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At Giz Gallery '09: Brammo Enertia Electric Motorcycles
Mission One to Be World's Fastest Electric Motorcycle
Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle for $3000

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The Lab
09/16/09

In reply to At Giz Gallery '09: Brammo Enertia Electric Motorcycles
I will fly 3000 miles to NYC if you let me ride this thing.
Full Disclosue: I have poor impulse control
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anon
09/16/09

@The Lab: you read my mind. mama owes me a birthday present for october. if we can zip up to ny for a few days to see this exhibit, i'll call it square. anyway, she likes gadges as much as i do. :)
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dzazter
09/16/09

In reply to At Giz Gallery '09: Brammo Enertia Electric Motorcycles
Sorry Giz, somethings are better left gas. Also, shifting is a good thing. No one wants an 'auto' motorcycle. If they did, they would sell more of them.
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Lizard_King
09/16/09

@dzazter: Agreed. Ask Honda how many requests they get for Hondamatics.

Learning to shift is part of the learning process; it keeps the novice rider in check. Those wanting to just jump on a bike and blast into traffic have this obstacle of a gearbox and have to use a bit of hand-eye-foot coordination to use it.
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ghmlco
09/17/09

@dzazter: First, there aren't that many automatics. Second, they're considerably more expensive, especially as options on larger, more expensive bikes.

Third, look at the dramatic increase in sales of motor scooters, particularly higher powered models, which are in fact "auto".

Sorry, but I think there's a market out there, just as there was a market for that new-fangled automatic transmission in cars, which in turn lowered the barrier to entry and allowed a lot more people to drive.
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Lizard_King
09/17/09

@ghmlco: Maybe these people that aren't coordinated to drive manual, just aren't coordinated to drive period? I did a study in a college marketing class about automobile insurance, at the time (about 12 years ago) the incident statistics for drivers of manual transmission were much lower per person than a driver of an automatic - not distorted by number of automatics vs. manuals. (yet no discount on driving a manual)

Basic motorcycles now are more powerful than ever. All but the most powerful auto or CVT scooters have far less power than the least powerful motorcycles. Years ago, 350 to 400CC motorcycles were common, now, except for a handful of bikes, displacement for a "beginner" bike is at LEAST 500CC. A burgman only puts out ~35 HP, that is HALF of what most beginner motorcycles put out. The new DN-01 comes to mind when thinking of a big, expensive, heavy, powerful automatic motorcycle - and the thought of fleets of these scares the begeezus out of me.

Honestly, in my state, we have a education course for riding, for "free" (it is paid for with motorcycle registration, permit and license renewal fees) - as such, it is IMPOSSIBLY hard to get a license outside of this test. A proliferation of cheap powerful automatic motorcycles would offset that nice balance - can't wait til my insurance bill reflects that.

Learning to drive a manual transmission on a bike is part of the cost of admission.
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Edited by Lizard_King at 09/17/09 8:44 AM Lizard_King was starred Lizard_King was unstarred

anon
09/17/09

@Lizard_King: To be honest with you, I find this whole line of reasoning a bit strange. I don't see how having a manual transmission on a vehicle is a plus. It's just a side effect of the design. The function of a transmission (leaving aside the clutch aspect for a moment) is to adapt the revolution rate and power curve of the motor to the desired speed and power of the vehicle. For example, if the power plant of a vehicle could rev from 0 to 20,000 RPM and deliver enough power to drive the vehicle over the entire range of revs, then a transmission wouldn't be necessary. As it turns out, electric motors *have* that characteristic and only lack the ability to rev fast enough to deliver highway speeds (for the time being). When I let off the throttle of my electric bike, it just stops. From a standstill, I can yank the throttle back and take off like a rocket. Why introduce a relatively complex clutch and transmission when they aren't required? I've owned a couple off gasoline powered bikes in my time and I hardly noticed the manual gearing and clutch... the operation became automatic anyway and I forgot about it. My electric bike only has a throttle, and it's just as much fun to drive... except I wish it could go faster. I figure that last bit is just a matter of improved batteries and motors.
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Lizard_King
09/17/09

@craighyatt: This is in reply to the last comment about a marketable "need" for automatic bikes. Electric bikes will become more prevalent, and as automatic scooters permiate the market more, there will be no need for manual.

