Electric motorbikes

galwaytt · 25-10-2019 11:54am

The GorillaBiker wrote: »

As far as I am currently, yes. Fuel savings and maintenance will play the largest part. Initial purchase is harder to overcome with me having spent 3.5k on the fazer a long time ago. But I'll slap a link up when I have the whole comparison together.

Insurance is a pain, I'm currently trying to get a quote for the comparison but it is proving difficult. I would hope it won't be astronomical, but with how fast these things are and how expensive I imagine it'll have a fairly large effect on the comparison in the end.

To be honest it'll all boil down to how much you use your bikes and the average length of your trips. I use mine 12 months a year on a daily basis for everything except what I absolutely have to use my car for. For people who do sub 5000km per year I can't see it working out as feasible. But we'll see!

...spending big money on irrational machines to cover small mileages: you've just described every motorcycle I can think of !

So that ain't going to be the deciding factor methinks.

amacca · 25-10-2019 10:03pm

This is going to sound childish

but i'd be willing to spend money on an electric machine if it was cool

a lot of them styling wise are a bit meh for me.........

Its fair to say I probably can't ride for **** given how infrequently I get out but when I do get out its on something that makes me smile, Call me shallow but the current crop of attainable electric bikes aren't lookers in my book....

I'd never buy a bike purely for economic reasons, it has to be something that has to have some sort of a wow factor. When will manufacturers start making machines that people will drool over that aren't silly money

Or is there a company offering retrofitting electric motor and batteries to ice bikes?

listermint · 26-10-2019 11:56am

amacca wrote: »

This is going to sound childish

but i'd be willing to spend money on an electric machine if it was cool

a lot of them styling wise are a bit meh for me.........

Its fair to say I probably can't ride for **** given how infrequently I get out but when I do get out its on something that makes me smile, Call me shallow but the current crop of attainable electric bikes aren't lookers in my book....

I'd never buy a bike purely for economic reasons, it has to be something that has to have some sort of a wow factor. When will manufacturers start making machines that people will drool over that aren't silly money

Or is there a company offering retrofitting electric motor and batteries to ice bikes?

So the Harley livewire and the Energies Eco aren't cool looking ?

amacca · 26-10-2019 6:56pm

listermint wrote: »

So the Harley livewire and the Energies Eco aren't cool looking ?

Of the two the harley looks marginally better to me but I still don't like it and its not just a badge thing. I think Id look like a child on it too + I just don't like harley that much unless were talking something from the 40s like and old knucklehead/wla.......they look great and of their time.

Ill be honest and say I haven't been following developments and wasn't even aware of the energica ego until i read your post....it is sort of what I was driving at, in that I was thinking of something like zeros models when I was thinking of new yet fairly attainable motorbikes...to me their offerings either look like bland commuting hacks or ridiculous beaked enduro type affairs.....but even though the ego is more like it I couldn't be having it if I was making the decision on looks alone that is.......that front looks like they've made a mash up of an R1(older and new) and a panigale, in side profile it looks a little like you bastardised an mv adjust f3 with a cbr 600, the tail piece looks generic tat and I hate that swing arm and the way the fairing gets cut off around the swingarm.......having said that it seems like it performs fairly well and its better than anything electric I've seen yet...lighnting ls2 type machines aside

To get an idea of what I think looks good though I've put in some links below, maybe Im just old fashioned but bikes like any of ducatis 916 series, their sport classic, older 1098 street fighter or 999 or even older 70s 900 look great, mv agusta f4 100r 312 or earlier 750, gsx 1100 katana (perhaps tarted up a bit), triumph thruxton r, 88 gsxr 750 slingshot with single seat + endurance type fairings, nsr 250, recent norton domiracer, honda sp1, sp2 (admittedly the american colour scheme does a lot for the sp1 imo) older honda cb 750, moto guzzis msg-01 (in fact I think something like that would transfer over really well - that lump of an engine in the guzzi is about the same size and dimensions as a battery and crucially for me anyway that motorbike looks good)

anyway the below bikes look good to me...that ego looks generic, designed by committee and doesn't quite hang together imo...apologies for the links, laptop is double pasting everything when i make links out of them.

https://buy-motorcycle.com/item/2006-ducati-sport-classic-1000-51644/us

https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/vehicle-collection/ducati-998r/

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MV_Agusta_F4_1078_RR312.jpg

http://moto.zombdrive.com/image-trim/13547-suzuki-gsx-1100-s-katana-1983-4.jpg.html

