Electric Sportbike.

[sfcdjevans]

Before this slips into the loud pipe issue, let's get the simple questions out of the way. How far, how fast and how many kilowatts is this going to add to my electric bill.

[ksquid]

[*]Onboard 110V charging with 20-ft cord -- plug into any standard outlet
[*] Fully recharges in 3 1/2 hours for $0.20 in electricity
[*]Fully integrated electronic control system with battery monitoring (EMB)
[*] Approximately 1 cu. ft. of internal storage for a helmet, groceries, etc.



Hey its a start.. I admire these types of guys.. Yep the range is limited

[mikenomad]

I'd like to see someone build a production hybrid that uses the electric motor to boost low-end torque on a small-displacement motor for getting up to speed.



It could have the fuel economy of a small engine without requiring a lot of revs and clutch slipping to get underway.



Hub motors would be good. That way you could use the back hub motor for acceleration and the front hub motor for regenerative braking.

[saddlebag]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeWq6rWzChw&eurl

[bowtydaddy]

Just buy the GPR50, install a 70cc kit w/carb and pipe. Then try and wipe the smile off your face. probably good for 50+mpg. Sorry I sold mine.

[schizuki]

I'll get as excited about electric vehicles as Ed Begley is, provided that Ed agrees with me that we need to build lots and lots of nuclear plants to feed them



Until then, I won't listen to envirotards who say we have to "cure our addiction to fossil fuels", while opposing nuke plants out of irrational fear, wind farms because they spoil their Cape Cod views, and hydro dams because fish can't f**k. As long as they think electricity comes from wall sockets, oppose practical solutions because they're not perfect and ideologically pure, and support impractical solutions like biofuels that require more oil to produce than they save, then they have nothing to say worth hearing.

[jandj_davis]

Oooh, now there's a stat that I would be proud of: "0-60 mph: 7+ sec." I think I would be ashamed to take it out in public with acceleration like that.

[Dr_Sprocket]

At least it doesn't look heinous. You gotta start somewhere. I'd love to see some old-time rebel riding around on this thing in one of those go-kart only communities. Born to be wild! (fade to Steppenwolf)

[seruzawa]

Don't forget that electric vehicles also require more fossil fuels to operate than comparably performing gasoline ones.



Can you spell "internal resistance" and "line losses"? Until we can replace chemical batteries with something more like capacitors we'll remain behind on the power curve.

[The_AirHawk]

Shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union (Gasp! a Socialist State, failing?!! How can this be?!!!), there was a company that emerged from behind the former Iron Curtain a company whose primary Business was manufacturing and selling replacements for Mid-to-Heavy-duty-Truck Batteries: these extremely high-gauss, high-efficiency, compact capacitor-banks.



Apparently Soviet Military-Vehicles had been utilizing these for quite some time, and they were very, very refined - they could provide 20-30 seconds of full-amperage cranking-power in 40-50-below zero temperatures. Something no lead-acid battery is capable of doing without a heater.



I have yet to hear if they've been successful in the "Free World". In fact, I've yet to year anything from them since I first read of them bringing their product to the US market.