Any electric motorcycles?

 Real ones.  Not the $200 toys.  Something that could be used as real daily
transportation by meeting such criteria as:
-have a top speed of 80-90mph
-be able to cruise at 70mph+ for 50+ miles with a 200# person
-be "full size" bike (ie not a scooter)
-be able to be titled for road use in all 50 US states

I've seen small electric sport bikes for sale in California that can be road
legal.  They're just converted little Derbi 50cc gas bikes though and carry
a $7500 (USD) price tag.  I'm talking about a "real" bike, something sized
similar to a SV650 or GS500 of other half liter bikes.

Surely somebody has to be doing it.  I've talked to some folks in the
electric car and bicycle realm and they say the technology is there.

Anybody seen such a thing?

 dfwvoid@yahoo.com wrote:

Well, they're wrong, in the sense that the technology may exist (although
I doubt it is practically available at any price) but it's certainly not
going to be affordable if it is available.


No.  You're unlikely to see such a vehicle anytime soon.  It's all about
energy density, in both joules/kg and joules/m^3.  No matter how efficient
the drivetrain is, the constraint you've put on range and performance mean
it's not going to happen without spending the price of a nice house on an
exotic storage battery.

What do electric vehicle proponents have agaoinst liquid fuels, anyway?
They're incredibly energy-dense and can be made as clean burning as you
like, with far less faffing around than carrying bulky and heavy storage
batteries.  Plus of course the oxygen for the combustion is 'free' and is
everywhere you'd ever want to go...

--
'01 SV650S  '99 EX250-F13  '98 ZG1000-A13  '81 CM400T
OMF #7

 Mark Olson wrote:


How about a conventional gasoline motor + generator/alternator
+ electric motor at the rear hub + regulator - transmission
+ heavy cable - chain/shaft/belt?

I believe some diesel locomotives run this way, although it may
not be what the OP had in mind.

Sean_Q_

 

Some  problems of electric vehicles were wonce explained to me in these
terms:
-the "current" (sorry) grid couldn't support everybody having electric
vehicles and would need a major upgrade
-the power stations would need increased capacity also as they couldn't cope
-alot of power stations burn oil or coal, so your just moving the fireplace.
It's true that you can generate electricty more efficiently and cleaner in
these large plants, but there are line losses in the distribution to
concider
-You probably would need another panel and service to charge your vehicle at
home
-When your batteries are low, you can't just stop at a station and get a
fill-up. Even if you don't mind going for a coffee while it's happening.
- There is alot of energy wasted just packing the batteries around.

Maybe some time in the future, but IMHO I think it's a ways off...

And then there is the hydrogen theory. Hydrogen is only  a means of
transporting energy. And not a very good one, you can't liquify and use it
the same way you can say propane And where some folks think you can just go
get a bunch of hydrogen from I don't know. Probably it could be created from
waste electricity in off hrs...best source maybe hydro stations with more
water than they use on a seasonal basis. Or thermal, get say Iceland to make
us a mess of hydrogen fer instance. But most of the world doesn't have hydro
power with water to throw away or thermal taps .....

Ahhhh......   :o)

P.

 Pete M wrote:


You were doing pretty good until you wrote "waste electricity".

--
'01 SV650S  '99 EX250-F13  '98 ZG1000-A13  '81 CM400T
OMF #7