MOTORCYCLES

Survey: 31% of motorcyclists would quit riding if forced to go electric

All new cars and vans sold in the UK after 2030 will have to be zero-emissions. Similar laws will come to the motorcycle world one day too, and a new survey suggests that's the day when a surprising number of bikers will hang up their boots for good.   Read mor

I did see a scooter-type electric motorbike advertised in Thailand. It had a removable battery pack. The idea was that when you got home you removed the battery, took it inside your apartment and plugged it in using a standard wall socket.

 

I could see that type of arrangement being popular in Thailand when the price is at the right point.

I can't see it happening here for 10-20 years, last time I looked prices of electric bikes were 3x the petrol equivalent, and petrol is cheap so no need to buy one unless you're obsessed with saving the planet

Just now, blackcab said:

I did see a scooter-type electric motorbike advertised in Thailand. It had a removable battery pack. The idea was that when you got home you removed the battery, took it inside your apartment and plugged it in using a standard wall socket.

 

I could see that type of arrangement bring popular in Thailand when the price is at the right point.

 

I think my girlfriend has one of those.   She comes home and brings the battery in to get charged every day.    I didn't know she had a motorcycle

If/when they force me to have an electric (hair dryer)   then I'll install a sound effect machine  with Suzuki Hybusa,RD350LC and Mazda RX-8 sounds to warn other road users that I'm approaching    remember  "loud pipes save lives"   no I don't believe that  but if forced to drive electric  it has to make a noise ????

 

9 minutes ago, rumak said:

 

I think my girlfriend has one of those.   She comes home and brings the battery in to get charged every day.    I didn't know she had a motorcycle

Most likely a battery for sumthin else. Are you keepin her happy in the bedroom department?  ????

The freedom of motorcycling as riders from the 60's,70's and 80's will know has not all but gone, but are diminishing fairly quickly. There are so many regulations nowadays and every year it seems new ones come into force. Admittedly, it's safer, but it's not as fun. By the time it goes all electric, I think the then biker generation won't be that bothered about loss of exhaust note and so forth, they will be so conditioned by regulations over the years anyways and by 2030, acceptance of all things electric will be far greater, and certainly cheaper by then............................. I fancy many of the 31% will have short memories of the2021 survey and will embrace silent mode seamlessly...............

13 minutes ago, blackcab said:

I did see a scooter-type electric motorbike advertised in Thailand. It had a removable battery pack. The idea was that when you got home you removed the battery, took it inside your apartment and plugged it in using a standard wall socket.

 

I could see that type of arrangement bring popular in Thailand when the price is at the right point.

Yep, wife got a scooter type electric thing 3 days ago. Totally silent, so she whizzes around the village and you only know she's there until you see her. Tried it meself to go to the shop. Not that comfortable, but I cud C the appeal if my click had an electric battery. 

 

Would need to install a noise maker however, cause the diginals never look when crossing the road. They only listen for sound. ????

37 minutes ago, thequietman said:

Most likely a battery for sumthin else. Are you keepin her happy in the bedroom department?  ????

 

i am glad you got the joke   ????

That survey may be valid in the UK where scooters are a discretionary spend.  But it won't be worth a flip in Thailand, where economic realities force people onto scooters as their main form of transport.

Off-road I could probably do (massive low down torque)...but 'road trips', never, has to be using hydrocarbons and make a noise that fuels the soul

Yet you can buy a nice Electric HD, wonder how that would be viewed by the 1%r's

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Electric+Harley+Davidson&docid=608052191078266477&mid=4F185B2C45508E7D2FFE4F185B2C45508E7D2FFE&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

When I commuted to/from work every day by motorcycle in northern California I'd often see one or two electric motorcycles during my ride.  Performance-wise they weren't slouches by any stretch.  The only thing that would bother me is the lack of a clutch to modulate power delivery (no, I can't ride a scooter here).  With Thailand's heat I'm not sure how long batteries would last.  If it wasn't for that, the lack of clutch and the range-anxiety I'd consider riding one.

14 hours ago, rumak said:

 

I think my girlfriend has one of those.   She comes home and brings the battery in to get charged every day.    I didn't know she had a motorcycle

My wife is the same, always seems happy after a little ride on hers

If forced to I could bring myself to ride this.

