The Electric Motorcycle Thread

[LectricBill]

More battery dreams...
for you chemists out there:

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/02/electrode-design-powerful-batteries-electricity-power/

 

[Bumpits]

lol, I saw the headlights and my reaction was "woah, Zero made a Honda CBR600".

Looks great tbh. They've come a long way with their fit and finish. The Z-Force looked like an electric scooter for a mall cop.

"Tuck in behind the windscreen and get 13% better mileage."
If tucking in makes that much of a difference, why not sell the damn bike with some vetter/bonneville salt-flat fairing instead? Put some low-drag saddlebags on the bike too and you might have something interesting.

 

[Killroy1999]

Styled like a 748 and SV650S. The footpeg height and knee angle were a complaint on the SR/F. I hope the full fairing offers 25%+ on full tuck on the highway, I get 13%+ with my Madstad windshield on a Zero S which is a lego brick that can tip over without damage.

748?!?

 

[dittoalex]

Split headlight, bubbly '00 styling.

 

[Enchanter]

In the flesh. Pic taken by me a few hours ago.

 

[dittoalex]

 

[bigpoppa]

Looks good! If I didn’t already have a Ribelle on order I would have to consider the SR/S. A comfortable riding position and if the early spy shots are any indication, possible hard cases. I think Zero might have a winner on their hands if the price isn’t too far off the SR/F (I do expect it to cost more, just hopefully not a lot more).

 

[KnifeySpoony]

I'm really considering this SR/S as a commuter (currently daily my S1000xr). Other than the price, which is a bit hard to swallow, my main concern is lack of noise while splitting. I think they should develop some type of noise generator that could be switched on while in the split.

 

[dittoalex]

The straight-cut gear whine is loud enough that anyone paying attention to traffic will notice you. The remaining majority of drivers are too impeded and distracted and likely miss loud bikes too.

 

[Enchanter]

The straight-cut gear whine is loud enough that anyone paying attention to traffic will notice you. The remaining majority of drivers are too impeded and distracted and likely miss loud bikes too.

I’m not so sure.

I work within a few blocks of Zero and see their bikes during my commute and at various times throughout the day. I never hear them as they approach me and rarely as they pass. From a drivers point of view, they’re silent.

 

[dittoalex]

That's probably because you're disassociated on your commute and not paying attention

I found the most common ~108 dB at cruising my gutted XB9 put out to be insufficient for feeling confident drivers wouldn't merge while I was in their blind spot. I briefly had an inline-4 with 113 dB at idle and it gave diminishing results in driver attention. I tried loud pipes and all I got was tinnitus.

 

[bigpoppa]

I agree with dittoalex. In 20+ years of commuting on a wide variety of bikes & exhausts, I’ve found minimal differences in drivers’ ability to notice me and react accordingly based on the volume of my exhaust.

The biggest impact I’ve found comes from lighting and gear (the hi-viz kind). I’ve found the bright LED headlight on my Energica gets me noticed more than my Trophy with a halogen headlight and auxiliary Denali LEDs did.

 

[DonTom]

I agree with dittoalex. In 20+ years of commuting on a wide variety of bikes & exhausts, I’ve found minimal differences in drivers’ ability to notice me and react accordingly based on the volume of my exhaust.

The biggest impact I’ve found comes from lighting and gear (the hi-viz kind). I’ve found the bright LED headlight on my Energica gets me noticed more than my Trophy with a halogen headlight and auxiliary Denali LEDs did.

Yep. Motorcycles should be seen and not heard.

I have had loud piped Harleys in my blind spot while driving my car that I could not hear at all until they started to pass me where I could see them anyway.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Killroy1999]

Yep. Motorcycles should be seen and not heard.

I have had loud piped Harleys in my blind spot while driving my car that I could not hear at all until they started to pass me where I could see them anyway.

-Don- Auburn, CA

+1

I have gone back to back electric motorcycle and a loud engine-cycle and I did not notice any benefit from the noise. Hi-vis makes a noticeable difference. I'm a proper Hi-vis uncle.

 

[R3DS!X]

In my personal observance, which is by no means concrete data, I've noticed more favorable interactions in traffic when I've been riding my E-motorcycles. The people who see me instead of hear me are more willing to move out of my way, the people who first hear me on my gas bikes are 50/50, some will move out of the way, some will block because they are jealous of my awesome.

 

[bigpoppa]

...some will block because they are jealous of my awesome.

 

[firstbuell]

RE: booming bikes & big noise - I usedta think that is was my Buell’s kinda loud Vance & Hines exhaust that parted the #1 & #2 freeway lanes like my fellow Jewboy, Moses

years later, after many I-280 commute hours inside my Honda Element, I’ve come to believe that it’s the nearly unheard, low-frequency rumble of a lane-splitting big V-twin that gets it done - I know they’re coming before I check to verify they’re actually there

I haven’t experienced this effect with any other type of M/C, so I offer that for “lane-sharing”, itz Harley/Injun/Star, or nuttin!

 

[mrzuzzo]

I just saw a Zero SR/S.

In person it looks great.

Come on Zero, add fast charging. I'd order one today.

 

[R3DS!X]

I just saw a Zero SR/S.

In person it looks great.

Come on Zero, add fast charging. I'd order one today.

Why not order the new Eva ? Better range and fast charging.

 

[mrzuzzo]

Why not order the new Eva ? Better range and fast charging.

Multiple reasons, such as weight, not full fairing, bad service schedule, short battery warranty, Italian company.

I really don't want a motorcycle that needs maintenance more often than every 8K. Kind of defeats the point of having an EV.