RandyBailey
New member
Got this from Mike @ IBA...
On September 16, 2014, Terry Hershner's Vetter streamlined electric Zero motorcycle completed 1,047 miles in 22 hours 57 minutes using a claimed 287 mpge (or miles per gallon equivalent - but more about that later). You might recall that in 2013, Terry had ridden coast to coast on an earlier version of this motorcycle in 135 hours - its been a busy year of steady improvements to both the drive train, charging system and stream lining to get him to attempt a 1,000 mile day.
The original Iron Butt Rally was started on the foundation of a mix of insanity and some bravado to tackle the age old question, could-it-be-done? Whether you agree with electrics being a part of the future of transportation or not, Terry has stepped up and even at this early stage of development, put the answer on the table, an electric 1,000 mile day, check!
Interestingly enough, with streamlining, his Zero really flies (even correcting for the usually optimistic speedometer he's moving), take a look at this time lapse video:
http://youtu.be/PRvFxehwe8E
for one of the more detailed (totally pro-electric) articles, visit:
http://www.greencarreports.com/news...-award-for-electric-motorcycle-terry-hershner
this article also has a table of all his stops and charge times on page 3.
For a spirited, and heated debate once you reach page 5, on the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vs Terry's all-electric ride, visit ADVrider at:
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1010424
There is wide debate on the efficiency of electric vehicles, the so called mpge. According to reports, Terrys ride took the equivalent of 3.7 gallons of gasoline or 287 mpg.
Our tech guru, Tom Austin reminds us (quoted from LDrider - the Long Distance Riders list) those e-number claims are exaggerated as they do not count for the production of the electricity:
A gallon of gasoline (without ethanol) contains about 113,000 BTUs of energy. Since there are 3,412 BTUs per kilowatt-hour (kWh), that's equivalent to 33.1 kWh. Although electric vehicle advocates love to use this factor to calculate the "equivalent gallons of gasoline" associated with the amount of electrical energy used to charge a vehicle, the calculation ignores the fact that there are inefficiencies associated with producing the electricity. Assuming a gasoline-powered generator is used to produce the electricity, the efficiency is, at best, about 33%. By ignoring this fact, the claimed "gasoline-equivalent miles per gallon" for an electric vehicle is increased by a factor of three. It's a dishonest way to exaggerate the energy efficiency of electric vehicles.
Whether Terry got 287 mpge or 94 mpge, he's the first to do it on battery power, no one can debate that. In 100 years, he might be the George Wyman* of his time, or merely a footnote in the history books of an insane person on a fools errand. Either way, he is now IBA member 60,050.
Mike
* George Wyman is recognized as the first person to ride a motorized vehicle across the continental United States. His 1903 epic journey was made on a 1902 California 90cc motorcycle designed by Roy Marks. Starting in San Francisco on May 16th Wyman took 50 days, riding over unimproved roads, wagon trails and along the bed railroad tracks, crossing mountain ranges, deserts and prairies to reach New York City on July 6th. The World's Toughest Motorcycle Rider, circa 1903
On September 16, 2014, Terry Hershner's Vetter streamlined electric Zero motorcycle completed 1,047 miles in 22 hours 57 minutes using a claimed 287 mpge (or miles per gallon equivalent - but more about that later). You might recall that in 2013, Terry had ridden coast to coast on an earlier version of this motorcycle in 135 hours - its been a busy year of steady improvements to both the drive train, charging system and stream lining to get him to attempt a 1,000 mile day.
The original Iron Butt Rally was started on the foundation of a mix of insanity and some bravado to tackle the age old question, could-it-be-done? Whether you agree with electrics being a part of the future of transportation or not, Terry has stepped up and even at this early stage of development, put the answer on the table, an electric 1,000 mile day, check!
Interestingly enough, with streamlining, his Zero really flies (even correcting for the usually optimistic speedometer he's moving), take a look at this time lapse video:
http://youtu.be/PRvFxehwe8E
for one of the more detailed (totally pro-electric) articles, visit:
http://www.greencarreports.com/news...-award-for-electric-motorcycle-terry-hershner
this article also has a table of all his stops and charge times on page 3.
For a spirited, and heated debate once you reach page 5, on the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vs Terry's all-electric ride, visit ADVrider at:
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1010424
There is wide debate on the efficiency of electric vehicles, the so called mpge. According to reports, Terrys ride took the equivalent of 3.7 gallons of gasoline or 287 mpg.
Our tech guru, Tom Austin reminds us (quoted from LDrider - the Long Distance Riders list) those e-number claims are exaggerated as they do not count for the production of the electricity:
A gallon of gasoline (without ethanol) contains about 113,000 BTUs of energy. Since there are 3,412 BTUs per kilowatt-hour (kWh), that's equivalent to 33.1 kWh. Although electric vehicle advocates love to use this factor to calculate the "equivalent gallons of gasoline" associated with the amount of electrical energy used to charge a vehicle, the calculation ignores the fact that there are inefficiencies associated with producing the electricity. Assuming a gasoline-powered generator is used to produce the electricity, the efficiency is, at best, about 33%. By ignoring this fact, the claimed "gasoline-equivalent miles per gallon" for an electric vehicle is increased by a factor of three. It's a dishonest way to exaggerate the energy efficiency of electric vehicles.
Whether Terry got 287 mpge or 94 mpge, he's the first to do it on battery power, no one can debate that. In 100 years, he might be the George Wyman* of his time, or merely a footnote in the history books of an insane person on a fools errand. Either way, he is now IBA member 60,050.
Mike
* George Wyman is recognized as the first person to ride a motorized vehicle across the continental United States. His 1903 epic journey was made on a 1902 California 90cc motorcycle designed by Roy Marks. Starting in San Francisco on May 16th Wyman took 50 days, riding over unimproved roads, wagon trails and along the bed railroad tracks, crossing mountain ranges, deserts and prairies to reach New York City on July 6th. The World's Toughest Motorcycle Rider, circa 1903
