“World’s first purpose-built hydrogen bike” premiers

[Bob]

The ENV bike, which according to British designers Seymour Powell is the world’s first purpose-built hydrogen-powered motorcycle was unveiled at the Design Museum in London.

The ENV bike, which has a top speed of 50mph and a range of at least 100 miles, said it demonstrated the potential of new fuel cell technology. On a full tank it runs continually for up to four hours on its hydrogen fuel cell, which can be detached

It has no gears, and according to its designers Seymour Powell, feels more like a mountain bike. Director Nick Talbot said: “ENV is light, fast and fun. It has good ground clearance, great off-road suspension travel and a very carefully considered power-to-weight ratio. I have ridden motorbikes for years and in the process of designing the bike I have become a convert to fuel cell technology.”

[Storm]

We'll see how that one turns out. Hmmm, no exhaust note. Oh well, looks like they wont sell well (eh, all you straight through pipes,window-rattling harley types) :cool:

[Jackrat]

Hell,down hill a good push bike would eat it.

[Bob]

We'll see how that one turns out. Hmmm, no exhaust note. Oh well, looks like they wont sell well (eh, all you straight through pipes,window-rattling harley types) :cool:

Funny you should say that...

This just in...

"The new ENV fuel cell bike may have an artificial “vroom” added.

The bike is almost entirely silent. Anti-noise campaigners were delighted, but Harry Bradbury, chief executive of the bike's manufacturer, Intelligent Energy, said: "There has never been a silent bike produced, so no one is used to it. As it goes forward towards production, we're going to give thought to some light noise modulation."

He is planning to introduce an artificial engine noise which could be used in an urban setting to alert other road users but switched off in the countryside.

Peter Wakeham, director of the Noise Abatement Society, said motorcycles were among the greatest causes of noise distress. He welcomed the prospect of a noise-free bike but added: "It kind of defeats the point to have a silent motorbike and then put an artificial noise on to it."

Jeff Stone, of the British Motorcyclists Federation, said that noise was part of the attraction for many enthusiasts. "A lot of motorcyclists will say bikes these days are already far too quiet."

[Blakamin]

Sounds seriously boring to me...
50mph??? :brick: (If I wanted to do 50, I woulda got a cage and sat in traffic like every other dickhead)
No noise (or arftificial "vroom")? :brick: (If I wanted a quiet bike, I woulda bought a 4 cylinder)
feels like a mountain bike? :brick: :brick: (if I wanted a mountain bike I woulda bought one)


ummmm.... no thanks, they can jam that one up their ring hole!

[Ixion]

Hm. Hydrogen. Remembers the Hindenberg. Well, the bins will be spectacular that's for sure.

At least the hapless rider will have the posthumous satisfaction of knowing he immolated the cager that took him out.

[Bob]

Don't think there is going to be enough hydrogen here to take out much of anything... here is an image of the bike, courtesy of the BBC:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40931000/jpg/_40931247_bikepa203bdy.jpg

[Ixion]

Well, looking at that rear sprocket, and the size of the brakes, I don't think it the R1 or GSX is in any really danger of being challenged.

[Coyote]

Stuff what you all think, I'm interested in it :yes:

Paint it matt black and get some nice stealth fighter-esk carbon fibre fairings on it, it would be the ultimate ninja bike!!!

Although, it'll cost a pretty penny won't it?

[Blakamin]

Don't think there is going to be enough hydrogen here to take out much of anything... here is an image of the bike, courtesy of the BBC:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40931000/jpg/_40931247_bikepa203bdy.jpg
of course it feels like a mountain bike!!!!
It Friggin is!!!!!

[Bob]

There is one more problem if you own one of these... there is only one, repeat ONE petrol station in the UK that is geared up to re-fuel it!

With a 100 mile range, this means you can't go more than 50 miles from Hornchurch in Essex... or to be more specific, the BP Garage on the A127 outside of Hornchurch.

The only reason that this garage can re-fuel the ENV is that it was adapted to fuel the three hydrogen cell buses currently on trial in London.

[Ixion]

There is one more problem if you own one of these... there is only one, repeat ONE petrol station in the UK that is geared up to re-fuel it!

With a 100 mile range, this means you can't go more than 50 miles from Hornchurch in Essex... or to be more specific, the BP Garage on the A127 outside of Hornchurch.

The only reason that this garage can re-fuel the ENV is that it was adapted to fuel the three hydrogen cell buses currently on trial in London.

No prob. Just take a spare can in and get it filled :lol:

[Bob]

No prob. Just take a spare can in and get it filled :lol:

We-ell.... the fuel cell unit is detachable... so in theory, I suppose you could carry a spare (not knowing how large the unit is).

Wouldn't want to fall on top of it though...

Tell you what, this one has really caught the imagination though - all the usual news sources I trawl through have articles about it all over them.

One thing nobody has picked up on though - it'd probably be a good little bike for 16 year olds, what with no gears, cheap to run (I guess) etc. But the daft rules in the UK mean they couldn't ride it, as up until 17th birthday, they can only ride mopeds with a top speed of 30mph... and this thing does 50mph!

I really don't understand the point of limiting 16 year olds to mopeds, but once they're 17 allowing them on 125cc bikes. 16 is the youngest you're allowed on the road here - so what is the point of one year on something that in all honesty is bloody dangerous? At least with a 125, you've got a chance of getting out of trouble - accellerate out of trouble on a moped? Forget it.

Sorry, got a bit off subject (and emotive) there...

[ManDownUnder]

Great idea and H2 ain't hard to make yourself... compress it up to the storage pressure (or otherwise manufacture it on the bike) and it's all good!

