Electric

[hrcmonty]

Is it just me, or is anybody bothered or even scared that the internal combustion engine, That perfect sound and smell of an engine is pretty rapidly disappearing.

I've just seen on another web site that an 8 year old has won his local championship on a very small electric osset, beating adults on petrol bikes.

Also in this years Manx GP electric powered bikes lapped at 98MPH. Both of these pretty much prooving that electric power can do what petrol power can.

Not being any form of green peace bod or owt, My concern is that either in my era (being 27) or atleast my Kids ( to be) era, That lovely sound and smell that i think actually drives the adrenalin buzz we get will be gone.

And also i cannot see how they can be ridden effectivily, As we all know we ride bikes by the sound of the engine, We know when to change gear, when to dump the clutch etc etc by the noise of the engine. how do you do all that with no noise?

We all do it, When waiting at section we blip the engine, most may do it for other reasons but we all do it because we just love the sound our bikes give off. Can you imagine sat at a section waiting in the future and reving your engine, and all you get is an electric whering noise, how Boring will that be!

Anyway Ban all electric bikes i say!

Edited November 12, 2009 by hrc_monty

[bigfoot]

Crawford Carrick Anderson is completely deaf and is an outstanding bike rider. Has was Scotland best trials rider for years and has achieved even more in UK & european enduros.

I don't think we need the sounds its just that we like it.

[sectionone]

Ashley Fiolek, 2009 Women's Motocross Champion/X Games Gold Medalist is also deaf. I think deaf riders get feedback from engine vibration. I'm sure they will find a way for electric motorcycles to make some noise and vibration.

[dave horne]

Electric bikes, they're coming whether we like it or not.

Anyway, why not just have a seperate class for them.

[kelleycarbon]

I used to be a total petrol head and like you 'hrc monty' I too used to worry of it happening within my lifetime, but nowadays I am ready for the change and love inovation. It will be a whole different challenge for not only engineers but as riders, car drivers, etc.

If you have seen the Tesla sports car it has masses of torque and this will be ideal for trials where instant power is required with zero run up to catapult up rock steps and climbs. "Bring it on" I say.

I have managed to enjoy many aspects of motorsport provided by the internal combustion engines including sprints, rallying, karting, trials and enduro so I feel fulfilled and satisfied to wave goodbye. Having said that I would advise any youngsters to get as much use and experience from petrol/deisel engines before they are banned altogether.

[htrdoug]

Not to worry,battery power will price itself out of the market much quicker than oil

lithium supply

Zinc-air not much more promising future

[wri5hty]

How many batteries would you need for the Scott. then there is the ssdt all the batteries would need recharging before the next day it will plunge half of Scotland into darkness.

[gwhy]

There will always be a place for the IC engine when electric vehicle are the norm, but I think I have to correct you on this a electric motor can always out perform IC motor ( but there are a few items that do need to be addressed and normally it becomes a compromise ). The reason the lap time was only 98 at the Manx GP was because due to the compromise of distance over battery capacity . The sprint record for a e-bike is just under 60mph in about 13 seconds the sprint record for a e-motorcycle is 169mph in a tad under 8 secs

.

Electric bikes do make a noise its just different. Battery's are getting smaller, lighter and have a higher power density also the prices are coming down. there are lots of chemistry configurations for cells, there is also rumours that nuclear cells will soon be available for high power apps , nuclear cells have been around for a while but in very small low power form ( I dont like the thought of this ). Dont get me wrong im not a tree hugger but going electric is a positive step to help promote motorcycle sport, It will also enable people to practice almost anywhere they want to ( as regards trials ).

Also Just think while waitin at a section rather than blipping the throttle, you can have a cd player on your bike and play your favourite party hits cd at full blast while you wait.

[manx2day]

Also in this years Manx GP electric powered bikes lapped at 98MPH. Both of these pretty much prooving that electric power can do what petrol power can.

Can i just correct you and say that it was at the TT, not the MGP.

Although i was pretty scepticle about the whole thing, i was very surprised.

