Zero release police bike range

[Sable]

https://www.gizmag.com/zero-2013-police-security-electric-motorcycles/26280/

[Polarbear]

I find it surprising that city riding distance is so much better than motorway riding. I would have thought the stop start riding would still use more power per mile than continuous smooth open road riding.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Rogerborg]

Decent regenerative braking will get you some of that energy back.

These might make sense for plodforce, especially if they can use money from some ecobudget to subsidise them. Resale value will be an issue, i.e. they're unlikely to have any.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[map]

Looking at the pictures probably intended for use in California.
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...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
Gibbs, what did Duckie look like when he was younger?

[Rogerborg]

Sounds likely, they love greenwashing there.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[G]

Have a look at the power needed to do 30mph - around 3hp.
To do 60mph that bumps up to around maybe 9hp?

Electric engines are a lot more efficient than petrol in 'start stop' due to the 'stop' not being an issue of course.

Low distance in-town stuff is exactly where electric bikes do make sense.

[haroman666]

[Sable]

GAAAAH! I want to like Brammo but the shape of their bikes makes my eyes bleed and stomach cry.

[Nick 50]

[haroman666]

[G]

The motors can be quite small; compared to an ICE they are very simple things generally.

However, they tend to have heat issues developing high peak power for extended periods - that's usually not a big issue as generally the batteries won't last that long anyway.
Not sure if they're doing water cooled varieties, but if they can sort out power supply issues, expect it may well end up going that way - or at least oil cooled.

Also consider that the electronics required tend to be a bit chunkier.

[fatboyaquila]

nice bikes but a bit pricey imho. similar problem with most electric cars too but through time hopefully we will see more affordable prices as these hopefully catch on.
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live each day as if it were your last!

[G]

The limiting factor is battery technology and that's something that is far from unique to road vehicles.

[fatboyaquila]

true and i believe that was a point well proven in a recent top gear program, which also highlighted another problem, the lack of suitable charging points.
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live each day as if it were your last!

[haroman666]

Number of charging points isn't necessarily the issue. It's charge time... Sure charge it over-night for the next day. But people dont want to be restricted to X amount of miles and then have to wait 4 hours or more to get the same range over again.

Charge time of electric vs refuel time of an IC engine... No competition really.

I believe this is a reason why charge points haven't been implemented in large numbers yet.
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The mistresses: 2000 Honda CBR600f, 2000 Honda VTR1000

[goto10]

[Rogerborg]

In some ecomental places like Californay and the Whitelee Wind Farm, parking spaces are available with free charging points so that you can charge while you work/recreate/learn where your tax money is going.

Super, great, smashing, but there's a couple of issues with that.

#1 To keep them free for the ecomobiles, they have to be denied to other vehicles.
#2 If you're relying on charging up your ecomobile in order to get home, and some other yoghurt knitter swipes the space, then you're pretty much shafted.

Bit more thought required on that one.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[L4Isoside]

I take it a hybrid bike with a small ICE engine for the battery charging is dumb idea?

I mean, at least it could kick in and provide an extra how ever many miles, plus you could just fill that up at a petrol station to get you home and charge it at night or what ever.

[G]

[goto10]

[Sable]

[G]

Haven't seen anyone on here, but wouldn't be surprised if it was done - I've certainly mooted similar stuff in the past. C90 makes sense for a town bike as you get decent mpg and it's got a space ready to put the batteries, as well as having skinny wheels already.

[Sable]

Top Gear is always going to present contrived trash in line with what the public are currently thinking, they want to stay popular. I still watch it every week and find it hugely entertaining. Just not at all factual If your genuinely interested in electric vehicles, try watching Fully Charged :

https://www.youtube.com/user/fullychargedshow

Long running series of 10 minute shorts by Robert Lewelyn on electric vehicles. He does try to clear up a lot of facts about electric cars, but he is the polar opposite of Top Gear and is very very pro electric car. Some of his most interesting episodes are some of the interviews. Loved the one where they put the Tesla from London to Edinburgh in a day. He does also cover a lot of how the batteries work (yeah I know, snooze to a lot of you! I am interested though! ^^ ).

Watch some of them and aim for an opinion that is about 25% Top Gear / 75% Fully Charged. That's a roughly balanced opinion

[G]

[Vracktal]