| Author | Message | ||
     Electraglider_1997 |
100 ft-lbs of torque and 150 mph with 150 mile range. http://www.gizmag.com/mission-one-unveils-150mph-e lectric-sportbike/10909/ Make an all electric Buell with these specs and there'd be no complaints of heat on the legs or lack of power. Harley and Buell had better be looking ahead at what the future competition for sales is going to look like and that includes all electric bikes. No oil changes or gear shifting and for most of my riding this would certainly fit for me. Naturally I would never pay 50 g's for a bike or even 1/2 of that but the price will come down and quick I bet. | ||
| Prowler |
Someday in the far distant future (hopefully not in my lifetime), they'll be able to sell me one of those things when they can pry my cold dead fingers from my 5 gallon gas can (being in engine design/building for much of my design career, the thought of electric motors for transportation is a sad thing) I love internal combustion things in any form (land, sea and air). Batteries are for flashlights....... | ||
| Froggy |
I am in the design phase of an electric X1. I had to scrap my original plan of a Hydrogen Buell because some punks beat me. Both are already posted on the quick board. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Prowler, I'm sure the same thing was said by folks at the end of the 19th century when the ICE began replacing the horse. | ||
| Prowler |
EG, I still like horses, too. One thing you can say about horses and ICE is they (at least the ones I like) have soul and personality (well, except most Hondas/Toyotas). Nothing more bland than the whirring of an electric motor. I enjoy operating fast/fun (and sometimes loud) cars, boats, airplanes and motorcycles. As you view cars as transportation only, I understand your viewpoint regarding electric cars and bikes. I'm just glad I don't share it. Many of the most enjoyable things I've done over the years have involved the power of an IC engine. Wouldn't trade those experiences for all the electric motors in China.............. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
I drive a Prius and I just love it when the car is only under electric motor propulsion, stealth mode. | ||
| Froggy |
Your prius isn't equipped with the engine noise simulator yet? Blind people will hate you. | ||
| Jameslaugesen |
Prowler, an electric vehicle can have soul and personality... only comes down to how we connect with it, it is all in our head after all. In the same respect; non-car/bike type people can't understand how someone like us can say a mechanical device has "soul and personality". Electronics still have plenty of fun quirks to keep the soul alive. Being an electrical & software engineer, I'm damn excited about having a big electric motor & computers to tinker with  Will future-badweb see posts like "Rewinding armature with thicker gauge copper for more torque?", bahaha, awesome. | ||
| Prowler |
Gawd, I hope not....I'd have to defect over to the V-Strom Forum..........  ......... | ||
| Skyclad |
My single biggest concern for electric power is range. Or more precisely, what does one do when they get to the end of said range? With the good old ICE, you stop at a gas station and refuel. Takes 10-15 minutes, if you are taking your time. How long does it take to recharge batteries, assuming you can find a place willing to let you do so? Of course, one can assume that as electrics become more popular, the where to recharge issue will not be a big deal. For regular commuting, electrics are great. For riding, the way that most Uly riders seem to look at it, electrics are not the way to go. Besides that, there would have to be a second motor in place to power the shaker.  | ||
| Atoms |
For a near-term solution to the range problem there is an company working on developing a network of battery swapping stations. You see your charge is about gone so you pull into a swapping station and swap your dead or nearly dead battery for a fully charged one. Initially these would be at gas stations. Sounds like a giant PITA to me, but I do have to give them credit for a getting behind a novel solution. http://www.betterplace.com/our-bold-plan/how-it-wo rks/ Most of what I love about motorcycling is motion - I love acceleration and the high torque of an electric can provide that in spades. But I also love the particular thump and sound of a twin V combustion engine. Hopefully enough cages and trucks will make the switch to other kinds of energy to make it possible for us to keep our Ulys running on gasoline. | ||
| Froggy |
At least till Obama #2 comes in to power 20 years from now and bans gasoline  | ||
| Ulyranger |
No interest, at all. Where the hell am I going to plug the thing in??? It might be interesting for city/suburban dwellers, but for where I ride it would be useless. | ||
| Froggy |
Charge at home, at work, at the mall, and then you use the hydrogen based generator for extended trips. | ||
| Ulyranger |
Could charge at home, no problem. I work in the woods, last time I checked there weren't any outlets in my oak trees. Don't go to the "mall" much but even if I did who is going to let me steal electrons? Just stroll into the store trailing a 200' extension cord, "mind if I plug this in for an hour or so?". Electric sounds awesome until you think about where the replacement power is coming from. | ||
| Froggy |
There will be 220v outlets right at the parking spot. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Electric doesn't have to be for everyone but I want one. Buells aren't everyone's favorite but I sure like mine. The point is that electric vehicles are coming whether some are not enamored with the idea or not. It would be a shame if Harley and Buell end up like GM playing catch-up to the Japanese or whoever. Nobody likes having to fill their tanks at whatever the cost be it high or low, they just have to given that we drive ICE propelled vehicles. | ||
| Skinstains |
I kinda like burning all that irreplaceable fossil fuell. How many dinosaurs were there anyway. Shouldn't we be out soon ??? | ||
| Froggy |
GM playing catchup to the Japanese? Wow you got it wrong. Porsche had hybrid cars well over a hundred years ago. In 1969 GM had a prototype hybrid car that never went into production due to the costs. In the late 70's GM spent millions doing R&D that would later end up in the EV1. The EV1 hit the road long before the Prius and Rav4 EV did. Both the EV1 and Rav4 failed miserably, and the Prius only lived because of the cash the Japanese government kept dumping into the program. The Chevy Volt (EV2) will be available this fall, and makes the Prius look like the dinosaur it is. | ||
| Carbonbigfoot |
A battery is a means to store and transport energy. Hydrogen is a means to store and transport energy. You can "fill up" much more simply with Hydrogen than you can a battery. Hydrogen will be the next step. Maybe Hydrogen/Hybrid electric, but if anything replaces petroleum, it will be Hydrogen. <my> R | ||
| Mnrider |
With all the hybrid sedans coming out the batteries and electronics will get smaller. The electric motor adds power to gas engine for more horsepower.120 HP and 100 mpg Uly anyone.It could happen. | ||
| Ronmold |
Screw batteries, I want NUKE power! And you thought the V-twin warmed your leg.... | ||
| Crackhead |
i want to see buells design for a Hydrogen bike. I bet it looks like a cf bottle with the triple tree and swing arm attached. The motor would be in the outside of the hub.the rider would be the heaviest part of the bike. Talk about mass centerilization. | ||
| Ulyranger |
I want Dr. Brown's Flux Capacitor. I want to be able to drop my refuse in the "tank" and go............. Seriously though, I am far from opposed to alternative energy propositions. Even when it comes to propelling my tools and toys. I am NOT enamored with the plug in the wall/battery powered "alternatives". Backward thinking IMHO. Almost half of U.S. power production is derived from Coal, how is that getting away from using fossil fuels? Hydrogen based power is cool if they can figure out packaging it for multiple applications and safe/mass refueling. I'm sure there are other technologies coming that will be even better. | ||
| Froggy |
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| Edgydrifter |
Hydrogen production requires a lot of energy input, as does the compression or liquefaction of that hydrogen for storage and transport. None of this is done at 100% efficiency, of course. Just like straight-up electric applications--using the power doesn't pollute, but producing the power does. That, plus the total absence of practical distribution networks makes me pessimistic about hydrogen, at least in the short term. Electric vehicles may not have fast-recharging options (yet), but everyone has access to an outlet and that makes for an easy interim solution. |
