Motorcycles BS Thread 2.0

From what I've heard it's fuel efficiency of a 400cc bike with the get up and go of a liter bike, interesting concept for sure if they can keep the weight down of everything. Haven't looked too much into it aside from seeing a few instagram posts on it.

 

This.

I was just on Catalina Island here in southern California the Nazi green state. And you would expect to see electric EVERYTHING on an island that is for all intents and purposes a full on nature preserve. THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of golfcarts on the island for transportation in tight roads etc. Over 3 days I saw all of 5 electric carts, the rest gas (which all likely produce more emissions than the average car in LA). It was obvious that the electric ones cant make it through even half a day with all of the elevation change on the roads to get around also its WAY easier to carry a 5 gallon can to refuel on the other side of the island vs having to charge.

 

To me, I’m not interested in a hybrid at all due to:

- No manual transmission. Without one it just feels like a scooter
- Weight
- Complexity (which could affect reliability and definitely affects DIY-ability)

Bikes are the one area I don’t want any electrification. At least in the US they are such a minuscule amount of total miles traveled that it wouldn’t make a large difference by making them electric.

 

Its a virtue signaling publicity stunt IMO.

 

Welcome back! Got a little concerned with the llooonnnnggggg pause you took!

Consider some handle bar risers, might help the wrist and hand issue. That bike has cruise control right? On IBA rides it helps if you can give your hand a rest. Look into Laam Custom Seats and just send yours in this winter. Huge bang for the buck as he's done mine twice now.

 

I could imagine getting half the advertised range or less riding hard in the twisties. Our loop is also ~100-150 miles so recharging multiple times would be ridiculous.

 

Oh! I wanted to ask - how long does it usually take for the IBA to certify your rides? I submitted mine over a month ago and haven’t heard back but my first ride was certified in ~2-3 weeks.

 

Transmission sounded more like the FJR1300AE that used to be offered. No clutch lever but you DID still need to change gears. Still had a foot shifter but you could toggle a switch on the hand controls and the it had a sort of paddle shifter like a supercar. Rode my friends and must confess it was pretty cool banging shifts way faster than you could with your foot.

 

About 10 years ago I got to ride one of the Ego electric superbikes. No clutch, no gears, just rip it and go. It was very confusing, I didn't know what to do with my left hand without a clutch to feather. I would hope anything I'd get would have a clutch

 

You can already bang gears without the clutch on any motorcycle now and it’s already plenty fast for me. I prefer the enjoyment of shifting and using the clutch vs any gains in shift speed.

 

I pay for premier membership now so I can submit electronically so my ride in June was all done in like 2 weeks. Friend that rode with me did snail mail and his took about 4 weeks. I know they just had a big event in TX and there was also a first ever all female long distance rally held so I imagine some of their people were wrapped up. Bear in mind the scorers are all volunteers and many still work full time.
Are you on Facebook? There is an IBA page on there that is monitored regularly and they also have their own forum.

 

I tried to join the IBA group but was never accepted in.

 

Really? That's f'd up. I recall you getting your IBA number a while ago, did you try signing up since that?

 

Sorry, I meant in the FB group.

 

Nice lookin bike, I'd prolly ride that. Nice that it's not a plug-in, it's just there when/if you need it.

 

I could see an electric motor supplementing and ICE. I'd be interested in more for the performance benefits than the mileage/fuel savings.

yeah that silent start definitely sounded like a nice feature.

which also sounds great. weight will be an issue considering the battery, not so much for acceleration but braking

fair, i definitely wouldn't get one without a manual transmission. That kawasaki in the article you can select manual or auto, which is a nice feature.

The way I see it, hybrids could be another way to draw more people to motorcycling, and also present more options for those already riding to consider. Whether because it's newer tech (some people love that), better range/mileage/acceleration, more green, or a less obnoxious experience.

Yup definitely I don't think I could ever own a plug-in type unless charging got quick enough that it could achieve a full charge in under say 15-20 minutes. Granted I'd rarely ever be on that much of a time crunch...but on rare occasions I am

 

But would the power be worth the weight vs just getting more bike. How much battery would you need to put on a 4-500cc bike to make it run like a Hayabusa?

 

yeah that'd be the question and limitation of technology. If they could incorporate it without sacrificing too much in terms of weight, it's plausible. I unfortunately don't know jack about that sort of thing so I couldn't even guess if it's possible, or would be in the future.

But the article said that the hybrid bike they're developing could initially outpace a zx10r. wonder how long that "initially" is...like for 10 feet or a few hundred lol. I think it's definitely a distant dream vs something in the near future, but who knows

 

There’s no clutch or shifter on that bike, just buttons on the handlebar.

 

Thanks Chuck! I’ll look into risers. My left thumb has lingering issues, that one was displaced metacarpal base fracture - basically shattered it. And my wrist is messed up too. When I’m just cruising along it’s not bad, think it gets sore from a lot of clutch use.

Yes I do have cruise control, actually haven’t tried it yet. Will be nice to rest the throttle hand. I need to check Laam out, I was thinking just to get the KTM powerparts seat but realize it won’t compare to a custom piece.