Electric bikes, the next step

[Scootabout]

When I tried a Vectrix electric maxi scoot back in c.2005 I was pretty impressed, and made a mental note that I'd be happy to ride something similar when the price dropped. They were ahead of their time and went bust. I've just discovered they've been revived:
https://scooter.uk.com/vectrix-vx-1/

I don't doubt electric bikes are the future - perhaps nearer than many of us think.

[Scootabout]

By the way, Santa kindly dropped one of https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/electric- ... rget%20300these off early for me.

For urban use, they're brill.

[The Spin Doctor]

Whatever the next stop is, I don't think it's one of these:

https://thedriven.io/wp-content/uploads ... 00x450.jpg

https://thedriven.io/2020/12/15/austral ... otorcycle/

[weeksy]

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-rev ... o/s/20201/

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-rev ... o/s/20201/

Would you pay £12.5K for a lardy SV650 that has to be charged overnight between rides?

[weeksy]

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-rev ... o/s/20201/

Would you pay £12.5K for a lardy SV650 that has to be charged overnight between rides?

No, but i don't believe i'm their target market.

[G.P]

0I think the first Leccy motorcycle I get will be a groovy little trailie for going to the shops (pub) and playing with on the ridgeway.

like a stage 2 eMTB but without bothering with Pedals

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Given the rights of way laws in England and Wales you'd be better off with an EMTB, you could have a derestrictor for when you want to use it on "private" land and go faster.

[Dodgy69]

Thankfully, I won't need to worry about these at my age.

[Scootabout]

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-rev ... o/s/20201/

Would you pay £12.5K for a lardy SV650 that has to be charged overnight between rides?

But if you assume the variable element of the running cost is 2.5p per mile plus 1p for the belt wear plus 3p for tyres, whereas the SV would be maybe 12p per mile more than that, it starts to look more comparable. Break-even would be after about 50,000 miles, I think. I'm assuming fixed costs would be the same.

[Horse]

But if you assume the variable element of the running cost is 2.5p per mile plus 1p for the belt wear plus 3p for tyres, whereas the SV would be maybe 12p per mile more than that, it starts to look more comparable. Break-even would be after about 50,000 miles, I think. I'm assuming fixed costs would be the same.

Servicing costs would be a tad lower too.

[A_morti]

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-rev ... o/s/20201/

Would you pay £12.5K for a lardy SV650 that has to be charged overnight between rides?

It's lighter than an sv650.

And yes, I would.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-rev ... o/s/20201/

Would you pay £12.5K for a lardy SV650 that has to be charged overnight between rides?

It's lighter than an sv650.

And yes, I would.

It weighs 190kg, I think an SV is about 170
And on the running costs thing, if break even mileage is 50,000 miles, that's going to take a long time

[Mr. Dazzle]

Dry weight of an SV is 170kg, kerb weight is 190kg like the Zero.

Edit. Zeros website says 142kg kerb for the S...so much lighter than an SV650.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I got the 190 from the MCN report - should've known better

[Mr. Dazzle]

I reckon in any other context a 60bhp bike which weighs 140kg would have people all over it. Consider that the Duke 390 everyone loves is 10kg heavier and 15bhp less powerful. The leccy bike will be far gruntier too.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

My Husqvarna 610 weighed about 140KG and made about 50BHP, it was great fun, with an electric motor you should be able to adjust the torque curve to whatever you want (within reason)
The only problems I see with the electric bike are price (it's easily twice what I'd be willing to pay for it) and refuelling, most supermotos only have ranges of about 60 miles, so this would be fine, but recharge time needs to be 30 minutes maximum.

If all the motorcycle manufacturers got together and came up with a common battery you could stop at a filling station and exchange the flat battery for a fully charged one (a similar process to gas bottles) and then the recharging problem would be solved.

[A_morti]

Would you pay £12.5K for a lardy SV650 that has to be charged overnight between rides?

It's lighter than an sv650.

And yes, I would.

It weighs 190kg, I think an SV is about 170
And on the running costs thing, if break even mileage is 50,000 miles, that's going to take a long time

Dry weight of the Zero is a claimed 142kg. I guess you have to add fork fluid and brake fluid to that and probably get to around 145kg.

Apparently Suzuki claim 197kg wet for the SV with ABS. That has to include engine oil, coolant, battery acid, fuel, fork oil, brake fluid, etc.

50kg is a really big difference.

[A_morti]

If all the motorcycle manufacturers got together and came up with a common battery you could stop at a filling station and exchange the flat battery for a fully charged one (a similar process to gas bottles) and then the recharging problem would be solved.

www.electrek.co/2020/09/04/honda-yamaha ... eries/amp/

[Rockburner]

Would you pay £12.5K for a lardy SV650 that has to be charged overnight between rides?

It's lighter than an sv650.

And yes, I would.

It weighs 190kg, I think an SV is about 170
And on the running costs thing, if break even mileage is 50,000 miles, that's going to take a long time

5 years -ish? How long do people normally keep commuting bikes?

Because that's what this is - a commute bike, there's little point (at the moment) in buying a leccy bike for 'fun'*, but for saving money over the life of a commuting bike they're ideal (regular journey of known length, charged overnight etc). I'm basically waiting for these things to start appearing on the 2nd hand market**.



* opinions vary.

** - well - I was. Pandemic inspired working from home has changed commuting requirements somewhat.