Electric Motos ?

[AngryScientist]

Anyone own one yet?

Just saw this article pop up and the bike looks pretty good on paper and the weight is not outrageous.

I bet we will be seeing lots more of these pop up soon. If I still had a commute, I think an electric moto would make a ton of sense. For the dirtbagging around road tripper, I dont think we're there yet.

https://expeditionportal.com/zero-em...t-performance/

[72gmc]

I've now seen more than 1 Zero parked in South Lake Union, presumably commuters.

[PaMtbRider]

Livewire, Harley's electric bike was listed on the NYSE today as a stand alone company. The motor company definitely thinks there is a future and is still a major share holder in the Livewire brand. I've yet to see one out on the road.

I think a better, brighter future is in the off road, dirt bike market. The typically shorter ride time at lower speeds seems a better fit. The benefit of a silent running bike is also an advantage. In suburban areas, noise is often cited as a detractor to allowing dirt bike access to land use.

[Saab2000]

Livewire, Harley's electric bike was listed on the NYSE today as a stand alone company. The motor company definitely thinks there is a future and is still a major share holder in the Livewire brand. I've yet to see one out on the road.

I think a better, brighter future is in the off road, dirt bike market. The typically shorter ride time at lower speeds seems a better fit. The benefit of a silent running bike is also an advantage. In suburban areas, noise is often cited as a detractor to allowing dirt bike access to land use.

I watched an annual mountain bike race in Switzerland a couple times over a several year period and in this race they had a pace moto and it was electric. It was nearly silent and a complete non factor except to signify the position of the lead riders. The lack of noise was truly a pleasant experience.

I have no idea what brand this was or anything about it but it looked like a normal off-road moto but with motors and a battery instead of an engine.

I’m not a motorcycle rider but this does seem like a great application for electrification.

[72gmc]

There are at least a couple of YT videos with POV tests of electric motos. One I watched was an attempt to run a hare scramble. The charge only lasted for a few stages, but it was definitely competitive with the field of standard four strokes.

[SlowPokePete]

I'm partial to this old bike.

September 27, 2022 by SPP™ SlowPokePete, on Flickr

SPP

[AngryScientist]

The benefit of a silent running bike is also an advantage. In suburban areas, noise is often cited as a detractor to allowing dirt bike access to land use.

One thing is for sure: there will much rejoicing in my book once landscapers swap to e-mowers and leaf blowers. Good god is it annoying when the neighbors landscapers are out using power equipment for hours on end. Probably not happen in the next decade+ but silent landscaping equipment will be a god send.

[Tom]

I got one of those electric lawnmowers and thought it was cool when I couldn't hear it above the neighbors across the street's lawn service's machines. I was pushing it around, they were 200 or more feet away.

[sk_tle]

I once tried out an offroad electric KTM, very fun and quiet.

There are a lot of electric moped in the wild, we have some shared ones I rent to go back to where I parked my motorbike the day before, had too many drinks and came.home by bus or taxi. Most are aliexpress crap to be honest with slippery garden hose tires.

I have been considering replacing my 300cc scooter with an electric motorbike but the zeros are currently out of my league financially. The Volta is much more affordable but range is quite small, not sure I could charge it wherever I want and fast enough:



Other problem is my bike is staying outside so I have no way to charge it except on public chargers. I have been considering the Silence/Seat Mó which has the advantage of allowing me to remove the battery and roll it inside. But it would only cover my short trips and its top.speed is limited to 100kph that kind of forces you to stay behind the big trucks in the highway. And I think it cannot deal with that speed under a long period. And it is still a toilet seat on wheels, which is fine for grocery shopping but less on the road:




Bottom line I want a motorbike that handle and has the range and fast charging capability of a zero with extractible batteries like the Silence and not more expensive than a Volta. Sounds like I am looking for a unicorn.

[Mark Kelly]

Other problem is my bike is staying outside so I have no way to charge it except on public chargers.

I suppose that means you live in an apartment?

My wife just bought a new EV but we deliberately built our house without a garage so the EV will have to live, and be charged, outside.

We are installing a MyEnergi Zappi 2 which comes with a weatherproof enclosure and a clever system that allows us to prioritise using only the house solar to charge the EV. When Australia gets its act together it will also do vehicle to grid so the EV can act as a domestic storage battery.

