Thoughts on Electric Motorcycles?

[Dave.0]

I like the idea for an around town commuter type bike

The range is a bit of an issue, but for most commuting it would be adequate

The real issue is the price - new zero S msrp 13995

2013 ktm duke 690 - msrp around 9000

So, 5000 dollars more for less bike is tough to swallow, unless your going to ride it mostly indoors, then it makes total sense

At half the current prices, the zero's would sell.

[fallingoff]

Originally Posted by willis 2000

featherbed frame
aircraft starter motor
watch out
the dreamliner catches fire

Nice

Cheers

[Snarky]

Originally Posted by CharlesLathe

First three words: Not a motorcycle.

It's a commuter vehicle. They don't make much sense for those who ride for adventure because of their limited range.

If electric vehicles ever become really popular, they will drive up the cost of electricity and people will spend their winters in colder apartments and houses. I say, stick with energy dense fossil fuels for motor vehicles.

Regards, Chuck

The whole idea of electric vehicles is that they eliminate the need to police 300 million individual points of pollution generation and slim it down to a few hundred power plants that don't move around. Coal and Natural Gas is going to be cheaper than distilled petroleum for the foreseeable future. The nice thing about electricity, is that as the fossil fuels become more expensive due to their finite nature, more solar and wind farms are built to step in and help. Still though, the gear head in me isn't ready to switch, or even really experiment yet.

I hope it'll be like Back to the Future. In Back to the Future you had retrofit centers that would convert ground vehicles into flying vehicles for the new air express ways. Well, along that line: I hope that while the technology improves as electric motors and batteries get better: we'll be able to retrofit our vehicles to keep up and repower them in the same way. There is a precedence for that: When they eliminated lead in fuels, the solution to fix the wear on the valves was to install hardened valve seats. Where's damn my microfusion powered flying motorcycle? Science has 2 more years to get it done.

I will say that as far as electric progression: electric motors and batteries have pretty much replaced the small nitro/diesel engines in RC vehicles. LiPo batteries and brushless motors -imo- destroy the Nitro vehicles in performance, simplicity, and cost. I don't know many people who miss the nitro engines except for the hardcore old timers. That said, tiny 4-stoke gas engines (not nitro) and the jet turbines are still bad ass in comparison.

LiPo batteries are going to start being more popular in full sized electric and hybrid cars, and it's going to be interesting as they progress and get cheaper. Especially the accidents. Right now the 787 is having some issues with them, for example. In RC vehicles, if you discharge or recharge them too quickly, they can catch fire.

That said:

Something that looks like this, is obviously a god damn motorcycle, no matter what it's range may be. It is a two wheeled vehicle with a power source. It's a motorcycle.

[dillon]

I normally ride a Kawasaki KLX 250 SM and I have ridden a hand full of modern and vintage sport bikes. I recently got he chance to ride a ZERO dual sport. Honestly it was weird at first, no clutch no gear selector and no noise, it just went, and went really well. From a rolling start it would probably be faster than most 1Kcc vintage bikes, and was certainly quicker than my KLX. I did a little dirt on it as well and it performed well enough, the suspension could have been a touch better as it bottomed when I jumped it off a burm. Only real complaint I had was the steering, the stops dont allow you to steer as sharp as my KLX so low speed maneuvering would be tougher. Honestly if I had the money I would buy one in a heart beat. Also the batteries on this one lasted right about 60miles, so it would be perfect for short to medium length commutes.

[TALLGUY]

I think they are exciting in theory and hopefully are environmentally friendly.

My problem right now is Range/Price. I might spend 15 large on one if it could go 200 miles into a headwind. That day will come but not right now. To clarify- I live in rural Iowa so there is distance and wind to deal with.

I do wish they would work out a deal with Law Enforcement to get some of these bikes on the street. It would make a great patrol vehicle in a city!! Harley had the dollar a year lease, and that is a great way to get the product into the public eye.

As an agile, silent, quick, efficient and cool patrol vehicle I think it would be excellent.


TG

[jrflanne]

I took a Zero for a spin and will take one for a demo ride. I left pretty impressed with it. The instant torque was fun. The price is high. I just bought a Griso for about $1500 less than a Zero. It will be interesting to see the future of electric bikes.

[victor441]

Originally Posted by willis 2000

featherbed frame
aircraft starter motor
watch out
the dreamliner catches fire

.hmm! I actually have an aircraft starter motor I inherited and a welder too.....might try that

[PhilB]

Answers below.

Originally Posted by Designer Jake

Hey Everyone,

My name is Jake and I am pretty new to the motorcycle scene. I am researching Electric Motorcycles and I was curious what experienced motorcyclists thought about them. I would appreciate it if you could answer the questions below!

First off, what are the first three words come into your mind when I say "Electric Motorcycle"? limited range, useless

How do you expect Electric Motorcycles (EM) to feel, sound, handle, etc.? If you have ridden a EM please share your experience! Feel fine, sound quiet, handle OK but not great due to weight of batteries.

