About Me

Moin! I'm amo (Andreas), the founder of amMoto.
Let me start by saying that amMoto is a side venture born from my hobby and passion: Harley Davidson motorcycling. My professional passion lies with my main job – I'm privileged to work for the top employer here in the North, collaborating with many great colleagues to create "Technology for Life." So, please don't be too upset if it takes me a little longer to respond sometimes! ;-)
If you're interested, you can learn more about me on  linkedin.

The Story

The Beginning

It all started with my '48. It "only" had a simple speedometer with a "minimalist" LCD display for additional information. So, I rigged up a tachometer and a gear indicator that I could always read easily. Since I'm more familiar with electronics and software than mechanics, my path was to read data from the vehicle bus and display it on a mobile phone.

As soon as rpm and gear worked, speed, operational indicators, turn signals, and mileage were added. For my Low Rider S, cruise control displays and remaining range were also included. I had tire pressure sensors as an add-on but didn't want to install another app for them, so the next step was to integrate them into the amVision app.

Just for fun, I then wanted to display the flap position of my electronically controlled exhaust system. Although it's also connected to the vehicle bus, it didn't readily reveal its status. So, I asked in a Harley forum if anyone had an idea how I could query its status via the vehicle bus. (Spoiler: unfortunately, I haven't received any information yet).

Following that inquiry, I received many requests from the forum for testing – one of them from PERFECTMILE. I then built him an adapter and gave him the app, which led to him publishing a YouTube video:  Die beste App für Harley Davidson Motorräder? – Meine Erfahrung mit amVision

After that, many interested people contacted me and offered to test it. I took this as an opportunity to start a testing phase. This phase allowed me to test the app and the adapter on over 50 different Harley bikes – and it ran largely without problems or failures. At this point, a big thank you to all testers for their willingness, the great feedback, and the creative ideas for new features!

After much positive feedback from you, I decided to turn the app and adapter into a product. In doing so, I also learned what it means to bring a radiating device, operated on the vehicle bus, to the European market – an exciting, but also investment-intensive experience!

Type Approval and Conformity

To legally operate such an adapter on the vehicle bus, it must have type approval, in this case, according to UN ECE R10. This type approval for the amConnect was granted by the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (Kraftfahrtbundesamt - KBA) after demonstrating the product's conformity and the conformity of production. This means proving that both the design and every manufactured component are compliant. This requires, on the one hand, proof through product tests by an accredited technical service, and on the other hand, a review of the CoP (Conformity of Production) with the so-called initial assessment. In this case, TÜV Rheinland LGA Products GmbH, Nuremberg, carried out the tests, and TÜV Rheinland Kraftfahrt GmbH, Cologne, acted as the technical service. The initial assessment was carried out by the KBA at my production facility.

This no longer works with adapters cobbled together as prototypes; instead, I had to completely industrialize the manufacturing of the adapter. Ultimately, a production line was set up, which is now located at the Technology Center Lübeck.

The efforts paid off: the amConnect adapter is type-approved by the KBA and has received an E1 marking with a specific approval number!

This proof of conformity is not a one-time event. It must be repeated at regular intervals, even if the product does not change. In the event of adjustments, these must be evaluated, and a new type approval may need to be obtained. And I must ensure market surveillance and traceability so that measures can be initiated in the event of non-conformity.

Since the adapter operates via Bluetooth, it must also comply with the so-called RED (Radio Equipment Directive) to be placed on the market in the EU. This means further tests in the areas of radio technology, extended EMC tests, as well as electrical safety, health, cybersecurity, and data protection. The amConnect adapter has also passed these tests – so the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) should also be satisfied.

To meet the requirements of product safety, product liability, and sustainability, I have also introduced a quality policy and quality objectives.

I hope this is just the beginning and that I can continue to advance the amVision app, in particular, to improve your riding experience. There are already many ideas!