Will you ever purchase an electric motorcycle?

[sarcasm] Because 7 gallons of gas is soooooo safe. [/sarcasm]

Gasoline is probably one of the most volatile energy forms out there. We've just learned how to deal with it and gotten used to it.

 

For as much as I enjoy the smell of VP running through the bike in front of me, there isn't enough power in any IC engine to unqueer this boy.

Electric bikes won't have any effect on preference.

 

Do you let damage to the environment caused by oil & gas extraction dissuade you from buying internal combustion vehicles?

 

Serious question. How much would that charging system and a multi battery setup cost? Everything I am hearing is that it is pretty expensive, especially since you would likely not be able to get any of the gubment subsidies that currently make solar for homes more affordable.

 

I was just drunk referencing a Dave Attell stand up joke he did yrs. back.
The E-bike made me think of that skit.I meant no offense

 

Any form of condensed energy is going to have it's quirks. The important thing to consider it the rate of release should things go sideways. Gasoline, by itself, is not explosive. It must be vaporized and mixed with O2. Ever really watch a car on fire (not in the movies, but for real)? It takes a bit for things to get really out of control. That time is the time it takes to get away and save yourself. Ever watch a high electric energy dense item like a big transformer go? Totally different reaction. Now I understand a transformer is a different animal so I'm not unleashing a whole new argument on Xsfmr design. It's difficult to find an electrical device with the necessary KW-Hr to make an equivalency.

 

Teslas and other electric cars?

They just let them burn for days...

 

We had a 13.8 KV breaker fault at the power plant once. It shot a plasma fire ball out about 10 feet, melted much of the 1/4" steel cabinet about the size of an industrial refrigerator. There were little balls of steel BB's spread around from the arc. The arc was hotter than the surface of the sun. The arc lasted a few milliseconds. Fortunately the electricians were in full turn out gear so no one was really hurt other than getting bounced back quite hard. The current generation of batteries aren't this energy dense...yet. When they get there (if they ever do) it will be interesting to see how they get controlled.

 

This is simply not a question at all, it's coming in the near future and that's that:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_banning_fossil_fuel_vehicles

 

Electric generation is 30 to 50% efficient....there goes the whole efficiency argument. Don't tell me about solar and wind...it will never be up to the task. Nuclear could do it but it would 10 to 20 years for the infrastructure. What this is really about is pushing the environmental affects out of the cities. I don't have a big problem with that but that's not what "they" say. The net effect is the virtual end to private transportation (except for the wealthy). As the transportation sector is pushed to the electric grid the cost of electricity will sky rocket. The do-gooders will try to regulate costs (which never works) so they will take over the means of production.....As to the original topic....sure, won't have a choice, but I'll be dead and gone so there's that.

 

That’s a little bit of a generalization, and the truth is, it’s still location dependent. In some places, it makes sense. In others, not so much. Your point about moving it out of urban environments is true. I’d add that it also generally spreads the demand to a lower use time of night. As a general overview, electric power would centralize the topic off efficiency, which could only be beneficial if there is equal investment in that infrastructure. Noise is obviously a hot topic for both sides.

 

A gross oversimplification, not that I’m an expert either. Many countries operate entire fleets of diesel boats. They’ve vastly improved over yesteryear and are far cheaper to build and operate. You don’t need nuclear boats if you’re not running a far ranging blue water navy. Most countries don’t need that and diesel makes sense. The Israelis carry their nukes-that-aren’t on non-nuclear boats.

There’s only one area where gas has an advantage over electric. Energy density. In every other respect, electric wins. I wouldn’t currently buy an electric bike as an all around bike as the weight and range penalties are too much. Once they match gas I’d definitely consider one, if the price were also similar. They do seem to make excellent city and commuter bikes currently, so maybe in that use case I’d buy one now.

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-electric-motorcycle-production-idUSKBN1WT27N

 

No.

 

At some point there will be an Ah-Ha moment and some sort of electric propulsion will be the obvious answer for everything moving forward, but it'll take a MASSIVE overhaul of our infrastructure. Right now we can barely keep up with power demands when there's a heat wave. Imagine the draw when 200 million cars need to charge their batteries all at once. Not to mention the lobbying power of the oil industry. But it will eventually happen.

 

The article fails to mention that they are leaking oil.

 

10 months since this thread came out, and I'm still a giant NO.

 

What about Ewan and Charlie riding these things on long way up.

 

At some point there will be an electric motorbike that makes 120lb/ft of torque, weighs under 300 lbs, has state-of-the-art brakes and suspension. At that point all environmental and political arguments will be moot. Of course, it will be expensive. So?
I personally have no use for street bikes. I envision this taking place in formula cars first. Then bikes. Watch how fast all of the nay-sayers convert.

 

They already are for weedeaters and blowers.