fully compatible with the current standards for (bicycle) wheels and does not have a different behavior compared to standard lightweight wheels, apart from the added functionality of tyre pressure control.

The heart of KAPS is a small lightweight pump unit with high pressure capability. This pump is driven by the rotation of the wheel. It comes in different configurations for different applications, for bicycles, motorcycles or cars. The capacity of the pump has been aligned with the required pressure increase versus the maximum allowable power consumption when active.

An electro-pneumatic system controls the (de)activation of the pump on demand. The demand is given by the user, who can manage the tyre pressure wireless via a head unit on the handlebars. The pump can inflate a tyre directly, or can pressurize via a buffer reservoir. An unprecedent valve system can rapidly decrease or optionally increase tyre pressure very fast, in seconds, although the system is very small.

In a stationary situation when the pump is not active, the system rotates with the wheel and does not create any additional friction resistance at all. Because the system is lightweight additional inertia is very limited. For more information on the technology, specifications, and benefits for bicycle wheels, click the link below:

Gravaa