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Messages - MotoRyder

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1
Home Brew / Re: 50cc petrol Scooter conversion
« on: May 06, 2019, 12:08:12 PM »
Count me interested, Ian !!
Simplicity, Reliability, and the rewards of electric power are worth this conversion.
I like the values, beliefs, and hopeful outcomes expressed in your original post, and am very interested to follow along.
 ;)

2
Brammo Forum / Re: MCN tests the 2016 Victory Empulse TT
« on: October 20, 2015, 06:53:04 AM »
Thanks for posting this Richard...I haven't received my copy of the MCN Nov. 2015 issue.

Seems like the Victory Empulse TT doesn't offer the performance that the 2015 Zero SR delivers, so one has to wonder how Victory will be successful in marketing a competitive EV motorcycle. 

Evidently, the power gauge is something that Victory needs to improve upon, since running out of power in traffic can be very hazardous to one's health.


3
Electric Motorcycle News / Re: More concept electric motorcycles
« on: October 20, 2015, 06:28:08 AM »
The Honda EV-Cub appears to be a real vehicle versus the rendered images of the Yamaha and BMW concept bikes.

I think that the EV-Cub could sell well for Honda, since it seems that many commuters want economical and reliable transportation, and this design looks unintimidating and confidence building; not really for motorcycle enthusiasts, but for the masses who would try an electric moto or scoot for commuting.

The BMW EV motorcycles seen to be more fantasy than reality with all of the empty space in the rendering.

Hopefully more concept designs can be developed into real concept cycles (like the HD Project LiveWire) whereby some could make it to production.  :)

4
Electric Motorcycle News / Re: More concept electric motorcycles
« on: October 19, 2015, 03:46:34 AM »
Hey Richard, when I click on either of the two links, an error message is served-up:
"Error establishing a database connection"


5
General Discussion / Re: Winter Commuting
« on: October 15, 2015, 12:13:31 AM »
Don't know about your work attire, for working in the office environment there, however one thing not mentioned are boots that can be worn for cold weather motorcycling, and also fit in at the office.

I have a couple pairs of TCX Motorcycle boots, and really like them. 

A favorite pair is my TCX Urban WP motorcycle boots, which are very nice looking mid-height boots that can look good with slacks and dress shirts, and are quality built leather motorcycle boots that are sturdy and durable.  Their durability means they last a long time and provide good comfort while riding in colder temps.  I use mine for commuting during the winter in the greater-Seattle area where the temps can be in the low-40s to mid-50s, using them in the wet conditions that Seattle is known for, and they keep my feet both warm & dry.

If interested, you can find them here:  http://uniongaragenyc.com/shop/motorcycle-boots/tcx-chelsea-moto-boots
The sizing is European; my foot size is between 9 - 9 1/2 in American shoe sizes, and my TCX boots are size 43

6
Electric Motorcycle News / Re: Honda electric Super Cub
« on: October 09, 2015, 03:38:12 AM »
In addition to being a good urban commuter, I can see the Honda EV-Cub as a good starter bike for totally new beginners to motorcycling.

With no transmission to shift with the typical left-hand clutch lever, the step through design with rider-positioning more akin to a motorcycle than a scooter, and the simple twist and go throttle response of an electric motor, at the right price (as Richard mentioned first), this could be a big seller for Honda.

IMO it looks fairly well baked and would likely see good success in the market, especially with the Honda name and dealer network.
Too bad it's only a concept bike. 

7
General Discussion / Re: Supercapacitors - they're back and smaller than ever
« on: October 01, 2015, 03:02:37 AM »
Very Interesting Richard, thanks for posting !!
It'll be interesting to see how this changes energy storage in electrical/electronic equipment.

For computing, communications, audio & visual equipment, etc., small form-factor supercapacitors have compelling reasons to entice changes to the designs.

I'd also like to see if it can be successfully scaled up so that the technology can be applied to things like EV's and integrated on the backside of Solar Panels.

8
Electric Motorcycle News / Re: A short history of the electric motorcycle business
« on: September 19, 2015, 11:29:43 PM »
Thanks Richard for posting this lead to an interesting article.
At least I find it interesting, and the critiques to the article allow more perspective on the topic.
The comment that I found to be enlightening and highlights the responses that I've encountered when discussing electric motos with others (not on this forum) is:
Quote
...Electrics are at best a sidebar to the current state of the motorcycle industry and frankly bore the living daylights out of me.
Its kinda like watching an Ichiban Moto video….

The thing that most don't seem to comprehend is the exhilaration factor — the excitement from the immediate pull of the bike as power is applied.


9
Electric Motorcycle News / Re: ZEV developing a motorcycle model
« on: September 06, 2015, 11:35:50 PM »
ZEV scoots & now a moto, based in Morgantown, West Virginia, and yet no dealership network (or even individual shops operating w/o a network) in the USA.  Their choice of basing the company in the states must be influenced by benefits to the organizational structure (location where management and labor prefer to be located at), and possibly the creative components of the company (the design, engineering, and marketing of their products) being able to be staffed as needed, more than advantages in manufacturing capability within the USA.

