Sourcing electric bikes

[gaddman]

Anybody on here found a place that sells or can import an electric bike? Cycletreads in Auckland had the Zero a few years ago, which looks pretty sweet. There's also a nice Italian one - Energica. Keen to hear if anybody has tried bringing one in and how much it ends up costing.

[YellowDog]

Does anyone have a good thing to say about electric motorcycles?

I rode one, a couple of years back, and would not choose to ride one again.

My main issue was that there was no engine braking, around bends, and it relied upon coasting, before accelerating out of the bend. I consider to be dangerous.

Have they changed/improved?

[R650R]

Does anyone have a good thing to say about electric motorcycles?

I rode one, a couple of years back, and would not choose to ride one again.

My main issue was that there was no engine braking, around bends, and it relied upon coasting, before accelerating out of the bend. I consider to be dangerous.

Have they changed/improved?

Very interesting valid point, half your directional stability must come from the rotating mass of crank and transmission, so losing this or having a lot less due to electronic trickery making same torque with less revs creates some inetersting issues.....

[Michael Moore]

I was visited a week ago by a couple of Zero riders who like their bikes a lot (one of them also has owned several VStroms, I don't know what the other guy might have in his stable). I think some models do regenerative braking which gives some similar effect to ICE braking. Of course, if you go from a big 4T single to an RD350 you'll swear the latter not only has no engine braking but in fact speeds up when the throttle is shut going into a corner (that was my impression).

If you want to slow down, use the brakes, they are much more effective than engine braking.

Some of the racing e-motos are going pretty well these days, weight from carrying sufficient batteries to go fast the entire race seems the main handling issue.

[caspernz]

When it comes to electric bikes, most seasoned bikers would likely scoff at the notion...

[jellywrestler]

have you tried a gay bar? bound to be some owners in one of those.

[swarfie]

I was racing in the States earlier this year at two AHRMA meetings and they run a class for E bikes. They were impressive and bloody fast and had a good field. It's only a matter of time. They're coming folks. But for me, yeah na. I'm not gay....yet

[R650R]

have you tried a gay bar? bound to be some owners in one of those.

When I started reading this reply, I thought it would tie in with the comment a bit above along the lines of few guys in there like their rides too LMAO

[R650R]

I was racing in the States earlier this year at two AHRMA meetings and they run a class for E bikes. They were impressive and bloody fast and had a good field. It's only a matter of time. They're coming folks. But for me, yeah na. I'm not gay....yet

Accidentally watched the car formula E stuff while channel swapping other day. Very boring even compared to other one make typeracing series. Seemed a lot of variance in battery life/performance too. Wouldn’t that suck, out for rude with mates and you have less reserve capacity. Whose gonna wait while you recharge?

[pritch]

It would seem some electric vehicles are getting quite quick?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWrUl3uemb4

[YellowDog]

It would seem some electric vehicles are getting quite quick?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWrUl3uemb4

So that's clear. Get an eBike for drag racing only

[Scubbo]

think it's like the 2stroke >> 4 stroke thing --- give it a few years and all motox will be electric (have you seen the new honda erex series? ) --- just enjoy the petrol bikes for as long as you can (not sure if kids born today will get to do the same)

if you look at battery tech bankrolled by James Dyson, should solve a lot of the current gripes with battery tech for vehicles too

[Navy Boy]

It's interesting how the market for bikes has evolved and continues to do so. 10-20 years ago very few manufacturers even mentioned fuel consumption figures for their machines, with the exception of BMW, and yet here we are seeing it banded about every time a new bike is launched.

I suspect that with Electric bikes we're still awaiting the point of critical mass from a general market acceptance point of view. Here in NZ I suspect that point will take longer to arrive than other countires due in no small part to the relative lack of infrastructure to support them. But arrive it will IMHO.

Harley's Livewire project has been kicking around for some years now but I suspect that their analysis of the E-bike market has shown that the technology isn't yet mature enough for them to take the plunge and put it into production. I'm looking forward to when it does come to fruition though and I'd love to ride it when it does finally start to arrive in dealerships.

[Gremlin]

Wouldn’t that suck, out for rude with mates and you have less reserve capacity. Whose gonna wait while you recharge?

They're only popping down the road for a coffee, so I hardly think range will be an issue, but then there are charging stations.

[Paul in NZ]

They're only popping down the road for a coffee, so I hardly think range will be an issue, but then there are charging stations.

Yes and no....

A mates just traded in his Yamaha MT10 because it gets 170km on a tank of gas... A decent E bike might achieve that so the problem with E bikes is not so much the range but the speed at which you recharge and a lack of rapid charge points.

But remember that problem was also faced by petrol driven vehicles pre WW1. Petrol was sold in cans by the chemist or local grocery store.

So yes there are issues but they are rapidly becoming non issues. Times are changing...