Brammo Owners Forum
General => Welcome Forum => Topic started by: Richard230 on February 12, 2012, 06:12:42 PM
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Let me list the advantages of riding an electric motorcycle (in no particular order):
1. They are quiet.
2. They don't need to be warmed up before you can ride off.
3. You don't need a choke and another electric motor to get them started.
4. They don't stink when running.
5. They are very quiet.
6. They require very little maintenance.
7. They are cheap to run.
8. The government likes them too (at least for now).
9. Small children can touch them without being burned.
10. You no longer have to figure out how to change your oil and filter without making a big mess.
11. You no longer need to learn how to use a clutch properly.
12. You no longer have to figure out what gear you are in (with apologies to Brammo's future model plans) .
13. You no longer have to polish the toes of your riding boots twice as often as your street shoes.
14. You no longer have to visit gas stations or worry about the next price increase. (Gas went up another 10 cents a gallon today.)
15. You no longer have to worry if your gasoline will turn to gunk if you don't ride every couple of weeks, or if ethanol will damage your motor.
16. You no longer have to worry about acids building up in your crankcase and eating your bearings.
17. Putting the bike in storage for the winter and getting it back on the road again in the spring takes minutes, instead of hours.
Now here are some reasons why I don't like electric motorcycles (again, in no particular order);
1. They are too quiet to save lives. :o
2. Your motorcycle dealer's service department is going to go broke.
3. Your electrical power bill is going to go up (especially in CA, where the more power you use, the more you pay per kWh).
4. You no longer want to participate in oil threads and the merits of synthetic oil.
5. There are not enough after-market accessories for them yet.
6. Tire sizes are a little strange.
7. Your dealer likely knows less about your bike than you do.
8. Electric motorcycles cost twice as much as a similar IC motorcycle.
9. Range remains an issue and when you twist the throttle you wonder if it is better to go faster or further.
10. Electric motorcycle forums and few and far between.
Can you add to this list? ;D
(I might add that when speaking with other motorcyclists about my electric motorcycle, the one thing they worry about (even more than range or top speed) is its lack of noise and how that makes (in their minds) the vehicle dangerous to ride in traffic. Naturally I disagree, but that does seem to be the big concern of the riders that I have talked to.) :-\
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Good list...I would add as a con, lack of storage...but that is largely true of most motorcycles, not just electrics.
One more possible con...everybody stops and asks you questions about your ride...
Gavin
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I have nothing to add...
Pros
4. This is good to know, reaffirming a question I posed earlier.
Cons
1. I've never believed that crap for a second, "loud pipes saves lives"
6. You've got the 2012 S, front: 110/70-17 FR, rear: 130/70-17
- Avon Roadrider AM26 has an exact match to the OEM
- Bridgestone Battleax BT45 has an exact match to the OEM
- Pirelli Demon Sport has an exact match to the OEM
- Kenda K671 "Cruiser" has an exact match to the OEM
- Continental ContiGo's almost a match, the front is different 100/70-17 or 110/80-17
- Bridgestone BT003RS almost match on the rear 140/70-17. Rear is oversized but might be worth a shot
- and of course the OEM IRC's
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I have the BT45s on my gas bike. Replacing the rear @ 6k miles, seems short. May be wearing more quickly because of age (tires are about 6 years old, front shows some wear but no real deterioration).
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I have the BT45s on my gas bike. Replacing the rear @ 6k miles, seems short. May be wearing more quickly because of age (tires are about 6 years old, front shows some wear but no real deterioration).
If you think 6K miles is short then do not go with the BT003RS :D
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Interesting in that just this weekend I had the Enertia over at PJ's Motorcycles for them to look over and one of the first comments was, "Dang those tires will last forever". That was after finding out the bike is 320 pounds and used as a city commuter.
Gavin
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Pro:
Winter riding is much safer because the throttle response is so accurate. No weelspin in slippery conditions
No starting problems (dead battery :)) in the winter
Con:
You cannot carry a passenger on an EV bike (yet). (Except the Vectrix but that is a scooter.)
You cannot warm your hands on the engine in the winter
Been riding my bike at -5C to -10C and in snow last few weeks ;)
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Con:
You cannot carry a passenger on an EV bike (yet). (Except the Vectrix but that is a scooter.)
You cannot warm your hands on the engine in the winter
You can carry a passenger on the Zero S, and the Empulse should allow that too.
I agree about the hand warmer... :P However, electric motors do get hot, which is the Empulse has a cooling system. We just need a mod that can move some of that heat into the handlebars! ;D
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I don't think zero has shipped their passenger kit, and Brammo hasn't exactly shippe the Empulse either ;) But yes, passengers will be a possibility soon.
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My GPR-S was equipped to carry a passenger right from the "factory". (Dual seat, passenger pegs and a grab rail.) Plus, it had a carrying capacity rating of 540 pounds! Too bad it wouldn't actually have been able to move with that much weight on the bike. :-[
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Pro:
Winter riding is much safer because the throttle response is so accurate. No weelspin in slippery conditions
No starting problems (dead battery :)) in the winter
Con:
You cannot carry a passenger on an EV bike (yet). (Except the Vectrix but that is a scooter.)
You cannot warm your hands on the engine in the winter
Been riding my bike at -5C to -10C and in snow last few weeks ;)
this Feb...
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7038/6881224357_8e6e5ab821_b.jpg)
last feb...pre enertia...
(http://brammoblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/temp-bank1.jpg?w=510&h=518)
and that sign is actually off about a few degrees...it was negative 5 fahrenheit...
(-5) degrees Fahrenheit = -20.5555556 degrees Celsius
not sure if Brammo would let me drive the loaner Enertia in that low of temps...
gavin
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Here is another reason that I like electric motorcycles. They are really smooth. Vibration through the handlebars has always been an issue for me. Too many vibes or tingles can be quite uncomfortable on a long steady ride at a constant speed. But that is not an issue with a motorcycle driven by an electric motor. :)