[j44ke]

UCI track events periodically use an electric derny for keirin. Makes total sense - no fumes and I am betting the acceleration is smoother too. Given a bit of software work, you could probably set the derny to reach to X speed over Y distance so the driver "released" the riders at nearly the same speed each time.

Not as glamorous or romantic as Walter "The Beast" Huybrechts throwing a leg over his chuffing derny for another go, but there you are.

[sk_tle]

I suppose that means you live in an apartment?

Yes. There are people already charging their EV cars using a long powercord on the sidewalk but this is a nuisance for people on a wheelchair or elders using walking aids.

[72gmc]

^^^ at this point in the development of electric motos, utility makes a lot more sense to me than performance. Cake etc are making product that’s not “how it’s supposed to look” from a cool motos sense but quite smart in many ways. I also think utility is where swappable batteries will take off. I agree with the Revzilla gang that widely swappable batteries will make a big difference.

[j44ke]

^^^ at this point in the development of electric motos, utility makes a lot more sense to me than performance. Cake etc are making product that’s not “how it’s supposed to look” from a cool motos sense but quite smart in many ways. I also think utility is where swappable batteries will take off. I agree with the Revzilla gang that widely swappable batteries will make a big difference.

I did not notice this electric BMW last time I was in Paris. There are quite a few now. BMW CE 04. Low center of gravity. Storage compartments. Appears to seat a family of 4 but probably not recommended. I'd say they are kind of ugly cool.

Paris charges combustion engine motos and scooters for parking, but electric ones park for free.

[72gmc]

That CE04 got the Daily Rider treatment:



I kind of like it. Long, weird in its way, but overall pretty well done for its intended purpose.

[j44ke]

That CE04 got the Daily Rider treatment:

...

I kind of like it. Long, weird in its way, but overall pretty well done for its intended purpose.

Interesting that the long design was the result of the battery used. I guess most battery-powered devices probably have that issue to solve.

[sk_tle]

What I don't understand is why it is sold with such a minimalistic windshield. I mean I understand some people may like it like that, but their option for a "high windshield" doesn't even go higher than the mirrors. Same for the saddle that is just so low. There is just a lack of options / accessories, at least for now. If I only want to use it in the city there are just a myriad of less expensive e-mopeds whose performance is just enough. If I want it for the road a Zero seems more interesting.

It looks more like an expensive futuristic looking toy than a real valid proposition right now.

[j44ke]

What I don't understand is why it is sold with such a minimalistic windshield. I mean I understand some people may like it like that, but their option for a "high windshield" doesn't even go higher than the mirrors. Same for the saddle that is just so low. There is just a lack of options / accessories, at least for now. If I only want to use it in the city there are just a myriad of less expensive e-mopeds whose performance is just enough. If I want it for the road a Zero seems more interesting.

It looks more like an expensive futuristic looking toy than a real valid proposition right now.

They are very popular in Paris. I see several every day. The position seems to me a lot like riding a Harley that's been chopped and stretched. The handlebars are quite high compared to the seat height. Maybe that's why the windshield is so small? Seems like the tinted one just decreases the glare on the LCD with driving info. But they sprint between lights. Really fast and almost totally silent. Hard to tell if the sound it makes isn't just the wind going over the body.

[sk_tle]

They are very popular in Paris. I see several every day. The position seems to me a lot like riding a Harley that's been chopped and stretched. The handlebars are quite high compared to the seat height. Maybe that's why the windshield is so small? Seems like the tinted one just decreases the glare on the LCD with driving info. But they sprint between lights. Really fast and almost totally silent. Hard to tell if the sound it makes isn't just the wind going over the body.

They are likely to appeal the t-max riders, thanksfully without the annoying noise.

At speed superior to 50kph, the sound of the tires rolling on the road makes for most of the vehicule's sound. Electric vehicles also ted to have a winding sound from the motor and transmission. It is probably a combination of this + aero.

[72gmc]

I wonder if BMW has a larger windshield as an accessory. They certainly have larger windshields in inventory. Accessory sales seem to be a big part of the model these days.