What are your thoughts on electric motorcycles?

[Alien]

I've always liked all kinds of bikes and so, I've been following the development and marketing of some of the current (no pun intended) electric bikes.  The performance can easily rival any gas powered bike and it seems like there are really only two downsides, those being range and the lack of sound.

My question is this, if range could be improved and if the infrastructure were in place to recharge (AKA, if quick charging stations were as common as gas stations even in rural areas), would you ride an electric bike?

I would.  if they weren't so damn expensive I'd buy one to commute on.

What say you?

Ride Safe,

Alien

[scooperhsd]

Waste of time and effort. and the range problem - heck - I have that on my Valk NOW - and that's a vehicle I can fill up in a 10 minute stop. How long does it take to recharge bike batteries for this ?

[Alien]

Waste of time and effort. and the range problem - heck - I have that on my Valk NOW - and that's a vehicle I can fill up in a 10 minute stop. How long does it take to recharge bike batteries for this ?

That's a good question.  This is what I was able to find about charging the HD Livewire.

All-electric Range (battery size)   146 miles (15.5 kWh)
Level 1 Charging (120V)   12.5 hours
Level 2 Charging (240V)   12.5 hours
DC Fast Charging (CCS Combo connector)   80% in 40 minutes

[Chrisj CMA]

My thoughts. I hope they are only for California. At least bikers can ride something when all gas powered vehicles are banned  

[Chrisj CMA]

Waste of time and effort. and the range problem - heck - I have that on my Valk NOW - and that's a vehicle I can fill up in a 10 minute stop. How long does it take to recharge bike batteries for this ?

That's a good question.  This is what I was able to find about charging the HD Livewire.

All-electric Range (battery size)   146 miles (15.5 kWh)
Level 1 Charging (120V)   12.5 hours
Level 2 Charging (240V)   12.5 hours
DC Fast Charging (CCS Combo connector)   80% in 40 minutes

Ya. And like any other batter that incomplete quick charge is bad for battery life. I hate it when my cell phones stop making it through a day. Can you imagine when that 146 miles becomes 75

[hubcapsc]

I'd be on one in an instant if the range problem was solved. We rode
from Hazen Ar to Amarillo one day last summer. I'd want my electric bike
to be able to do that either without stopping to charge or by
stopping and charging in ten or fifteen minutes. That's a fantasy today...

-Mike

[DDT (12)]

I'm just relieved to learn all the research effort is being made with 'battery-powered' bikes... Extension cords would be such a bother! Just 'cordin' as to whether or not I'd ride one... No particular reason to or not to at present. In future, if that's what's available, then... If other options are present, then... we'd just have to see. As with all choices made by normal humans, it just depends upon what choices are present and which best suits individual needs at the moment... (Absence of noise is definitely NOT a problem here...)

DDT

[The emperor has no clothes]

I'd be on one in an instant if the range problem was solved. We rode
from Hazen Ak to Amarillo one day last summer. I'd want my electric bike
to be able to do that either without stopping to charge or by
stopping and charging in ten or fifteen minutes. That's a fantasy today...

-Mike

Alaska to Texas in one day is pretty impressive. I doubt an electric bike will ever get there.  

[Moonshot_1]

I don't think the point of electric motorcycles is to take on the wide open road.
I believe the point is to have their use for urban environments where range isn't a particular issue.
I would be interested in such a product for commuting to work and such.
I wouldn't be interested in trying to go on a 2 week cross country trip on one.

[Jersey mike]

I see a general purpose use of zipping around town, an errand runner. Realistically how many people drive more than 100 miles a day. If the weather cooperates in a users area it could be a decent way to get here and there and if a commute of about 50-75 miles for work is needed MAYBE infrastructure will someday be available to charge while doing a work shift 7-8 hours, but will that charge be “free” or will it be paid for by the user.

How convenient will it be for a user to park, charge and walk the rest of the way to their job? Will there eventually be charging “stations” with an attendant who will disconnect your bike after you “filled up” to the level of charge that was paid for or requested so others can use the extension cord to “fill up”?

Will there be infrastructure put in place so street parking has a charger available like a parking meter? Will there be a parking meter and a charging meter?

There is a useful market for a zippy 2 wheel machine but will it work and will it be taken advantage of. Can they be a grocery getter...depends on how much groceries are needed.

In the last month or so I’ve noticed quite a few people out on I guess they’re called scooters but are gas powered but the new real rage around here are electric skateboards and some electric bicycles. I’ve never spoken to their users but each has become pretty popular with kids, teens and some adults.