I was at the Grandstand on that, frankly, historic day and there was quite an atmoushpere. Yes there is no noise from the engine and yes they are slow but it certainly had the crowds on their feet. As the first few bikes who made it round started coming through, it was amazing at the speed they were going at, after 37.73 miles! Some obviously didn't make it the whol way and some only just ran out of 'juice' on the last few miles. Some decided to push and that shows dedication. Some of them looked knackered but wouldn't give up!

While they may not be what we're used to, they probably are the future. I am one of those people who doesn't want to lose the combustion engine but seeing all this new technology is interesting, you've got to admit.

I wouldn't say ban them, i'd say, bring it on, may the best power win!

[hrcmonty]

Your correct it was TT i apologise,

I'm all for new technology, but in the same way am bothered about it.

Already Technology and robots are puuting us all out of jobs. and due to this are loosing skills, or the only skills being developed are I.T skills to fix the things.

I can't say electric power thrills me, but my main point i suppose im saying is, If we carry on prooving electric power can phsyically do what IC can do, then is the goverment not going to turn around and say, 'right well there is no difference in performance between these two machines, Electric has very little green peace effect but IC is burning a hole in our atomosphere blablabla, Ban all IC, we don't need them anymore as Electric can replace it'

Then before you know it, IC sport is no more, no more lovely smell, no more lovely noise etc.

They did it with a massive percentage of 2 strokes, correct me if im wrong but there is no or very few 2 strokes on the road, certainly Rs's or RGV's etc and did the 250's and 125's not get banned from the TT and GP?

The age of Kids in Trials has just been dropped from 6 to 4, aslong as they are on an electric bike????? Whats the point in that, why not 50's or if they want less power, restricted 50's. Why only electric?

[manx2day]

The 125's and 250's didn't get banned from the mountain course. It was more of a case that there wasn't enough people entering to warrant a race being held, so they decided to pull the plug. It was the same with the 400cc class at the TT.

There are however the odd few modern 2 strokes doing the MGP, along with the classic, burning that lovely Castrol R! There is a strong 2 stroke grid on the Billown circuit for the Southern 100, the 'TT' races and the steam packet races. The downturn in the 2 strokes on the road were mostly because the manufacturers had stopped making road going versions and due to that, spare parts became hard to come by.

Anyway, less of the road racing...I think it's good to drop the age in trials. Starting them young will hopefully get some british world champions in the furture. Having the rules saying that they have to be on an electric powered bike (OSET) i'm not sure about. If that wasn't the rule then i can only see Gas Gas making anything from it as they make a 50cc trials bike and to my knowledge, noone else does? I know Sherco had done one in the past but, do they still make them?

The electric bikes are fantastic little things and a perfect place for the future of our sport to learn their craft. They will be cost effective too, nice and cheap to buy and extremely cheap to maintain. You only have to clean the bike, oil the chain and charge the battery (amoungst other things)!

[dgshannon]

Electric Drag Bike

Link:

[thespikeyone]

I'm all for change and improvement, but I honestly think that battery technology will never be good enough. Hydrogen fuel cells, now thats the future!!!!

[b40rt]

How many batteries would you need for the Scott. then there is the ssdt all the batteries would need recharging before the next day it will plunge half of Scotland into darkness.

Plunge the other half into darkness - Hillhead By-election - 67% didn't even bother to vote !

[uhoh7]

a Tesla weighs 2600 lbs (light for a modern roadster) and can go over 200 miles on a charge.

far as the scott, I'd like to see somebody do it with a single tank of gas.

if the bike was designed for a quick battery change, as some already are, it would be not much harder than refueling.

Batteries are moving forward fast. If somebody put the thought that's gone into the new OSSA towards an electric bike we'd already have something.

I ride my bikes in spite of the IC motor, not because of it. Lovely sound and smell???? They are loud, they stink, and the bloody pipe is ready to burn a hole in your leg if you fall wrong. I will never understand the widespread attachment to internal combustion. It's nasty carbon farting to my mind, and I'd kill to have something clean, cool and quiet.

I would request an onboard recharging capabilty to get something back on the downhills...

Edited November 14, 2009 by uhoh7