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This is a project that the company I work for is working on. We provide the Propulsion Unit for this all-electric Superbike, 194 HP, and 295 lbs-ft of torque. The propulsion system that we sell them weighs 110lbs, and can run about 25 miles at full power. Granted, due to battery performance, this is not a long range racebike platform, but that is changing as we speak. The Unit that I am directly responsible for is the 134HP/221 lbs-ft unit that CODA Automotive is ramping up into production in their new car. With it's battery pack, it's good for about 100-120 miles on a 6 hour charge. Would be fun to take this bike to Burnout Night at the local Hooters and leave some tire chunks on the Harleys (all the while not disturbing the neighbors-heehee!) And no worries about engines that sound like sewing machines...



Shocking Superbike

Cool, Greg!

You also might have seen that the latest(Nov 2010)issue of Motorcyclist Magazine's focus is on electric-powered bikes, which I'm presently reading through. Interesting stuff, to be sure. As you mention above, it seems the limiting factor on all the different prototypes featured within their pages are the battery units of the bikes...limiting not the power available to the rider(as some of the bike are real screamers, some of which putting out Superbike-like power figures), but the range availability of these machines.

Yeah, I'm thinking you could do a tow behind trailer like the bike camper trailers, except packed with a big lithium ion battery! Boy, wouldn't that be fun, towing along 450V worth of batteries, nothing says drop dead sexy like batteries!

Awesome

I have looked at some of the electrics esp. the Brammo for commuting (the cost per mile is VERY low) and I could make it to and from the office on a charge (just) but if I had any errands to run during the day (or meetings on another campus) I would have to wheel it into my cube to plug it in.... not too practical yet. But I think with some serious attention paid to the battery weight / capacity issue things will get smaller, lighter and so add more range in the next 10-15 years.

Thom, with the potential and the money going into research right now (with Toyota dropping $50 Million into Tesla and Nissan launching the all electric Leaf, and some very prominent European companies we are dealing with, as well as an electric racing car application we are also dealing with, I would expect less than 5 years for a real breakthrough. Hey, 5 years ago, most people would laugh about a diesel race car, now Audi OWNS the LeMans series with TDI engines.

I'll take my diesel over electric any day

well, now, based on the current battery limitations, IF I were driving over 100 miles a day, I would agree with you. Under that, and I'll put our PowerPhase 200 against any diesel pickup in normal production today, and our 200 pound motor (what is the weight of a normal truck diesel like a Duramax V8?) will pull the bed off that truck and leave it crying for Mommy. It puts out 268HP and 664 lbs-ft of torque, which can be turned on like a light switch. Sorry, I love diesels, would love to buy a TDI Jetta wagon if they weren't so expensive or the new Amorak pickup, but you can't stack a diesel against a brushless DC motor and win. Granted, the motors we make are a tad more expensive than the diesel, but as with any new technology, volumes and time in production will bring it down to a comparable price range. And, as said, I expect the battery market to revolutionize in the next few years with the amount of money going into it right now.

I've given some thought to the Empulse as a daily commuter bike. Allegedly 100 mile range and tops out at 100mph. That's definitely a commuter and then some. Maybe if it were a few grand cheaper (or if I were a few grand richer).

Actually on second look, the Empulse 6.0 (60 mile range) after tax incentives and such comes out to about $6k. Not bad... (and with 10 miles each way to work, that would more than cover the commute and whatever errands I need to run).

My dad built me a two speed electric mini-bike when I was seven, he used a 6v starter motor and a stepper throttle connected to two car 12 volters, I guess he ran out of starter motors, 'cause after a while he quit fixing it, guess I don't blame him

Sure, go electric and lose the soul of a vehicle,....so exciting.

Yea Sounds like guys keep getting their MAN cards pulled again !!!!!!!!!!!.... LOL

Henery, have a listen to the sound of the bike on the dyno, the high pitch wail of the gearbox at full throttle, just before it overaccelerated the dyno drum and started dancing all over the place and smoking the tire. Yeah, that sounds like no soul and having a man card yanked. I love my bike, but I guarantee that none of our bikes will EVER dance on a dyno like this electric did.

Does this mean I'd get rid of my blue, no! But I would love to try one of these, I'm quite sure it would find a way to stir my soul (among other things) even without Bubs.

Yeah, I agree. I don't know where the derision is coming from. (n00b?)

You always get an Ipod mounted to it with a recording of a Triumph going though the revs...

Okay go ahead and get one or two saves more fuel for me !!!

Had lunch at with the CDC riding group today and one of our members rode his Zero. Cool, but we were discussing the differences in the ride and I asked him about engine braking (since there is no compression) There is none! That would take some getting used to.

Thom, what is the Zero? I know on our motor system, we use regenerative breaking which will have a similar effect to engine braking.

actually, I just looked them up. Had never heard of them. I noticed that they don't give any power output specs, and use an air cooled brushed motor. We're using liquid cooled brushless DC motors