EV bike

[bigi]

Anyone with EV bike?

Thinking of getting this: http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-s/specs.php

 

[JulesMaximus]

Much like electric cars, the trouble with these bikes is the limited range and the long charging time.

Then there's the cost, which is a tad bit exorbitant. And the performance, which is not exorbitant.

But hey, if you're looking for a small, eco-friendly runabout with limited range and high cost it is the perfect bike!

 

[rstrohkirch]

I'm not seeing the benefit of the bikes listed over something like a Honda CBR500R that gets around 60-65mpg and can be hand for $6k. Now if you were looking at some $15-20k super sport EV bike then I suppose?

 

[tweakmonkey]

Much like electric cars, the trouble with these bikes is the limited range and the long charging time.

Then there's the cost, which is a tad bit exorbitant. And the performance, which is not exorbitant.

But hey, if you're looking for a small, eco-friendly runabout with limited range and high cost it is the perfect bike!

I guess this post ignores any benefits. There must be some benefits?

 

[Yuriman]

I guess this post ignores any benefits. There must be some benefits?

You can run the bike indoors without poisoning yourself. Great for circles in the living room.

If you just can't get the hang of a clutch, this is clutchless.

You can bum off the charging stations at your local whole foods.

You can creep up on people with it. Silent operation is great for not being noticed in traffic.

On a more serious note, I would expect something like this to just run, every day, with no maintenance. There isn't much that's more reliable than a direct drive electric motor.

 

[bigi]

Much like electric cars, the trouble with these bikes is the limited range and the long charging time.

Then there's the cost, which is a tad bit exorbitant. And the performance, which is not exorbitant.

But hey, if you're looking for a small, eco-friendly runabout with limited range and high cost it is the perfect bike!

Thanks.

I have 7 miles (14 total work commute). If I run something extra, it is top 20-30 miles.

Now, you are saying that 120 miles range is limited. Limited how? Gasoline bikes have limited range too then, limited by gas tank capacity... right?

Performance is not there? Okay, I sit on bike, press accelerate and go to where needed.

Not seeing any lack of performance. I've seen bunch reviews and all are mostly very happy with the bike. No tranny, acceleration is very good. It seems blazing fast especially for my needs.

Have you actually owned one or are these just your personal and deep thoughts?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Thanks.

I have 7 miles (14 total work commute). If I run something extra, it is top 20-30 miles.

Now, you are saying that 120 miles range is limited. Limited how? Gasoline bikes have limited range too then, limited by gas tank capacity... right?

Performance is not there? Okay, I sit on bike, press accelerate and go to where needed.

Not seeing any lack of performance. I've seen bunch reviews and all are mostly very happy with the bike. No tranny, acceleration is very good. It seems blazing fast especially for my needs.

Have you actually owned one or are these just your personal and deep thoughts?

I can ride about 150 miles on a tank of gas. The great thing about the internal combustion engine is that there are refueling stations, let's call them "gas stations," and they're freaking everywhere. It only takes a few bucks and a minute or so at one of these "gas stations" and I'm back on the road. You can't do that with an electric vehicle. It takes hours to recharge them.

No, I've never owned one. It wouldn't work for me for the kind of riding I do (commuting and weekend rides out to the local mountains).

And yes, I have actually given this some thought. Enough to realize that an e-bike will never be in my garage while it has the limitations it obviously has and that I rightfully pointed out. If you can make it work for you then that's cool but they do have some pretty severe limitations IMO. Enough for me to not consider buying one anyway. Which is why I posted the response I did.

By the way, I do ride a motorcycle and I do keep up on the latest developments in the motorcycle world so I felt that qualified me enough to comment on your question.

My .02

 

[rstrohkirch]

Your post posts make no sense OP. You don't spend $10,000 - 14,000 on a motorcycle to commute to work. That is a terrible terrible return. If you want to do that, go spend $1500 on some 30 year old bike that gets 45-50mpg. A 60mpg cbr500r is $6k and you can actually ride it places without range limitations. The base line EV model is $11k msrp(probably around 10k) and goes around 65mi combined. It would take you 20 years to pay back the difference in gas between these two.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Your post posts make no sense OP. You don't spend $10,000 - 14,000 on a motorcycle to commute to work. That is a terrible terrible return. If you want to do that, go spend $1500 on some 30 year old bike that gets 45-50mpg. A 60mpg cbr500r is $6k and you can actually ride it places without range limitations. The base line EV model is $11k msrp(probably around 10k) and goes around 65mi combined. It would take you 20 years to pay back the difference in gas between these two.

That's an excellent point. My commute is about 70 miles round trip with about half city and half freeway at speeds up to around 80-85mph and I do it on a 150hp Ducati. I can manage around 35-40mpg average but tires and other maintenance actually makes it more expensive to operate than a cheap economy car.