[scooperhsd]

The only really good way to use electric vehicles for long range would be to find a way to "electrictrify" the roads ala the electric trains. It would be really great if it could be done with the cable buried in the roadbed ( and wirelessly) , but you still have a massive infrastructure problem implementing it.

What's going to happen in California as 2035 approaches - there will be a massive buy up of  ICE vehicles , and after that - Californians will be going out of state to buy "used cars" in states with more sense.

[Serk]

My question is this, if range could be improved and if the infrastructure were in place to recharge (AKA, if quick charging stations were as common as gas stations even in rural areas), would you ride an electric bike?

...and if the price was brought down to a level I could afford (When you can buy a decent condition Valkyrie Interstate for $2500 these days, hard to justify 10 times that amount on an electric, even with good range, etc...) I'd buy one in a heartbeat...

Not for any tree hugging reasons, I still posit that once all the mining, extracting, processing, shipping, disposal etc of the rare earth minerals and other toxic stuff used in the batteries are taken into account electric vehicles are just as damaging to the environment as internal combustion engine ones. (Not to mention the electricity to charge them still has to come form somewhere.)

I want one purely for this - Maximum torque immediately.

[Robert]

Another problem the sound system  

To make that exhaust sound.  

Locally we have many of the scooters around that only to 35 mph or some that may make 40. If they could use electric to get rid of these and have a higher top end that would be good otherwise, not worth it.

[Alien]

I'm with you there Serk.  I had a ride in my buddy's Tesla and that thing is STUPID fast.  My first thought was "Imagine this on a bike."

[F6Dave]

Like electric cars, electric motorcycles may make sense for rich commuters.  Nearly every electric car owner has another gasoline powered vehicle, so it's a bit of a luxury for people who can afford it.  And the range and charging issues make electric vehicles impractical for long trips.  Some evidence of that is all the Tesla charging stations I've seen at hotels in flyover country.  They're hardly ever used.

Actually an electric motorcycle makes sense since the battery pack doesn't need to be so massive.  I think a Tesla's batteries weigh over 1,000 pounds, so a good bit of its power is used to push the power source around.  A motorcycle's batteries also wouldn't need to provide heat and air conditioning, so more of the energy gets used where it's needed.  Li-Ion batteries lose 20-30% of their capacity in low temperatures, but that won't be a problem for all but a few riders.

[Valkorado]

Insant, outrageous and turbne like accelration and power.   Ya, if they could get the range and fueling issues ironed out, I'd be all in.  Range is a must.  Who wants to stop and deal with charging 10x a day?

[F6Dave]

A quick-change battery pack could solve the range issue.  It works great for power tools and could scale up to vehicles with the right equipment and infrastructure.  You'd also need standardization, like has been done with small propane tanks.

But the problem remains:  WHERE WILL WE GET ALL THAT ELECTRICITY?

[f6john]

I certainly have nothing against electric bikes as a concept but I won’t pay through the nose for one. I have zero experience with all electric cars but I have owned a hybrid Camry for 5 years now. It has a 2.2 liter gas engine and a electric motor that produces in the neighborhood of 100 extra horsepower. The battery pac for a hybrid isn’t nearly as large nor have the storage capacity of an all electric car.

In the instance of the Camry hybrid, here is what it brings to the table. Electric power steering, electric air conditioning, electric water pump, in fact no belts on the front of the engine. I haven’t reset the average fuel mileage display in several years and currently is sits at 34.5 mpg which includes 80-85 mph freeway running and a lot of stop and go city driving. The electric assist really shines in town along with the auto start and stop feature. Performance has been very satisfactory and merging and passing is no problem when the extra 100 horses kick in.

The most recent plus of having a hybrid has been all the recent doctors visits this year where either I or the wife have to wait in the car while the other goes in for the appointment. We can just park and leave the car on with the heat or air conditioning running, radio on, and charging the phone or IPad and the engine will cycle on and off as needed depending on the demands of the batteries, with no worries of overheating the engine.

So far the power train has performed flawlessly with only regular oil changes. So when the technology reaches the pinnacle of development I think an electric bike would be super cool.

[98valk]

Waste of time and effort. and the range problem - heck - I have that on my Valk NOW - and that's a vehicle I can fill up in a 10 minute stop. How long does it take to recharge bike batteries for this ?

That's a good question.  This is what I was able to find about charging the HD Livewire.

All-electric Range (battery size)   146 miles (15.5 kWh)
Level 1 Charging (120V)   12.5 hours
Level 2 Charging (240V)   12.5 hours
DC Fast Charging (CCS Combo connector)   80% in 40 minutes

those numbers are for the perfect design temp

[Moonshot_1]

A quick-change battery pack could solve the range issue.  It works great for power tools and could scale up to vehicles with the right equipment and infrastructure.  You'd also need standardization, like has been done with small propane tanks.