125mph top speed with a 200 mile range.

6 minutes ago, Excel said:

My wife is the same, always seems happy after a little ride on hers

I have no particular view on this either way other than to say that such a move will definitely put the dampers on a sequel to "Easy Rider'. The sound track of 10 great songs will be missing the 70-80 decibels of those Harley's.

I am concerned by their silence. Already been nearly mown down by very quiet cars while cycling. Some form of noise generator is a must.

In the first half of last century Glasgow had electric trams which rattled and the local pedestrians did not bother to look because they could hear them a long way off. Then in the 1960s, Glasgow replaced its trams with silent trolley busses. This caused a huge spike in pedestrian deaths and injuries.

On 5/25/2021 at 6:41 PM, blackcab said:

I did see a scooter-type electric motorbike advertised in Thailand. It had a removable battery pack. The idea was that when you got home you removed the battery, took it inside your apartment and plugged it in using a standard wall socket.

 

I could see that type of arrangement being popular in Thailand when the price is at the right point.

 

Check out what's happening in Taiwan right now. They have battery banks. You turn up on your scooter with a flat battery. Log in to the battery bank then leave your discharged battery to get charged and take out a fully charged one. Slot new one in to your scooter and you are on your way. Whole process about 1 minute.

 

Until electric cars can do this , petrol cars cannot be replaced for long distance journeys.

 

Having shown this , it could be more difficult to introduce in the UK or USA where vandalism would be a big problem

 

 

 

Electric cars is the way to go for the future. The only problem is the charging time of many hours. In petrol cars, you need to insert for only a few minutes.

 

 

8 hours ago, Maybole said:

I am concerned by their silence. Already been nearly mown down by very quiet cars while cycling. Some form of noise generator is a must.

In the first half of last century Glasgow had electric trams which rattled and the local pedestrians did not bother to look because they could hear them a long way off. Then in the 1960s, Glasgow replaced its trams with silent trolley busses. This caused a huge spike in pedestrian deaths and injuries.

Roads are designed and built for motor vehicles.

You must adapt - and not expect the whole world to change for a very very few people who want to ride bicycles on them.

Do like motorcycle riders have done for decades - install mirrors.

Be Aware

Beware

- ELECTRIC WHAT !!!!

The new HD electric bike makes a neat new sound so you are aware it is running and then another revving noise while riding it and accelerating.  this way one does hear it. it was a concern of the developers of it being so quiet and causing potential injuries.

On 5/25/2021 at 6:47 PM, johng said:

If/when they force me to have an electric (hair dryer)   then I'll install a sound effect machine  with Suzuki Hybusa,RD350LC and Mazda RX-8 sounds to warn other road users that I'm approaching    remember  "loud pipes save lives"   no I don't believe that  but if forced to drive electric  it has to make a noise ????

 

Enjoy! I guess on a bike it works best with headphones. 

 

 

22 hours ago, DaLa said:

I have no particular view on this either way other than to say that such a move will definitely put the dampers on a sequel to "Easy Rider'. The sound track of 10 great songs will be missing the 70-80 decibels of those Harley's.

 

Sequel was done in 2012, called Easy Rider: The Ride Back.

 

 

On 5/26/2021 at 3:12 AM, Ralf001 said:

If forced to I could bring myself to ride this.

125mph top speed with a 200 mile range.

 

I'd be quite happy with that providing I could do a 300 mile journey in 5 hours rather than 15.

It should also not weigh more than 170kg.

I mean, it should be vaguely comparable to my 20 year old Kwack 600.

They just miss the noise.  Put a playing card on a spoke.

In 2030 I will be 81 years old I think the only type of scooter I will be driving then is one of those three wheeled mobility types !!!

I really cannot wait for the widespread introduction of electric vehicles. I live on a road with a good surface which attracts all sorts of idiots who ride way over the speed limit on loud motorbikes and who have no regard for the people living along the road. Cutting the number of morons to 31% suits me fine.

Which is exactly the goal of Agenda 2030.  Stop the lower classes from driving (pricing them out of the market will work) and leave public transportation as the only alternative.