Electric bikes & The future

[-Matt-]

I'm sure a lot of people have already seen the prototype electric bikes being used in the TT etc.

The other day i was going through town at a slow steady pace in traffic and heard a whirring sound to my side, after a while i glanced across expecting to see an eco-bus, but no - it was a scooter...

As this contraption accelerated away, so did its whirring, like something out of star trek

Considering the EU and its grubby hands already being over so many laws, and the future of the planet and so forth , should most bikes become electric in a couple of decades, if you are/may still be riding what would you think about getting one.

Would price be a big factor, not just in the purchase cost of a 'new' bike but in fuel savings.

Would the sound be a problem.

Or would you insist on riding you're fume-spewing environment destroying death-machine into the horizon

Poll attached

[Sload]

Why not? Assuming we make it that far without imploding, a bike that was more efficient and smarter to use without the drawbacks of the present technology, what is not to like? Some non existent self imposed desire and attachment to an old technology based on soul, feeling and sound? More like a sales pitch swallowed whole by enthusiasts.
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Honda Varadero >> Triumph Speed Four >> Honda CBR1100xx

[Derivative]

Er, it'd be like choosing between a V twin and an IL4 for me. Or chain and shaft drive, or something like that.

Specifically, I wouldn't give a toss. Judge the bike on its' merits.

[Rogue_Shadow]

Weight, acceleration, range & recharge speed.

Deal with those and I'd consider it

[Blau Zedong]

Would rather get the bus, but each to their own.
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18:54:48 Rob Fzs: jews don't give away stuff for free

18:54:59 Rob Fzs: unless its their clothes/ hair/ golden teeth

[TheSmiler]

[Lord Percy]

Nuclear power + electric everything = healthy planet

Ok maybe not, but imagine walking next to a busy road, or through one of the few famed smog-ridden cities of the world, and just breathing fresh air. That's the ideal I have in my head. Would be pretty good, methinks!

[Knightsy]

I was always wondering: Why electric and not hydrogen?
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09' Versys 650 | 07' FJR1300A

[Ste]

With lithium polymer batteries, an electric bike could be very fast!

[Rogerborg]

Only if I could remove the baffles, innit.

Maybe in a decade, once the slap fights over charging and common battery packs have started to shake out.
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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

[MarkJ]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRrKhFAlaRw

Want

[Shinigami]

range, recharge speed and cost are the main factors for me, nothing fits into these as of yet, they're generally very expensive, short range and take around 8 hours to charge
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Current: Honda City Fly CLR125 2003 Honda CB600F Hornet 2008 Yamaha FZ6 S2 + 1991 Kawasaki GPZ500
"Once you realize what a joke everything is, being the Comedian is the only thing that makes sense.

[The Shaggy D.A.]

80mph cruising, 150+ mile range, 5 minute recharge/decent battery swap network. Sort that, I'll have one.
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Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[goto10]

[stevo as b4]

Price is king! make them cheaper than a decent sportsbike, and yeah I'd have one. 100mile range, 85mph top speed and a 3hour re-charge time would be enough for me. I wouldn't have one conforming to the above as an only vehicle or only bike, but hell apart from price and charge time they are not too far away from worth having already!

[-Matt-]

Double post...

[-Matt-]

Suprised more people haven't been concerned about the lack of motorbike sounds

Would be strange hearing whirring instead of revving

Then of course theres the loud-pipes-save-lives brigade

[Derivative]

[-Matt-]

True, sound a bit like riding on a ships mast then

[cretin box]

Lighter weight would seem to make an electric bike a more sensible proposition than an electric car, plus the fact that people tend to use them for shorter journeys so range is less than an issue.

I used to know a guy who had one, he had a 20 mile commute up NSL A-roads and permission to plug it in at work. It cost quite a lot of money to buy, but with that done it had essentially zero running costs, which is VERY attractive indeed. This was before I was interested in bikes and I've since lost touch with him so no more detail I'm afraid... I know he had to do some sort of grown-up licence to ride it, so maybe it was legally equivalent to 33bhp?

He did enjoy biking as well as wanting the economy, and he was really happy with it.

[-Matt-]

Would be interesting to know some charging units to get a rough idea of charge-costs on current sport style models vs scooter models for example.

Also would be very interesting to see a 'manufacturer' service chart for an electric bike to compare to that of a petrol, as obviously minus oil and a lot of other fuel-driven bike jobs, but i'm sure there must still be some other mechanics at work even on electric bikes that requires some sort of maintenance.

Hopefully not all purely electrical or would remove the fun of servicing for many i imagine

[Tungtvann]

Very much doubt it, it doesn't suit my kind of riding. If I were an inner city commuter, and it could get me to and from work each day and be more efficient and cheaper, than yes.

An electric bike would not be able to keep up with me, I tend to ride for pleasure, a couple of hours and sometimes hundreds of miles at a time. As far as I know, no electric vehicle would be suitable.

[-Matt-]

https://www.bitrebels.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Real-Electrical-Tron-Light-Cycle-1.jpg

[Ste]

Electric rc car has 10 bhp, it weighs 10kg, goes 60mph and the battery lasts for about 25 minutes.

Scale that up 10 or 20 times and you would have something that is fast enough to be useful!!

[-Matt-]

I agree speed/performance isn't something that concerns me [given a bit of time of course], i mean they're competeing in the TT at silly speeds already it won't take long to make that technology more available and cheaper.

I wouldn't personally be suprised if electric bikes become a 'norm' before electric cars to be honest.