Their product would need to be rock-solid to be considered by someone who is serious about transporting themselves with an all-electric motor vehicle (I'm assuming that people in Asia, Australia, & Europe would mainly use a scooter for transportation), without a support network of dealers/shops to keep them running.  So I wonder how ZEV scooters perform in terms of reliability in comparison to other electric scooter manufacturers ??


10
General Discussion / Re: Can electric motorcycles survive cheap gas?
« on: August 29, 2015, 04:04:25 AM »
I believe like Richard, that for the Electric Motorcycle industry in general to expand, more sales are needed.  The early adopters tend to acquire new technology for the sake of trying out and experiencing the new technology, and the economics are not as important for those early purchases. 

However, for electric motorcycles to be seen as a viable vehicle class, the appeal to the broader market is needed.  Fuel prices may help for automobiles, however I don't think that motorcycle enthusiasts are as concerned with fuel prices since most ICE motorcycles get reasonable mileage.  And gasoline prices don't seem to follow the price of oil, so the downward trend on pricing of oil isn't reflected directly in the price gasoline.

IMO the positives that come with electric propulsion need to be promoted to the max, and manufacturers such as Zero, Victory, and the others need to do a much better job of marketing the advantages of their electric motorcycles so that more people in the general public will also want to try one.  Ease of use and ease of ownership of an electric motorcycle need to be promoted in ways so that the general public will be enticed to join our party.


11
General Discussion / Re: M.I.T. have released research into solid electrolytes
« on: August 22, 2015, 03:06:23 AM »
A Very Interesting Find Indeed.  Thanks firepower for finding and posting !!

Quote
New research paves the way for rechargeable batteries with almost indefinite lifetimes.

It may be merely journalistic liberty (to embellish a little to gain readers' interest), but the part about rechargeable batteries with almost indefinite lifetimes seems too good to be true. 

The discovery of Solid-State electronic materials was revolutionary, so perhaps this development of energy storage (that can provide electrical current flow) in solid-state materials is truly a breakthrough.


12
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: New Zero pricing, $1350 lower than before
« on: May 24, 2015, 12:14:30 PM »
@mikeisted  --  I like your description of needing to protect the colors...can't be having any road-grime mucking things up!!  :)

@CrashCash -- sounds like one of the best experiences to be had at a motorcycle exposition.  Wish I could chat with Abe, that would be quite an experience. :D


13
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: New Zero pricing, $1350 lower than before
« on: May 24, 2015, 03:36:34 AM »
Almost two months ago, there was a post by josequinones in which he provided the link to an article in cycleworld.com, which was an interview with Abe Askenazi, the CTO of Zero Motorcycles.  The post is titled  "Abe Askenazi cto Zero electric motorcycles Cycle World interview"   on: April 01, 2015.

In the article, Abe Askenazi surmised about voltage in Zero's electric motorcycles versus other electric vehicles, such as 'the car guys' and the Harley-Davidson Livewire:
Quote
Most powersports equipment is based around Field-Effect Transistor (FET) technology, which peaks around 130 volts. When you go to higher voltage, you have to go to Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) technology. The car guys are at 300-400 volts, which incidentally the Harley-Davidson Livewire is 300 volts. But at the level of power that a motorcycle makes, the difference is not that impactful. It’s also a safety issue: Our manufacturing is pretty high-end, but we don’t have automotive levels of safety, and we can’t guarantee that every dealership is going to have high-voltage safety systems in place. The standard for powersports and industrial equipment such as forklifts is 102 volts, which if you screw up will shock and hurt you, but isn’t fatal. If you get shocked with a 300-400-volt battery, you’re dead.

If one is interested in the whole article, I've copied and pasted it here again for ease of use:
http://www.cycleworld.com/2015/03/25/on-the-record-abe-askenazi-cto-zero-electric-motorcycles-cycle-world-interview/

 
=>> Perhaps 150V is not a far stretch from the 102V potential currently applied in their line-up, in that an electric shock still just hurts instead of being fatal.

14
Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ / Re: Will Zero team up with Ducati?
« on: May 23, 2015, 10:57:12 PM »
Quote
I like Zero's products, and if they continue to improve pricing, reliability, and dealer support I'd like them even better.

Reliability, Pricing, and Dealer Support, in that order, would go a long ways towards gaining greater ridership in the places where Zero already sells into.

Reliability is supposed to be one of the strongest benefits of going electric, but with all of the technical problems mentioned in forum posts, in my opinion  there is a need for more improvement in this area.

Pricing, along with range, I think is the big factor in the hesitancy of more people not embracing electric vehicles (electric motorcycles included).

And the Dealer Network for Zero discussed in this forum...it's "like a box of chocolates  —  you never know what you're going to get !!"

15
Electric Motorcycle News / Re: A Ducati Hypermotard Zero
« on: May 23, 2015, 10:26:03 PM »
That looks to be professional-level work on the conversion, and the styling is quite eye-catching indeed.
If the performance and range fit the intended use of the bike, then all-in-all it's quite a positive statement for electric motorcycles becoming more mainstream.

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