I vividly remember the machines and power class where we had a fairly large motor spinning very quickly under power, then had a massive switch rigged up so we could switch it from an "under power motor" to an instant "generator with a dead short".
I knew, in theory, that the motor would slow dramatically. What I didn't think was it would sound like somebody drove a steel rod into the windings.
We threw that switch, and there was a huge bang that rocked the bench the motor was bolted too. It did continue spinning slowly afterwards, but it went from really fast to almost stopped in less time than it took me to pucker and wince.
American marketplace realistic, remains to be seen. I don't think I am alone when I say I like to have options available to me, that is to say, I like to be prepared for shit that statistically may never happen. It will take a lot for people to willingly give up the ability to go 1000 miles in a day, a 135mph top speed, with a .45 on your hip, wearing kevlar, and so on.
A 70mph top speed is completely prudent economically,but it will 'never' sell. Not here.
I agree with you, but this is the class of bike being discussed. That class of bike might sell to me as a lightweight, cheap, economical, fun commuter bike. It can sell as an entry level bike. The problem is that price wise, electrics are hitting the range of pretty capable sport bikes, and that's before we add things like good range, and performance goodies like transmissions and clutches (still not convince that will help), liquid cooling, regenerative braking, etc. Also keep in mind that even without the goodies, they tend to weigh considerably more than bikes they can perform with at half the price. It certainly isn't a recipe for a vehicle for the masses.
I lived with a KLR-250 for a while, and actually enjoyed it.
I'd say personally a bike ought to be able to hit 95 mph (ok if it's slow to get there) in order to be able to ride "just about anywhere without worrying about it" here in the US.
If it can do that, I really don't ever have to worry about it. It could explode at 96 mph and I wouldn't care.
The KLR had a top speed of maybe 85 downhill with a tail wind. That worked OK most of the time, but would occasionally make an interstate merge get stressfull when the hole you needed to hit was in front instead of in back and traffic was moving at a good clip.
The blast has a top speed of about 93 miles per hour and let me tell you, that's why I got rid of it more than anything else. Maryland interstate traffic regularly does 70, 75 miles per hour and I like to go even faster than traffic as I feel it is safer to pick your way through traffic than have traffic comb it's way around you.
Riding a (gasoline) bike for a length of time, wound all the way up near it's maximum RPM, completely sucks. It does seem like a trademark Buell quality to gear a bike based solely on it's drag-limited top speed.
So I jumped into this a bit late and never read the link in the OP. That's been corrected. Looks like I was still pretty much on target with my assessments, other than the cost of what we are talking about. $17K! OUCH! That will buy you a lot of bike and a lot of gas. They do say it will top 100 mph though. Can't get very far on the expressway though. The transmission? Here's the comments from the two testers...
quote:
Which brings me to the gearbox. I don’t get it. It’s adds little to the experience, if you ask me. Neutral is in between second and third for some reason, but you don’t really need neutral—the bike rolls freely in gear with the clutch engaged. Come to think of it, you don’t really need the clutch, either, although it does make getting under way smoother, a role throttle-management software handles on other e-bikes. I found myself shifting out of habit, but it felt like I was playing a video game with a disconnected joystick. I’m sure if I was doing a track day—or just spent a lot more time on the bike—I would start to figure out how to best use it, but my quick impression is Brammo should bin the clutch, make the transmission a two-speed (city and highway), and carve 40 pounds off the bike—or use the extra space and weight for more battery capacity.
quote:
Regarding the transmission, more oddness ensues: neutral is between 2nd and 3rd. The ratios are very closely spaced, and launching the Empulse R in 1st gear results in satisfying acceleration. However, launching in 3rd or 4th gear does not blunt the acceleration very noticeably. I suspect that most riders will tire of the notchy, clunky shifting and leave it in 3rd around town, only shifting to 6th on the freeway.