Does the OP ride a motorcycle currently? Has he ever ridden one? It takes dedication to ride every day let alone use a motorcycle as your sole means of transportation.

Hell, 7 miles is nothing. I'd ride a pedal bike if my commute was that short.

 

[Rifter]

If the range and charging times are not a concern to you, and you dont mind spending twice as much as a gas bike for way less flexability of use, then go for it.

But economically this makes zero sense, you can spend half as much and get a bike that way more useful, as in you can actually take it on a roadtrip.

 

[Yuriman]

Food for thought:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/26-48V-1000...337572?hash=item237080b164:g:FY4AAOSwFV9Xx54J

$150 1000w eBike hub motor has enough acceleration to lift most bicycles off of their front wheel, and probably good for 20-30mph with that gearing. 7 miles at 25mph is a 17 minute ride. A battery with 20 miles range (good enough for most of OP's commutes) at 20-25mph is probably in the $2-400 range, for a grand total of $350-550 plus bicycle. Take the car when you have an errand.

 

[Kaido]

Thanks.

I have 7 miles (14 total work commute). If I run something extra, it is top 20-30 miles.

Now, you are saying that 120 miles range is limited. Limited how? Gasoline bikes have limited range too then, limited by gas tank capacity... right?

Performance is not there? Okay, I sit on bike, press accelerate and go to where needed.

Not seeing any lack of performance. I've seen bunch reviews and all are mostly very happy with the bike. No tranny, acceleration is very good. It seems blazing fast especially for my needs.

Have you actually owned one or are these just your personal and deep thoughts?

Just to throw it out there, going with an electric car would give you better inclement weather protection (rain, snow, wind, ice) & there are some pretty amazing deals to be had. My local Nissan dealer has a recurring sale on a 3-year lease for an 80-mile Nissan Leaf for $0 down & $199 a month. My friends who have the Leaf love them. There's also the Chevy Spark EV, which has more torque than a Porsche...

 

[tweakmonkey]

Your post posts make no sense OP. You don't spend $10,000 - 14,000 on a motorcycle to commute to work. That is a terrible terrible return. If you want to do that, go spend $1500 on some 30 year old bike that gets 45-50mpg. A 60mpg cbr500r is $6k and you can actually ride it places without range limitations. The base line EV model is $11k msrp(probably around 10k) and goes around 65mi combined. It would take you 20 years to pay back the difference in gas between these two.

If the range and charging times are not a concern to you, and you dont mind spending twice as much as a gas bike for way less flexability of use, then go for it.

But economically this makes zero sense, you can spend half as much and get a bike that way more useful, as in you can actually take it on a roadtrip.

Maybe he has the money and wants one.

Not everything has to make economical sense.

Also how reliable is a $1500 30-year old bike and how much maintenance is required,vs a brand new electric motorcycle??

 

[rstrohkirch]

Maybe he has the money and wants one.

Not everything has to make economical sense.

Also how reliable is a $1500 30-year old bike and how much maintenance is required,vs a brand new electric motorcycle??

Maybe. Most people who just want something won't make counter points as to why their purchase is justified. They only want to know if the product has any issues. As for a $1500 bike vs a new bike, obviously a new bike should have less potential issues. Old standards or cruisers are pretty simple machines but new still is better. Now, new from some tiny company I'd be more concerned with. In terms of maintenance, any new motorcycle in the same performance category as this machine would need nothing but oil changes for 20-30,000 miles. They'd both need tires every 3-9k depending what type was used.

 

[bigi]

Maybe he has the money and wants one.

Not everything has to make economical sense.

Also how reliable is a $1500 30-year old bike and how much maintenance is required,vs a brand new electric motorcycle??

Thank you tweakmonkey. Thank you.

 

[jdoggg12]

Having actually ridden electric motorcycles (Zero SR, Redshift SM) I'd say they are a great 2nd or 3rd bike.

Specific to the Zero

Pros:
Very fast to 60 or 80
Never need to shift therefore you have max torque at every speed
Very, very comfortable to ride
Conversation starter with riders and non riders
2 hour charging is nice, if you have the equipment
Never needs servicing beyond tires or mechanical failures
Can park inside at many places since there's no fluids to lead/make a mess
Easy to clean

Cons:
$$$ compared to an equivalently spec'ed ICE bike.
Going to 60 or 80 at WOT drains the battery MUCH faster than doing the same on an ICE would drink gas
I missed the feeling of shifting and engine noise
Difficult or impossible to tour on it unless you're ok with 2-6 hour stops to refuel every ~100 miles
Surprisingly heavy compared to an equivalently spec'd ICE bike (414lbs is in the range of a 600cc supersport and 450lbs is in the range of a 1000cc)
Ambient temps affect range greatly

 

[bigi]

Having actually ridden electric motorcycles (Zero SR, Redshift SM) I'd say they are a great 2nd or 3rd bike.