However, the control of the engine range at speed of a gasoline burner is the main benefit. I have an automatic bike in my garage actually, a sandcast CB750 with a 1978 CB750A engine and transmission. The transmission is more than a side-effect, other than control of gearing range (I am smarter than any auto I've driver, and can shift faster), complexity and maintenence along with cost are other issues.
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anon
09/17/09

@Lizard_King: Sorry. Didn't realize you were talking about gas burners exclusively. As to "I am smarter than any auto I've driven, and can shift faster" .. I was going to bring that up, but my post was already too damn long. ;) I do understand the joy of running through the gears. It's a visceral thing, so I agree on that level. I have also found times when an automatic (SUV) doesn't work as well as manual because its algorithms aren't smart enough: driving in snow and mountain driving come to mind.
On the EV side of things, I love getting off the mark at a stoplight way, way faster than conventional vehicles. Not only do you have the super-high torque at low revs, but no shifting delay. Mine is a pedal assist bike with a front hub motor. I kind of enjoy the looks I get when I go from 0 to 25MPH on what looks like a regular bicycle while the cars are still warming up. :-)
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anon
09/17/09

duplicate deleted.
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Edited by anon at 09/17/09 10:46 AM anon was starred anon was unstarred

anon
09/17/09

@Lizard_King: Just bragging. :-)
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ripfire
02/04/09

In reply to Mission One to Be World's Fastest Electric Motorcycle

Adjustable regenerative rear wheel braking

Why rear? Most of the braking is done on the front breaks.
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savarian
02/04/09

@ripfire: Regenerative breaking requires a motor/generator to produce power. Since there is only one motor on the bike, and it is connected to the rear wheel, the only possible regenerative breaking is through the rear. Now if it were a 2-wheel drive, dual swing-arm bike, that would be amazing, smart, better, and very, very expensive.

The other option is to have two motors; one connected to each wheel. This would provide the greatest possible power, but no one has really figured out the transmission to make that work perfectly.
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ripfire
02/04/09

@savarian: You know, you could have said "it's works similar to engine braking but it generates power instead". :)
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bosskev
02/04/09

In reply to Mission One to Be World's Fastest Electric Motorcycle
Who needs to worry about road rash when your bike will cheese grater your butt and thighs for you?
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Hello Mister Walrus
02/04/09

In reply to Mission One to Be World's Fastest Electric Motorcycle
Why is it sad?
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nutbastard
02/04/09

In reply to Mission One to Be World's Fastest Electric Motorcycle
Dear Santa,

.....................
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Aeros
02/04/09

In reply to Mission One to Be World's Fastest Electric Motorcycle
reaching speeds of 150mph...

150 miles worth of power...
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Kaiser-Machead
02/04/09

@Aeros: If you have to drive 150 miles between home and work, home and the mall, or home and your booty call's house, it's time to move. :P
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markgm
02/04/09

In reply to Mission One to Be World's Fastest Electric Motorcycle
Still a concept, there's no mirrors, signals, or license plate holder.
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soggy_cheerio
02/04/09

@markgm: Not like it matters, real men have those things removed anyway.
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nutbastard
02/04/09

@markgm:

also conspicuously missing is the ashtray and the glove box.
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acarr260
02/04/09

@nutbastard: and where's the damned cupholder? Everyone knows that us Americans need somewhere to put our Big Gulps!

/sarcasm
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Kaiser-Machead
02/04/09

In reply to Mission One to Be World's Fastest Electric Motorcycle
I'd love to design bikes for them, cuz this is friggin atrocious.
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Kaiser-Machead
02/04/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Oh, but other than that the bike IS awesome in principle. I just can't stand the aesthetic.
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SomeoneUKno
02/04/09

In reply to Mission One to Be World's Fastest Electric Motorcycle
No offense, but that bike looks fugly, in a futuristic way.
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ripfire
02/04/09

@SomeoneUKno: It looks like a futuristic bike... from the 80s.
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closhedbb
02/04/09

In reply to Mission One to Be World's Fastest Electric Motorcycle
Everything about that sounds awesome. Too bad it's fugly.

A slight notch down in top speed from a 600cc bike, but I don't break 150mph on mine all too often. I'd really like to know the rear wheel horsepower or torque specs.
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nutbastard
02/04/09

@closhedbb:

well expect the torque curve to be flat, in any case.
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Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
02/04/09

In reply to Mission One to Be World's Fastest Electric Motorcycle
I'd settle w/ an all electric bike that could go 80 max, and handle a 40 mile round-trip.
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nutbastard
02/04/09

@Lite: shops smart. He shops at S-Mart.:

80 mile round trip, 40 is still a bit weak IMO.
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ripfire
02/04/09

@nutbastard: I agree with 80. Even if you'll only travel less than 40, you'll need plenty of leeway in case the battery doesn't charge as much as a new one.
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ripfire
02/04/09

@Lite: shops smart. He shops at S-Mart.: Wait a min. It says 150 miles per charge.
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