I'm not exactly about to open my wallet for something like this.
my personal opinion is that a lot of people will eat their words at some point. On a much smaller scale I cannot quit thinking about RC cars. As a kid I remember NiCd batteries which if I was careful I could run for around 10 minutes and in general the electrics were just nowhere near as fast as the nitro models. Fast forward to now and with brushless motors and LiPo batteries for the convenience and simplicity of electric its hard to beat. Performance might even lean towards electrics now. I think its only a matter of time before that is scaled up to make sense for a sport bike. Buell fans should know better than to say "it's a bad idea and it wont work".
I think its only a matter of time before that is scaled up to make sense for a sport bike.
That is what we are seeing right now. It just isn't that impressive for a full scale bike that has to do more than run in circles for a few minutes to entertain us. I've seen the huge jump in performance in electric model airplanes. It's very impressive. I have no illusions that we are on the cusp of full scale electric airplanes though. No words need to be eaten. This is where we are at with state of the art technologies. I'm not aware of ANYTHING on the horizon that is likely to change that. Sure it could happen someday. I've been hearing how it's just around the corner for close to 50 years though. It was probably being said before that too, I just wasn't around to hear it. Meanwhile, the IC engine gets it done.
A friend of mine is obsessed with the Tesla electric car. I am a fan of the (fictional) Chevy Volt SS. All electric power just seems...unnecessary if you can easily generate electricity onboard.
Of course, it's harder to hide a generator on a bike, but I know it can be done. Can you imagine this for a moment? An XB series chassis, with batteries where the engine used to be, a motor where the tranny used to be, a small generator in the airbox and gallons of fuel in the frame. Hell, you can even figure in some water cooling with the swingarm.
How much are you willing to spend for that. That's the problem with the Chevy Volt, even after all the government kickbacks. Then you have the problems of availability of rare materials that are only mined in less than friendly nations. If you think the OPEC problem is bad, wait until we are dependent on rare materials.
The airplane guys are working hard on electric planes. Some are flying, and as you would expect, range is the issue.
Not a lot of Cessnas in this crowd, mostly they are using modified existing high efficiency home built types. Some stupidly simple ultralight designs too, with one fellow having a trailer with a generator and multiple charger rigs to charge the batteries in a reasonable time. Removable battery packs, even schemes for inflight drone recharging.... ( for the bleeding edge trans atlantic record setters )
Electric launch of a sailplane/glider makes perfect sense. Why deal with the "burn" part of crash and burn at all? Just preflight, flip the switch and hum into the sky. If you aren't in a hurry, you can even do amazing cross country flights by running ridges and catching thermals with the motor off. BUT. That kind of flying isn't a daily event, sailplane style flight isn't going to meet a schedule, and the people interested in that kind of flying are fringe. ( Great folk on that fringe, mind you, but it's not the General Aviation Mainstream market. )
Most recreational flying is local. The "$100 Burger run" is the typical cross country, where a bunch of guys from different places fly to, & meet up at a restaurant at a sorta nearby small airport. The "Pancake run" is also typical as early morning flights miss the thermals and turbulence of mid day to afternoon. ( conversely, the glider guys are waiting for the lift that makes aunt Esther puke )
At the high end, some of the LSA manufacturers are looking at electric and hybrid power for their planes, both to extend into new markets ( green power sells ) and to test efficiency changes. Often these high end designs have solar panels coving the top of the wing to recharge between flights.
The Lisa Akoya makers are doing a hybrid version as soon as they get some sales on the gas burner. A bit out of my reach, this is a toy you can see on the fantail of a nice yacht.
Actually that last video has me going. I could fly out of my yard. Quiet, too.
OTOH, a gas engine could get me to my buddies town 35 miles away, and I can get gas there to come home no problem.
That's the current deal with electrics. Limited range.
Yes, it will improve, but any current battery including liquid sodium types I don't want near me in a crash simply don't have the energy density in volume OR mass. I could deal with filling the entire wing with batteries if it gave near comparable range and weight, but that's not going to happen until super capacitor tech gets mainstream. Not holding breath.