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-motorbike-ducati-999r-18343608.html

https://bikez.com/motorcycles/suzuki_gsx-r_750_1988.php

https://www.classic-trader.com/uk/motorcycle/listing/honda/cb-750-four/1975/118603

https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/moto%20guzzi/moto_guzzi_mgs01%20serie.htm

https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/Honda/honda_rc51_sp1.htm

https://www.thebikemarket.co.uk/honda/vfr/vfr750r-rc30

https://silodrome.com/motorcycle-ducati-900ss/

https://japan.webike.net/moto_news/honda-will-reproduce-some-of-the-repair-parts-of-nsr250r-for-a-limited-time-only-webike-will-also-accept-reservations-for-it/

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-reviews/norton/domiracer/2014/

https://www.bikewale.com/triumph-bikes/thruxton-r/

....

Id buy an electric bike (as long as it performed and was reliable etc) that looks more like say a bimota db5, one in link has a similar colour scheme to ego + trellis frame...now i know they couldn't copy the design but thats a nice looking bike that doesn't look like a mish mash to me.....looks like it is its own thing.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motorbikes/2736005/Deceptive-delicacy.html

or Id buy an electric bike that was a bit more radical like say something like the tesi 3d........something that says I'm an electric bike I look fantastic and i'm not just trying to badly copy a generic style thats already been done well by countless manufacturers out there...and beaten to death by some too it has to be said

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bimota_Tesi

two wheels good · 06-11-2019 5:44pm

I noticed a secondhand BMW Evolution elec scooter on DD yesterday.

mamax · 06-11-2019 9:01pm

amacca wrote: »

Or is there a company offering retrofitting electric motor and batteries to ice bikes?

That would be a winner if someone had the balls to try it, I know I'd seriously think about it !
Maybe Shane Ross will campaign for owners of older bikes to have it part funded by the government

amacca · 06-11-2019 9:27pm

mamax wrote: »

That would be a winner if someone had the balls to try it, I know I'd seriously think about it !
Maybe Shane Ross will campaign for owners of older bikes to have it part funded by the government

You would have to convince him the photo op would only happen after a successful campaign

It could be a win win, I can see it being something a company could do successfully

listermint · 07-11-2019 7:28am

amacca wrote: »

You would have to convince him the photo op would only happen after a successful campaign

It could be a win win, I can see it being something a company could do successfully

Impossible to do. Electric bikes from the ground up are orientated for battery fitting and weight savings down to the last bolt. Would be a waste of time on an ice

amacca · 07-11-2019 9:16am

listermint wrote: »

Impossible to do. Electric bikes from the ground up are orientated for battery fitting and weight savings down to the last bolt. Would be a waste of time on an ice

Impossible? Niche and very expensive right now but impossible? ... id find that hard to believe?

Depending on how the tech develops I could see a compamy offering kits to people albeit in the distant future.....if the energy density that can be stored in the battery improves then the battery pack would be easier to fit into where the engine/tank used to be

Surely you could see a company taking classics and modifying to sell to affluent customers?

I'm thinking something along the lines of that company eagle that make 500k-1million reworked jag e-types or singer Porsches ...i know they still have an ice in those but they are essentially a new car with the shape of the old

listermint · 07-11-2019 12:19pm

amacca wrote: »

Impossible? Niche and very expensive right now but impossible? ... id find that hard to believe?

Depending on how the tech develops I could see a compamy offering kits to people albeit in the distant future.....if the energy density that can be stored in the battery improves then the battery pack would be easier to fit into where the engine/tank used to be

Surely you could see a company taking classics and modifying to sell to affluent customers?

I'm thinking something along the lines of that company eagle that make 500k-1million reworked jag e-types or singer Porsches ...i know they still have an ice in those but they are essentially a new car with the shape of the old

By impossible I mean creating anything with even a plausible range e.g over 40km. So impossible in the sense that it's a waste of time trying.

Ground up would be the way to go.

amacca · 07-11-2019 8:34pm

listermint wrote: »

By impossible I mean creating anything with even a plausible range e.g over 40km. So impossible in the sense that it's a waste of time trying.

Ground up would be the way to go.

