An e-bike now chain free - And did he flip it?

[Brammofan]

I agree with you on the Charging upgrade. Seriously - Zero's optional deal is smart thinking.  You don't have to include the price of the fast charger in the press release that mentions the price of the bike.

Come on, Brammo!

[HighlanderMWC]

Highlander - and Gavin - by "direct drive" do you mean hub motors?  I've heard that they have handling issues. 

But, aren't Enertias basically direct drive already?  No clutch - motor tied directly to rear wheel (via chain) without any sort of transmission. 

Maybe I need some help with definitions here.

Yeah, direct-drive usually refers to any situation where motor speed and rear axle speed remain in a (relatively) constant ratio. I was inferring that Gavin was referring to either hub motors or mounted on swingarm (so direct mounting of shaft to axle). From what I'm hearing the handling issue should be pretty major, although Mark @ Enertrac is working on that opinion with his big hub motor.

As for chain/belt/shaft drive, I've heard that shaft is has the most efficiency losses (and is likely the heaviest too so a double hit). The nice thing about shaft is that it is basically maintenance free in any given year (gear oil change mileage way higher than anybody sane will be doing on an Enertia) and may in fact surpass the life of the batteries. For chain, my maintenance needs have dropped a fair bit since changing to o-ring especially after the mechanic that did the chain swap suggested waiting to hear the chain noise (or visible) check before lubing. I have no idea what the maintenance requirements are for belt.

[Richard230]

Shaft drive has it own problems. Power losses are typically around 15% and they can be heavy and expensive. Plus, they are not 100% problem-free. I managed to snap a U-joint on my BMW shaft drive about 15 years ago and repairs cost me $1200, as it wiped out the inside of the drive housing and the swing arm bearing.

A properly designed and manufactured belt drive, such as HD uses, can last several times as long as even an O-ring chain. Maintenance is minimal. All you have to do is stay away from gravel roads and check the belt tension every 10K miles, or so. They rarely need to be re-tensioned, though. However, the cost to manufacture a belt system is more than a chain drive. Like shaft drive, changing gear ratios is almost impossible for the owner and replacement belts are expensive and can usually only be purchased from the bike manufacturer ($$$).

Personally, given a choice, I would prefer a belt drive for street riding. I like the light weight, quiet running, lack of maintenance and cleanliness.

[Kelly Olsen]

I have to agree that the "J-Plug' is a real advantage and it is just putting e-bikes in a second class citizen mode by not having the option to pull into a mall or supermarket and plug in to the provided chargers. And many of the new J-Plug chargers, if not all of them, are without Level One charging which allowed for the 120V standard house-hold plug.

Why should electric motorcycle drivers have to hunt for Coke machines or other outlets? We should have the same opportunities as any other EV driver and not have people stare at us while we scavenge for juice. We are just as respectable as people that drive a four wheeled EV. After all, "I am NOT an animal!"

Sorry, got carried away there with a famous quote from a movie. Show your cinema knowledge and tell me which movie it came from and I'll give you a "trunk" of respect.

[Brammofan]

LOL That would be The Elephant Man.
And nice speech!

[Gavin]

mmm, david lynch...slowly rotating fans and heavy machinery...john hurt...good times...

a remember a play coming out shortly after the movie...heavily advertised on the radio...

i always have one line stuck in my head..."sometimes i think my head is sooo big because it is so full of dreams..."

eh, mine is just big cause i'm irish.

Gavin

[craigq]

Does anyone else think the Zero MX or X would be a hoot with some supermoto wheels on a twisty track ? The "dirt only" models are under 200lbs... 

[Kelly Olsen]

LOL That would be The Elephant Man.

I new you'd get that in a heartbeat.

[craigq]

Hmmm... another new variation from Zero :

Zero XU

[webman]

craigq:

You beat me to it!   I was planning a new topic on this new Zero bike.  I checked it out a bit on their site; seems like there are some good ideas there, but what I'd like to see is brammo develop the removable battery pack thing.  The reason I say this is that while Neil Saiki has some great ideas, what I've seen so far is that something is to be desired regarding execution.  Take a good look at photos of the enertia side by side with pics of the new zero, and you'll see what I mean.  The plastic parts on the zero look 'cheap', the details look unfinished/poorly proportioned, etc.  The brammo, by comparison, is just better-integrated, and more refined-looking.  Maybe I'm being a bit shallow, or maybe it's just my designer's brain talking, but if I'm going to shell out my hard-earned dollars for a bike, I want my machine to look as good as it works.  If a startup company is going to convince the buying public that electric bikes aren't toys, but real-world machines, I believe it's imperative that they really take the time to make the 'package' as refined as the 'guts.'

Now, if Mission Motors got off their butts and figured out how to mass-produce their new racebike, I'd really be in trouble; that thing is drop-dead gorgeous!!!

http://www.fastcompany.com/1710584/mission-outs-its-r-electric-racing-superbike-will-actually-race-it

[craigq]

Looking at the high-res photos of the XU it actually looks quite good, the metal-work/welds looks really nice. Range for a daily commute is not too good, hence my interest in the E+...

Zero XU High-Res Photos