But the problem remains:  WHERE WILL WE GET ALL THAT ELECTRICITY?

From the bike itself.

Solar panels on the top, as the bikes move forward the dual windmills on the rear make electricity, then there is the 400 gallon water tank that spins a rotor to a generator for more power, and the canvas sail.

Totally self sufficient.

[Serk]

I couldn't figure out where to plug in the charger!

[Jess from VA]

I don't want one, so I don't think about them.

If I was younger and more bounce-proof, I think an electric skateboard might be fun.

But at my age, it is no substitute for the necessary exercise of old fashioned walking.

Maybe an electric cattle-prod, to motivate me to walk as often as I should.   

[hubcapsc]

Alaska to Texas in one day is pretty impressive.

I do my best 

-Mike

[hubcapsc]

Californians will be going out of state to buy "used cars"

They already have to jump through hoops to get their cars
inspected... that loophole will be closed I bet...

-Mike

[Oldfishguy]

For sure, the wave of the future for urban commuting.

Think young hip kids, they do not want our machines, they want their own.

Musk is pushing battery technology to a whole new level.

[MarkT]

I don't see electrics becoming widely accepted by all as their only vehicle w/o much improved range & charging time & technology & lower pricing.  Maybe good now as a 2nd car for the well-heeled - for local commutes, grocery runs etc. W/O much better tech specifically on the batteries there would need to be infrastructure nationwide with fuel stations that have quick battery swaps of standardized battery packs.  And that would call for all of them to have more employees - not likely they would expect Grandma (and others) to be able to swap a battery pack.  None of this taking trips, stopping a couple hundred miles in and waiting a long time for a charge.  Then there's the sourcing and disposal of high-tech metals and the batteries themselves.  And the electricity - Now the technology only changes the location of the pollution.  Some big hurdles - right now, too many problems.  But ya can't tell California that.

Musk is also monkeying with space tech.  Have you seen the satellite parade go over, he's responsible for?  I sit in the hot tub and watch the satellites go by.  All of a sudden I see a stream of around 35 all in a row about 15 seconds apart.  WTF.  Space pollution. Just nuts.

[cookiedough]

I would drive one, but not buy one.

My kids got a kick out of our electric stand up scooter going around the block half way thru our small town until the batteries died 1/2 mile from home and they had to walk/push it home dead battery.  

I gave it a go and with my weight it made it around ONLY 1 block vs. the kids 2-3 times around the same block on a full charge.  

I also think they are too dangerous look at all the celebrities who have them and got in wrecks lately and almost died since too fast for conditions with inexperienced cyclists.

[hubcapsc]

All of a sudden I see a stream of around 35 all in a row about 15 seconds apart.  WTF.  Space pollution. Just nuts.

After he gets them all up there (and there's other companies doing it  too  ) you
probably won't be able to see much more than the moon at night. First it was ugly
cell towers with blinking red lights on top. Soon it will be hundreds (thousands?) of
low-earth satellites filling the night sky. All for our communications signals.

-Mike

[Rams]

Waste of time and effort. and the range problem - heck - I have that on my Valk NOW - and that's a vehicle I can fill up in a 10 minute stop. How long does it take to recharge bike batteries for this ?

That's a good question.  This is what I was able to find about charging the HD Livewire.

All-electric Range (battery size)   146 miles (15.5 kWh)
Level 1 Charging (120V)   12.5 hours
Level 2 Charging (240V)   12.5 hours
DC Fast Charging (CCS Combo connector)   80% in 40 minutes

You have just described the biggest hurdle these bikes need to cross.   They might be ok to commute back and forth to work (within certain ranges) but would not fulfill the need for most Valkyrie riders.  Additionally, every battery that I know of can and do develop a memory and eventually only charge up so much. YMMV

Rams

[Wizzard]

If its to save the environment that is a joke. They all plug into an electric outlet powered by coal fired generators. Till they go nuclear its a joke.

[Rams]

I just returned from a trip (Hattiesburg, MS to Homer, MI and back with several stops along the way)  where I did a stop over in Indiana for the DRU.  Had I been on one of those electric bikes, that trip would have taken me about three weeks with all that recharging time.   Although I am retired, I really don't want to be restricted to 180 per day.

Rams

[Wizzard]

I just returned from a trip (Hattiesburg, MS to Homer, MI and back with several stops along the way)  where I did a stop over in Indiana for the DRU.  Had I been on one of those electric bikes, that trip would have taken me about three weeks with all that recharging time.   Although I am retired, I really don't want to be restricted to 180 per day.

Rams

Was great to see you there. 

