The evolution of LMX Bikes since 2016
It has now been more than 6 years since LMX Bikes entered the market by producing its electric two-wheelers in its own manufacturing workshop.
And we told you in our last article, 2022 is the year of surprises…
We therefore invite you to dive into the heart of the LMX workshop, which has continued to grow over the years, to discover behind the scenes of the brand since 2016.
From 2016 to 2018 : the very first LMX manufacturing workshop
6 years ago, the LMX Bikes brand was registered. Serious things can begin.
The LMX team then moved into our very first manufacturing workshop, a 150m2 room located in Frontonas, in North Isère.
THE PRODUCTION
It was in 2017 that our first oven was handcrafted in the LMX workshop. Welding of the chassis, cabling of the regulator, installation of resistors, a real tailor-made project !
Furnace during manufacture : Frontonas, 2017
Interior of the oven : Frontonas, 2017
This oven allowed us to make the first 400 LMX frames and is still in service in our workshop in 2022. Thanks to its high-performance insulation, its heating capacity can go up to 530° with only 3 kw. But we told you, 2022 is the year of novelties…
Case to follow !
In addition to the frames, we also heat treated the steel engine gears using our own gas oven.
100% manual machining of an LMX 81 hub in 7075-T6 aluminium. More than 7 hours of lathe and milling work were necessary.
Our swingarms are made of aluminum sheet metal for better rigidity on our LMX 161s. Manufactured in-house, this is still the current design.
Swingarms and engine blocks of the first 5 LMX 81, early 2017
In-house machined LMX 81 engine blocks, 2017
First aluminum LMX 161 frames, 2017
THE WELDING
In 2017, we started TIG welding the first series frames of the LMX 81, our first electric mountain bike. Manufactured in-house, we use a weld assembly to ensure the correct position of all the parts that make up the LMX swingarm and thus gain precision.
This assembly has since been modified and is now used for mounting LMX 64 swingarms.
2nd prototype frame of the LMX 64
LMX 54 frame welding, 2017
Welding of the first LMX 81 frames
THE R&D
In addition to the production and manufacture of our electric two-wheelers, our workshop also has an in-house design office dedicated to design.
From the start, we have been carrying out all the manufacturing plans and technical studies for our models (here those of the LMX 81).
R&D (Research & Development) has been an integral part of LMX Bikes key activities since the beginning.
Here, heating tests are carried out on the batteries with the thermal camera to check the heating of the cells once assembled one by one in the final pack.
Engine equipped with liquid cooling, 2017
Test bench – battery heater tests, 2018
Test bench – engine tests, 2018
New solutions are designed and tested regularly. For example, our electric motorcycle prototypes in 2017 were already equipped with liquid cooling. This is a technology that was later abandoned to make the system more reliable by integrating a more powerful motor instead.
From the start, the search for reliability remains at the heart of our concerns.
The assembly
Within these 150 m2, we were already assembling our first motorcycles with custom-made tools : here, the assembly feet of the workshop were adapted to our vehicles and fully adjustable.
Deliveries
Since January 2018, we have been traveling the roads thanks to the first LMX truck, which brings us into direct contact with our customers and our dealers. We also travel regularly to various events (fairs, festivals, races, photo shoots, etc.).
From 2018 to 2022 : the LMX workshop moves to new premises
After spending 3 years in our first premises, we had to think bigger and support the strong growth of the brand. This is how we moved into our new 455m2 production workshop in 2018. Between design, manufacturing, assembly, marketing, preparation for dispatch, our current workshop is running at full speed !
Installation of premises, 2018
The production
The production of the frames of our LMX 64s is always carried out locally in Frontonas. Discover all the stages of the manufacturing process in our dedicated article.
In addition to frames and swingarms, we manufacture other elements of our two-wheelers, such as motorcycle batteries, thermoformed fairings, engraving of serial numbers, various wiring (manufacture of harnesses), and parts in 3D printing.
The assembly
We continue to assemble our speed bikes and electric motorcycles in our workshop on our two assembly lines : one dedicated to LMX 64 and another dedicated to LMX 161.
We produce and assemble the LMX 161 battery packs. The cells are welded using a digitally controlled welding machine developed in-house. Composed of Samsung 18650 cells, each battery alone is 2 kwh. To date, more than 300 kWh of battery have been fitted in packs since 2016.
Design Office
Finally, design and research still remain a key activity of the brand today. Our new 2022 model is currently under development thanks to a team of passionate engineers.
Here, the prototype n°1 of the engine block of the LMX 56 machined in aluminum 6061-T6.
2022 : a new chapter begins for LMX
As you will have understood, after 3 years in our first local and 3 other years in our current local, it is time for us to move up a gear !
It is in this dynamic of growth that we will move in 2022 to a brand new premises… of 841 m2 !
We tell you, this production workshop located in Jonage has industrial-scale ambitions.
Almost 6 times larger than our first local invested 6 years earlier, there is really something to announce heavy for the future !