Not being an expert myself I'll have to take your word for it. I thought as research developed there was a push to move beyond lithium to other metal compsite/alloys nano materials that would allow much higher energy density in the storage tech and that would mean more power/range in smaller volumes

Id wondered recently if the whole model for car/vehicle production wasn't on the verge of fundamental change over the next 10/20/30 years

Was thinking along the lines of manufacturers being supplied running gear and battery motor from one or two large scale suppliers to build their vehicle around ... perhaps even smaller scale niche builders doing something like some of the current relatively successful kit car companies

Maybe the return of more companies doing something like the old coach building firms

Maybe advances in 3d printing changing things

Of course that might all be superseded by the zombie apocalypse not to mention a commercially viable hydrogen fuel cell

Acquiescence · 07-11-2019 10:58pm

Jonathan Ward/Icon are moving towards EV restomods evidenced by some of their derelict series now hiding Tesla running gear. Money can make anything viable to the right person.

CJhaughey · 08-11-2019 9:22am

Acquiescence wrote: »

Jonathan Ward/Icon are moving towards EV restomods evidenced by some of their derelict series now hiding Tesla running gear. Money can make anything viable to the right person.

A car is a pallet on wheels, easy to fit an electric drivetrain into and some battery capacity.
A bike is another beast entirely, balance, CoG and drivetrain output all have massive effects on the handling and feel of a bike.

Darranj85 · 14-11-2019 3:38pm

There is a crowd looking at doing classic scooter conversions. the engine layout of them, and the battery going under the seat where the petrol tank normally loves is more feasible on them than most bikes mind you

https://scooterlab.uk/restrospectives-project-e-electric-vespa-conversion-news/

Grumpy Bike Wizard · 11-12-2019 1:02am

Sorry for reviving the thread, been off boards and YT for a bit.

Gonna do a longer video with my first few months on the Zero DS over the xmas when I've a bit of time. In the meantime Gorilla's vid is quality. SR/F isn't for me though, sitty uppy bikes 4life.

Plenty to like and a few niggles, same as anything. Main niggle is that I was planning on lashing a loud horn onto it and it's not a straightforward fit due to the location of the OEM horn and the way the electrics are set up. Might have to fabricate a bracket for it special with me hammer and ignorance skillz.

Ride wise it's class. Fast as ****, pulls like a train. I'd class it as a city bike though, been commuting on it for a few months and it's definitely better for throwing around than the other yoke. Getting about 200km per charge and that's giving it the beans in urban setting. The economics definitely don't work out yet as there isn't a second hand market; but that's not why I got it. Lots of interest, my first couple of weeks I was having no joke an average of 2 conversations with other bikers, drivers, cyclists about it at lights. Being able to hold a conversation with a cyclist while you're both on the move is mad.

As for noise, I actually get pedestrians freaking out over it, it sounds like a space ship coming at them. Definitely an unusual noise that they'd pay attention to, doesn't blend in with car engine noises like a normal bike might. But, if you're getting yourself into a situation where noise is saving you, you're already 99% of the way to bad news. I've had a loud bike and there's no difference for me.

Grumpy Bike Wizard · 18-12-2019 1:39am

Did a bitta videoin' there today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoTt1Gmfbks

listermint · 18-12-2019 10:22am

I'd do that mileage in two weeks

18-01-2020 12:54pm

Can you do your test on an electric bike and how do they determine which licence you get? Regulations dont seem to have caught up. They still mention engine CC and power to weight ratios seem off.

https://www.ndls.ie/licence-categories.html

Grumpy Bike Wizard · 19-01-2020 12:26am

Deleted User wrote: »

Can you do your test on an electric bike and how do they determine which licence you get? Regulations dont seem to have caught up. They still mention engine CC and power to weight ratios seem off.

https://www.ndls.ie/licence-categories.html

Only A1 mentions CCs, otherwise it's power to weight ratio which is on the log book as normal. The zero DS full power has a p/w of 0.115 (207kg kerb weight, 34kW) so is A2 legal best I can tell. They also do an 11kw version which is A1 legal. there's rumblings about updating stuff, since these bikes are ludicrously quicker than their petrol equivalents.

galwaytt · 23-01-2020 12:56pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Can you do your test on an electric bike and how do they determine which licence you get? Regulations dont seem to have caught up. They still mention engine CC and power to weight ratios seem off.

https://www.ndls.ie/licence-categories.html

Just be careful: power limits aside, if you do your test on one you'll be stuck with a restriction to 'automatic' only............no gears/clutch, see.............

Same thing is happening in the car world and people are getting a fright when they find out.

Electric motorbikes

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