[Rams]

I haven’t reset the average fuel mileage display in several years and currently is sits at 34.5 mpg which includes 80-85 mph freeway running and a lot of stop and go city driving.

OK John,
I have to ask, where in KY did you find a freeway with an 85 mph speed limit?   

Rams   

[DIGGER]

Just had a thought that made me chuckle......in California what are the Hells Angles gonna do in 2035 when they can't get a new loud obnoxious Harley?    Ha.    Just can't see a group of 1% ers going by absolutely SOUNDLESS!!

[Serk]

Just had a thought that made me chuckle......in California what are the Hells Angles gonna do in 2035 when they can't get a new loud obnoxious Harley?    Ha.    Just can't see a group of 1% ers going by absolutely SOUNDLESS!!

Hehe, that is funny.....

What'll they do?

-Move
-Buy used
-Install obnoxiously loud sound systems to blast the sounds of bikes gone by
-Break the law, I mean, kinda their thing anyway

[Patrick]

I like electric. It makes more sense for automotive/bike power than the fossil fuels we now use. They make al their power when the shaft isn't turning and less power as the shaft speeds up, just the opposite for an internal combustion monster. So they are great power plants for our stuff.

And the more I learn about electric golf carts the more I like them also.

But, as power for a motorbike. With that I'm torn. I guess I would be OK with it as long as I can still make Vrooommm, Vroooommm noises.

[Psychotic Bovine]

Here is an interesting online calculator.

https://www.calculateme.com/energy/gallons-of-gas/to-kilowatt-hours/

I put in 5 gallons for the gas.  That is equal to 167.05053 kWh.  Compare that to an electric bike with battery the size of a 5 gallon tank (roughly).

There will be a lot of catching up to do for electrics based on that.

Just my 2 cents.

But, I do like the idea of massive torque available at 0 rpm that electrics can do.

[Valkorado]

Here is an interesting online calculator.

https://www.calculateme.com/energy/gallons-of-gas/to-kilowatt-hours/

I put in 5 gallons for the gas.  That is equal to 167.05053 kWh.  Compare that to an electric bike with battery the size of a 5 gallon tank (roughly).

There will be a lot of catching up to do for electrics based on that.

Just my 2 cents.

But, I do like the idea of massive torque available at 0 rpm that electrics can do.

And that is the appeal for me!  The "green" aspect, not so much.  As others have noted, they are burning coal to produce most of that plug-in power!  Fault no such thing as clean and green.  Yet.

[98valk]

Here is an interesting online calculator.

https://www.calculateme.com/energy/gallons-of-gas/to-kilowatt-hours/

I put in 5 gallons for the gas.  That is equal to 167.05053 kWh.  Compare that to an electric bike with battery the size of a 5 gallon tank (roughly).

There will be a lot of catching up to do for electrics based on that.

Just my 2 cents.

But, I do like the idea of massive torque available at 0 rpm that electrics can do.

And that is the appeal for me!  The "green" aspect, not so much.  As others have noted, they are burning coal to produce most of that plug-in power!  Fault no such thing as clean and green.  Yet.

they are Planned Obsolescence vehicles, ALL electric vehicles are.  once the battery is dead will not accept anymore charges and actually as most know today a rechargeable battery is dead way before that when it comes to service time, one will have to buy a new vehicle. a new battery will not be available plus high hazardous waste disposal cost of the old battery.
the green movement is all about power and money for a select few.  how many millionaires were made with tax dollars that went to Solyndra?.

best most efficient tech is a diesel engine running a generator running electric drive wheels.

[Patrick]

Here is an interesting online calculator.

https://www.calculateme.com/energy/gallons-of-gas/to-kilowatt-hours/

I put in 5 gallons for the gas.  That is equal to 167.05053 kWh.  Compare that to an electric bike with battery the size of a 5 gallon tank (roughly).

There will be a lot of catching up to do for electrics based on that.

Just my 2 cents.

But, I do like the idea of massive torque available at 0 rpm that electrics can do.

And that is the appeal for me!  The "green" aspect, not so much.  As others have noted, they are burning coal to produce most of that plug-in power!  Fault no such thing as clean and green.  Yet.

they are Planned Obsolescence vehicles, ALL electric vehicles are.  once the battery is dead will not accept anymore charges and actually as most know today a rechargeable battery is dead way before that when it comes to service time, one will have to buy a new vehicle. a new battery will not be available plus high hazardous waste disposal cost of the old battery.
the green movement is all about power and money for a select few.  how many millionaires were made with tax dollars that went to Solyndra?.

best most efficient tech is a diesel engine running a generator running electric drive wheels.

A Cho-Cho train engine in a motorbike !?