Needs an image overhaul though - make it sorta like the current scooters zipping around. Make it more mainstream.

Like Toyotas new hybrid car. Who wants to buy that ugly thing???

[Ixion]

Great idea and H2 ain't hard to make yourself... compress it up to the storage pressure (or otherwise manufacture it on the bike) and it's all good!

Needs an image overhaul though - make it sorta like the current scooters zipping around. Make it more mainstream.

Like Toyotas new hybrid car. Who wants to buy that ugly thing???


Well, it's easy enough to make. (Take water, remove oxygen). But compressing it, and storing it. :eek: Ahem, please confirm that you don't live anywhere near me !

[Coyote]

Great idea and H2 ain't hard to make yourself... compress it up to the storage pressure (or otherwise manufacture it on the bike) and it's all good!

One word: Boom

Do you really want to have a compressed bottle of H2 in your garage, shed or bedroom?

Allthough, I suppose you have those gas cylinders for heaters lying around

Might be interesting if two hydrogen vehicles collide

[NordieBoy]

How about this Segway then...

http://www.segway.com/images/v/main_centaur.jpg

May look weird but the MOVIE (http://fran.orcon.net.nz/conceptcentaur.wmv) is cool.

[Jackrat]

How about this Segway then...

http://www.segway.com/images/v/main_centaur.jpg

May look weird but the MOVIE (http://fran.orcon.net.nz/conceptcentaur.wmv) is cool.

Looks like it would go down real well in Tauranga or Orewa.
Can't see it compeating with it an XR650 but.

[TwoSeven]

Looking at the ENV machine stats I don't think its directly 'powered' by the hydrogen cell. Which makes it a bog standard electric engine bolted to two wheels which has been done many times before.

The giveaway is the 4 lead acid batteries connected in series.

This (http://www.lemcoltd.com/lem_170.htm) is the engine it uses and as you can see, they claim its already used in mopeds.

Basically they have a high pressure hydrogen tank (you can buy from www.luxfer.com), that contains hydrogen, and a small O2 pump (they may not have one if the fuel cell has) that draws in air. These two are mixed and passed into two fuel cells which produce lekky, that is used to drive the lekky lengine.

With the lead acid batteries there i'd suggest that the fuel cell just constant charges the batteries and those are used to drive the engine, but it may be the other way round.

Just about all of the bits can be brought over the net -although the fuel cell will be expensive, the other bits are not.

[Coyote]

May look weird but the MOVIE (http://fran.orcon.net.nz/conceptcentaur.wmv) is cool.
Whoa, awesome, I want one!

Allthough, bit slow. Played the movie at double speed, thats more like it

[avgas]

they actually make some really good electric motorbikes in the states. Running 72V motors - the look like a a cross between a full susp. mountain bike, and a supercross bike. The weight about 90ks, and do about 60mph. They even got to do a high 12 sec quarter mile, as most electric motor powered vehicles these days have very impressive 0-100 times (i think there was a hi-bred lotus that had mclaren F1 0-60 times).
Im actually on the lookout for a TR50 with a stuffed motor to chuck an electric into it. Just imagine it, you would have capacitors instead of NOS :lol:

[Pixie]

Great idea and H2 ain't hard to make yourself... compress it up to the storage pressure (or otherwise manufacture it on the bike) and it's all good!

Needs an image overhaul though - make it sorta like the current scooters zipping around. Make it more mainstream.

Like Toyotas new hybrid car. Who wants to buy that ugly thing???

Making H2 is easy,sure,keeping it from blowing you up is the trick.I doubt they use compressed gas,most H2 fuel tech is trying to store it in metal hydrides,but you need to heat them to release the gas.Fuel cells can be designed to run on methanol,or you can run an I.C. engine on H2.
P.S. modern euro diesel cars are actually more eco friendly than any of the petrol electric hybrids,and they perform as good as some petrol equivalents.
I want a proper diesel bike!

[Bob]

According to the developers of the ENV fuel cell motorcycle, it could be on sale in the UK by the end of 2006.

Intelligent Energy, are currently in negotiations with a Japanese company to manufacture the bikes. If the sales reach 10,000 units plus they could see a price tag of £3000-4000.

Lets hope they also put in place more ‘fuelling stations’ than the current ONE in place in Hornchurch, Essex – which is only there to power the fuel cell buses currently being tested in London.

[The Tazman]

How about this Segway then...

http://www.segway.com/images/v/main_centaur.jpg

May look weird but the MOVIE (http://fran.orcon.net.nz/conceptcentaur.wmv) is cool.

This looks different. would love to see the vid but don't have 3 days to down load it on dial up!!

As for the ENV I can think of better bikes than that to spend that kind of money on. They need to improve the look and the speed before I would even blink at it. The only use I can see for it is comuting around the citys and maybe that's where they are aiming who know's

Some of you guys comments have had me :rofl:

Thanks for making me laugh

Taz

[Pixie]

How about this Segway then...

http://www.segway.com/images/v/main_centaur.jpg

May look weird but the MOVIE (http://fran.orcon.net.nz/conceptcentaur.wmv) is cool.
This must have been designed for George Dubya-He may have been the first person to fall off a two wheeled Segway

[sels1]

We have a hydrogen generator at work that produces 28 cubic feet per hour....no problem with gas supply - just need a bike to put it in! :whistle:

[RiderInBlack]

How about this Segway then...

http://www.segway.com/images/v/main_centaur.jpg

May look weird but the MOVIE (http://fran.orcon.net.nz/conceptcentaur.wmv) is cool.What the fu*k:crazy: Who's the design idiot that put the fu*ken Excer-cycle on wheels:killingme As for the ENV machine, how can they get away with calling that moped a motorcycle :slap: