Electric Boxer

The electric boxer concept from BMW.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...dster-electric-motorcycle-concept/1556551001/

And on YouTube
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C5DGU4CizKk

More likely the electric brick. The battery pack will be the brick and the motor a 5 lb coffee can.

I cannot wait, an electric motorcycle will be great. I'm in as soon as they conquere range and charge time.

I dunno...EV vehicles in general are evolving to the point where they are becoming more viable because range is continually improving, so range anxiety is less of an issue. Compared to where EV’s were 10 years ago, it would seem the technology is light years ahead in terms of where it was. Tesla now offers up to 300 miles of range in their cars and in motorcycle form the S and DS models from Zero Motorcycles can achieve a maximum range of 223 miles.

The advantages of having no oil changes to contend with and immediate 100% torque on hand with just the twist of the throttle all sound appealing. BUT...I just feel kinda....meh [emoji52]about EV’s. I find them interesting, but not exciting. They don’t have that visceral, soul stirring appeal to me. I like hearing the engine whine as I row through the gears and I enjoy the rumble/vibration of the engine beneath me. These are just some of the reasons why I connect with gasoline powered bikes as opposed to EV’s. I think EV’s just seem too sterile for me. Just get on, twist the throttle and go.

Probably the most appealing aspect of EV’s to me is the lack of maintenance involved. Aside from brake fluid, there are no other fluids to change, no valves to adjustment, etc, etc. That’s a plus in my book. Still....if I wanted to ride up to Lake Tahoe for example, straight through without having to stop for several hours, or possibly overnight to charge the battery, I could not do that on any of the EV’s currently on the market. Tahoe is roughly 400 miles from where I live and even with a range of 223 miles on a Zero, that range is based on ideal circumstances. Mountainous roads and heat are two things that zap the range on EV’s dramatically. So more than likely I might have to stop 3 or 4 times to fully charge each time just to make it to Tahoe. Factoring in the time needed to fully charge batteries and the whole idea just goes out the window because it’s just not feasible.

I never like to say never about the possibility of owning an EV bike, but for the meantime, I’m content to just sit on the sidelines and watch as the technology continues to evolve.

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I agree completely, until there are charging stations in any abundance EVs would be best in a urban environment. Even if they do increase the number of charging points,cities and the interstates would be the first. But for us motorcyclists who travel on secondary roads or in remote sections of Nevada where "no services for 150 miles " signs pop up the chance of running out of battery power is a interesting problem. How do you recharge an electric vehicle when you are flat in the middle of no where? Have AAA bring you a battery pack???

With their "i" cars, BMW use to let your rent a gas engine car for long trips (either free, or reduced rate IICR).

Ben Rich has been traveling quite a bit with his Zero - but you do have to change your traveling style.

jagarra said:

I agree completely, until there are charging stations in any abundance EVs would be best in a urban environment.

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This is why I like my Prius Prime plug-in hybrid so much. It is in EV mode almost all the time around town. I can make round trips to nearby (within 20 miles) towns and use mostly EV. On longer trips, like to Rochester, NY and back, I switch between EV mode and HV (hybrid) mode in such a way that I return to my house with the minimum of charge left in the "plug-in partition."

My current running mpg, for a bit more than 30K miles and a bit more than two years is a very respectable 93.8 mpg. And there is no range limitation since the car has a gasoline engine.

Harry

Batteries will continue to evolve. The next breakthrough will have charging down to 10 minutes. Tesla charging web is remarkable for its availability. If someone would just standardize the charge connection we be better off.

AKsuited said:

This is why I like my Prius Prime plug-in hybrid so much. It is in EV mode almost all the time around town. I can make round trips to nearby (within 20 miles) towns and use mostly EV. On longer trips, like to Rochester, NY and back, I switch between EV mode and HV (hybrid) mode in such a way that I return to my house with the minimum of charge left in the "plug-in partition."

My current running mpg, for a bit more than 30K miles and a bit more than two years is a very respectable 93.8 mpg. And there is no range limitation since the car has a gasoline engine.

Harry

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Agreed. The hybrid option seems to be the best alternative at the moment, until the battery technology improves. They’ve been making steady gains up to this point, but I think they’re needing a technology breakthrough that takes battery range and reducing charging times to that next level. I’m sure it will eventually get there. Either that or a new technology will develop and our bikes will be powered by Plutonium. [emoji6]


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Zero Motorcycle all electric placed 5th in the heavyweight division at Pikes Peak yesterday.

Electric is the future, like it or not.

While people vilify HD for being so behind in technology, they will be the first large MC manufacturer to offer an electric bike to the public.

scqtt said:

Electric is the future, like it or not.

While people vilify HD for being so behind in technology, they will be the first large MC manufacturer to offer an electric bike to the public.

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Depends on what you mean by "large MC manufacturer" and "electric bike" -- both BMW and Vespa have actual electric bikes on pavement...

Electric cars and trucks will be the norm pretty fast. They have the space for battery storage and the ability to make them as streamlined as needed to help with efficiency. Electric MCs, on the other hand, are aerodynamic disasters, as a rule. We also don't have a lot of space for battery size. A sidecar outfit or a trike can be made more wind friendly, but our beloved two wheelers will be. along time before electric makes sense.

Yes, over time, there will be battery technologies that will make them viable, but for our tiny little market, it's still pretty far off for the general purpose motorcycle. 10 years+ for reasonable viability seems about right for MCs, in my very, very humble opinion. Around town or on dirt? today works, as long as you can trailer the dirt bike and you watch your range.

my opinion is worth every penny you paid for it.

It's coming very fast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b3ttqYDwF0

First, electric vehicles are not new. While the current technology is new, the first electric vehicles can trace their origin to as early as 1884 in Europe and 1891 in the U.S.

And second nobody seems to want to address the hidden danger of battery powered vehicles. Leaving all the good for the environment arguments, etc., aside, electric batteries can present a very real and deadly danger when on fire or over heating. A prime example recently occurred, where a battery mishap took the lives of several Russian submariners in a diving mishap. And use of batteries in submarines have a very long history.

Tesla itself has a section concerning vehicle fires. It covers "Battery fires can take up to 24 hours to fully extinguish. Consider allowing the vehicle to burn, while protecting exposures". And the use of full PPE, including SCBA's to protect fire fighters from the toxic vapors released by a burning battery. Old batteries are also considered HAZMAT and require special disposal procedures. Which makes even a minor traffic collision concerning any type of fire in an electric vehicle a potential HAZMAT incident.

While electric vehicles have an up-side, they also have a deadly dark side concerning current battery technology that needs to be addressed by the manufacturers.

r184 said:

Leaving all the good for the environment arguments, etc., aside, electric batteries can present a very real and deadly danger when on fire or over heating.

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True, but keep in mind how flammable gasoline is which of course also presents serious risks of fire and explosion.

I'm all in favor of hybrid vehicles, especially plug-in hybrids, but will be the first to admit all-electric vehicles are too limited for me to buy one. Even with better batteries, there is charge time, unless they come up with a scheme for swapping batteries, which does not appear practical any time soon.