Specific to the Zero

Pros:
Very fast to 60 or 80
Never need to shift therefore you have max torque at every speed
Very, very comfortable to ride
Conversation starter with riders and non riders
2 hour charging is nice, if you have the equipment
Never needs servicing beyond tires or mechanical failures
Can park inside at many places since there's no fluids to lead/make a mess
Easy to clean

Cons:
$$$ compared to an equivalently spec'ed ICE bike.
Going to 60 or 80 at WOT drains the battery MUCH faster than doing the same on an ICE would drink gas
I missed the feeling of shifting and engine noise
Difficult or impossible to tour on it unless you're ok with 2-6 hour stops to refuel every ~100 miles
Surprisingly heavy compared to an equivalently spec'd ICE bike (414lbs is in the range of a 600cc supersport and 450lbs is in the range of a 1000cc)
Ambient temps affect range greatly

Appreciate your post jdoggg12. This is exactly what I was looking for.

 

[olds]

While I am not of the crowd that says loud pipes save lives, I am aware that noise from a motorcycle is sometimes the first thing that other drivers notice. That's even before they see them. On that reason alone, I wouldn't own an EV bike.

 

[bigi]

While I am not of the crowd that says loud pipes save lives, I am aware that noise from a motorcycle is sometimes the first thing that other drivers notice. That's even before they see them. On that reason alone, I wouldn't own an EV bike.

This is just stupid. Many ICE bikes and cars are very quiet. How about hybrids that drive in EV mode until 30 MPH or so.

Should people avoid those too? The premise of low noise equals unsafe, is pure crap.

 

[tweakmonkey]

I commute 40-70 miles every day and have dozens of bikes lane splitting between me and other cars each week. Almost every single time I see them way before I hear them. I only hear them as they are passing in front of me (which makes sense because the exhausts point backwards) or if they're already in front of me and usually they're riding faster than I'm driving. And my car is super quiet. I can only imagine loud cars, loud music etc.

Bright lights save lives. Pipes don't do jack.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I commute 40-70 miles every day and have dozens of bikes lane splitting between me and other cars each week. Almost every single time I see them way before I hear them. I only hear them as they are passing in front of me (which makes sense because the exhausts point backwards) or if they're already in front of me and usually they're riding faster than I'm driving. And my car is super quiet. I can only imagine loud cars, loud music etc.

Bright lights save lives. Pipes don't do jack.

Except piss people off who don't want to hear a Hardley Riddenson with an illegal exhaust converting gasoline into excessive noise.

 

[DaTT]

This is just stupid. Many ICE bikes and cars are very quiet. How about hybrids that drive in EV mode until 30 MPH or so.

Should people avoid those too? The premise of low noise equals unsafe, is pure crap.

I think you've missed the point here.

 

[olds]

I think you've missed the point here.

Ya, wasn't worth correcting him though.

 

[WhiteNoise]

I think these are cool and wouldn't mind owning one just for commuting. The torque figures are nice for sure. These must get up and go quickly. I don't care about top speed as I drive the limit or 10 over usually. All in all the HP and Torque seem spot on for this size of bike. maint. costs should be low so I see this bike paying for itself over the course of 4 years or so.

I own a Harley and I have owned 14 motorcycles over my 44 years on earth. At freeway speeds the sound of the bike isn't really heard until passing someone and of course the people behind you hear the exhaust. Where I think the louder sound does help is in town. When riding through town, slower traffic, there have been many times that someone would have pulled out in front of me or cut me off if I didn't blip the throttle a few times. A horn works too but I never use it. It is shocking how someone can be waiting to pull onto another street, be waiting at a stop sign, look right at me then pull our right in front of me....never even seeing me! because people are trained to see cars and trucks...for some reason a bike sometimes gets missed.

Also pedestrians; crossing the street or parking lot etc; when they hear a vehicle coming they look for it. I have seen people walking eyes on their phone and almost get hit by an electric car because they never heard it coming. My nephew has one and when he drives away from my house it is almost silent.

I don't like super loud exhausts and my harley is louder than stock but nothing crazy. I like to keep my neighbors happy!

Anyways...I do think these bikes are cool.

 

[Mandres]

I think they're the future of personal transportation, but not yet. Battery tech still has another hurdle or two to cross. These bikes are too heavy and too expensive to make any sense. We're at a weird point in time where silly-complex internal combustion engines with their hundreds of intricate parts are completely outclassed by simple, elegant, inexpensive (in terms of raw materials) electric motors. But the battery bank can't compete with the gas tank just yet.