Electric Motorcycle? Would you buy one?

i dont think i have seen any pictures of one but if the price was right and it had some function to it, i would like to have one for just getting around town or whatever. if its nice enough i'd take it on a trip. i dont see why not, other than not having a place to charge it of course. im sure that traveling at speeds that high your charge wouldnt last very long at all. i think i saw that they dont last very long before needing a charge any way.
 
I think range and recharge are going to be the technology to overcome.
Those electrics can develop instant low end torque that will floor you. Bet they're pretty quiet. I think they'll find their niche in the scooter market first.

This is the Motoczysz electric.

e1_side.jpg
 
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Half the fun of a motorcycle is the soundtrack!! I don't know if i could live with a bike that didn't growl at all, even if it went like a bee-out-of-hell. And yeah the recharge and range will still be an issue til they figure out something to get more out of a battery (or a new type of battery), that's why electric cars aren't that popular unless your in a campground driving to the camp store :spank:

Decided against a rant here about electric vehicles not really "saving" anything, but instead i'll say: Cool concept :thumbup:

Would i ride one to see what it's like? Yes.

Would i own one for everyday use? No.



P.S. What would you call an electric engined enthusiast? Volt-heads? :rolleyes:
 
DavidG-757 said:
i dont think i have seen any pictures of one...
Click to expand...

Brammo-Empulse22.jpg


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS77-wIv8AQ]2011 Brammo Empulse Electric Motorcycle Promo[/ame]​

callmegandhi said:
Loud pipes save lives! Automobiles don't see you on a bike that makes noise, just think if they can't see or hear you coming!
Click to expand...

By the time a car HEARS your bike, it's too late.
 
callmegandhi said:
Loud pipes save lives! Automobiles don't see you on a bike that makes noise, just think if they can't see or hear you coming![/QUOTE

My first thought too, all the critters and forest rats just waiting for it to be quiet so they can cross the road... not like you have any deer around those alphabet roads anyway.

My wife and I watched the electric bikes race at Infineon this spring after the superbikes. Her reaction to the quiet rc sound was "not very manly, are they".
Click to expand...
 
I test drove a Zero DS. It was fun, quiet, and underwhelming. Range, acceleration, and cost all need improvement but it's a good start. As we get more competition and better emphasis on performance I think the concept will be viable.

P.S. Noise Annoys
 
I test drove one of the Zero Motorcycles on some back roads near the company headquarters for about 30 minutes. Had a blast...battery was pretty drained by the time we were done. Guy leading me was hauling so I was actually pushing it a bit like I would on my own bike.

Fun stuff...and I dig the silence and smooth power...ESPECIALLY for an offroad bike (silence will be huge for mx and trail riding...think of the possibilities). But yeah, not enough range or power and not a short enough recharge yet.

battery tech ftw.

How about Mission Motors....pretty hot bikes.
 
I don't see why the fuss. They are not green at all. Look at what makes up a battery. Metals dug out from earth. I think the technology has years to go before it can even match a gasoline engine. If they can get a recharge time of like 5 minutes and 200+ miles/kms out of a battery, hell yes. Until then I will continue to love my fumes!
 
The Dude said:
By the time a car HEARS your bike, it's too late.
Click to expand...

This is one of those subjects that is not really worth discussing, like helmet laws, politics and religion. A wise person (not me) once said something like "For the believer, no more evidence is necessary, for the non-believer, none will suffice" which I think about covers it.
 
Never rode one, but from what I read about them, the ride is different, and that's already enough for me to be curious. But that's me, i'd also like to accumulate a collection of 3-4 different bikes with different personalities.

I'm not very interested in power - this could be a back-road rider or something along those lines. Luckily I cannot afford one right now, so I'll wait for a few years and hopefully by that time the batteries that are available on the market will be better.
 
SirIsaac said:
This is one of those subjects that is not really worth discussing, like helmet laws, politics and religion. A wise person (not me) once said something like "For the believer, no more evidence is necessary, for the non-believer, none will suffice" which I think about covers it.
Click to expand...

I was merely responding to the implication that electric motorcycles were dangerous because they lacked a noisy internal combustion engine attached to a set of megaphone pipes. It's disappointing that "Loud Pipes Save Lives" has become a legitimate safety strategy instead of a joke.

As for your quote, I do not believe it applies here. One side of the debate (be it helmets or loud pipes) considers the evidence and is open to adjusting their stance in light of new data. They're always trying to improve their odds, whether through their gear, their motorcycle, or most importantly - their riding. The other side is not concerned with hard data related to safety, and uses freedom or free will to support their position. There is no real debate, because the two sides refuse to debate the same issue.

I doubt electric bikes are any more or less safe than there gasoline-burning counterparts. However, I suspect their riders are more safety conscious. I'd be willing to bet that once there are enough e-bikes on the street to get safety data, we'll see a lower rate of fatalities than traditional motorcycles.
 
nope.

- product is too expensive
- any gas savings are eaten up in the cost of the bike
--- so no fiscal savings
- last time i checked the electricity from the wall doesn't come from magic beans. it comes from coal, nuclear, etc. so it's not "cleaner"
- to go into the dirty of it... anyone seen the article about how the the prius is worse for the environment than a hummer?
--- not more environmentally friendly
- charge time
- lack of range
--- way less freedom

there is no practical reason at this point to own one.

now, if all those things could be fixed then sure. but the fact is there is nothing at this pint that can compete with the wonders of the internal combustion engine.

they are cool looking though.
 
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