Which aesthetic is more appealing... Brammo's Empulse or Zero Motorycles' Zero S? The Brammo is better looking

What top three things do you Like and Dislike about EMs? Like: clean, quiet, smooth. Dislike: batteries, batteries, batteries.

Finally, if you were going to purchase an Electric Dual Sport/Adventure Motorcycle, what characteristics or features would you like to have on the motorcycle? Range and refueling time comparable to a normal bike. Anything less makes it unsuitable for traveling, for adventuring, for doing anything but urban short trips.

Again, I would really appreciate your help!

Thank You!

We've known how to make electric vehicles that are as good or better than internal combustion ones since about 1910, EXCEPT for energy storage. An electric car is as good as or better than a normal one except it has a fuel tank that holds 2 gallons, weighs 1500 pounds, and has to be filled with an eyedropper over 4 hours. Same with the bikes -- they work great except that they have 50+ pounds of batteries that hold the equivalent of about 1 gallon of gas and take a couple hours to recharge. I wouldn't consider buying a regular bike that had a 1-gallon gas tank, much less one that took a long time to refill -- that limitation would make it nearly useless as a general use vehicle.

Plus, what's one of the most troublesome components now of your car, bike, laptop, phone, whatever? The battery. The idea of the entire vehicle being powered by them is dumb.

When you've got a way to store electricity that has a decent energy density, can be replenished in a couple minutes or less, and is reliable and durable, THEN I will have some interest. Until then, fuhgeddaboudit.

PhilB

[corndog67]

Featherbed frame? A 1950s reference.

The electrics are probably the future. I'm not into them yet, although I looked at a bicycle last week that went 28 mph, and 120 miles or so the guy claimed.

We'll see. They'll only get better

[larryboy]

Originally Posted by Dave.0

I like the idea for an around town commuter type bike

The range is a bit of an issue, but for most commuting it would be adequate

The real issue is the price - new zero S msrp 13995

2013 ktm duke 690 - msrp around 9000

So, 5000 dollars more for less bike is tough to swallow, unless your going to ride it mostly indoors, then it makes total sense

At half the current prices, the zero's would sell.

That's what's interesting, with rebates from the government and company discounts you actually CAN buy one for your 50% off proposal. Local rag, City Bike just did an article about it. I might have the details a little off, don't have the paper in front of me, but I was surprised at how cheap it would be to get onto one.

[Casey.]

Originally Posted by PhilB

An electric car is as good as or better than a normal one except it has a fuel tank that holds 2 gallons, weighs 1500 pounds, and has to be filled with an eyedropper over 4 hours.

Love the analogy.

And as we're learning from 787s, they still "combust"

I'm still looking forward to hydrogen as pointed out in Top Gear. I think electric is a middle phase that will be a blip between gas and its replacement.

[VxZeroKnots]

Originally Posted by Designer Jake

Hey Everyone,

My name is Jake and I am pretty new to the motorcycle scene. I am researching Electric Motorcycles and I was curious what experienced motorcyclists thought about them. I would appreciate it if you could answer the questions below!

First off, what are the first three words come into your mind when I say "Electric Motorcycle"?

How do you expect Electric Motorcycles (EM) to feel, sound, handle, etc.? If you have ridden a EM please share your experience!

Which aesthetic is more appealing... Brammo's Empulse or Zero Motorycles' Zero S?

What top three things do you Like and Dislike about EMs?

Finally, if you were going to purchase an Electric Dual Sport/Adventure Motorcycle, what characteristics or features would you like to have on the motorcycle?

Again, I would really appreciate your help!

Thank You!

I think they are the future, and am excited to eventually own one. I may end up building an electric dirt bike as a project. We need to figure out energy storage because the motor characteristics are vastly superior to IC.

Bring them on!

[moparren]

The tech is growing rapidly. I have heard that capaciters will be replacing batteries in the near future. If that is true, it wil change the game drasticly. It is my opinion that motorcycles are the perfict platform for EF development because they are lighter and you don't have to deal with things like heaters or AC.

Check out the El Moto forum, lots of experience there.

http://www.elmoto.net/forum.php?

[Vankaye]

I am excited about Electric Bikes as well. Not so much for cars. I still love me a v8.

I love the analogy of one gallon tank that has to be filled by a dropper. Perfect. Exactly why I don't own one yet.

My three words: Not Enough Juice

That said, if I went to a Zero Dealership and they offered me a spare battery that could be charged in the time it takes to drain the running one... for free... I'm in!!

[avgas]

I think we'll see more and more electric motorcycles in the future. Currently they have pretty limited range. Everyone already knows that though, and you can either live with that, or you can't.

I think the energy density issue will be solved though, and when that happens they'll (obviously) become more popular. Don't get me wrong, I love internal combustion engines, but I'd love to see a city that was quite and filled with fresh tasting air.