Is Big bike dead ?

[Bumblebee]

There is less lithium but it is reusable where oil is pretty much consumable. As for the car being a boring ride, the motorcycles can be just as tame while reaching huge speeds. The same tech actually, ABS, TC, and wheelie control.

There is a reason we aren't using hydrogen as a fuel, yes it's explosive in its natural state. While fuel is flammable it must be properly vaporized to make it explode - so the challenge is just keeping it from spilling. While hydrogen is light, it's also very sensitive to temperatures and pressure.

For me, it comes down to this: Electric vehicles can mean a huge leap in technology. We could have efficient vehicles that can go a lifetime without maintenance. The basic car could be far simpler. But most of all, the basic physics of electric power means we can exceed IC power performance levels very quickly. Things like instant max torque, continuous power with no shifting, computer control of the powerband, and even variable 2-wheel drive all add up to performance levels way beyond what we have now.

Lithium has it's recharging cycle limits-once it's used those up, it is done...so reusable to a limit. I'd imagine the heavy draw placed on it from vehicles will reduce the cycle quite a bit.

There was a lot of talk about how recharging stations would look, one group spoke of a "battery exchange" station but there were several downsides to that, one being you'd need some sort of tech on staff 24/7 and another would be someone who has a brand new vehicle getting a battery pack halfway through it's life...and then not being happy about that even if they realize they will in turn be exchanging that one.

I thought to myself, this tech isn't even main stream yet and already people are complaining...

Battery tech has a long way to go especially in the climate where we live here in Canada...40'C in summer and -40'C in winter....having to run lights, and a heater day in and day out in the winter along with lots of wheel slip would (and does) kick the crap out of the battery pack.

People who have Tesla vehicles around here see a huge drop in range during the winter...and to some extent the summer during very hot days needing air conditioning...as least we gasoline powered people can go to a gas station and be on our way in minutes as opposed to waiting at a recharging station.

 

[hayabuser]

The one drawback is the preparation required for "plaid" mode... you're not just going to push a button and be ready when the light turns green. At least the Hayabusa is ready, willing and able to race with no prep.

Next, you'll need to select "Drag Strip Mode," which is Teslaspeak for launch control. The system then preconditions the battery pack, bringing it to its ideal operating temperature. This can take anywhere from eight to 15 minutes based on our observations, so you'll want to give yourself plenty of time to prepare prior to any straight-line showdowns. A message stating "Peak Performance is Ready" pops up to let you know the preconditioning process is complete. You're almost there.

 

[kml]

It's a car, a cage
whatever...
I eat sleep and sheet motorcycles
since I was six
I don't care
if it runs the 1/4 in five seconds
while chowing on my hog and
making me a sammich
I'd rather a clapped out 70's Honda
than the worlds fastest
electric golf cart.

cheers
ken

 

[fallenarch]

Go back and read the limitations of IC engines when they started. Most of those were overcome relatively quickly. Many of the issues with electric cars can be overcome with current or near-future technology.

I'm not selling electric cars, I just believe they are the future and that's not a completely bad thing.

 

[Bumblebee]

Go back and read the limitations of IC engines when they started. Most of those were overcome relatively quickly. Many of the issues with electric cars can be overcome with current or near-future technology.

I'm not selling electric cars, I just believe they are the future and that's not a completely bad thing.

Whether we like it or not, they are coming....

I'm not a fan of them for a few reasons, Lithium is really intrusive and destructive to mine, it is hard to recycle and not renewable (more Li doesn't grow once we mine it-once it's gone, it's gone).

EVs need to be recharged..where exactly to people think the power comes to do this? In some places coal fired electrical plants...even the nuclear plants are nasty...lots of really nasty nuclear waste which we need to store and as we saw in Fukushima and Chernobyl they can be really dangerous.

....and the electrical grids will need trillions upon trillions of dollars to be updated to accept this hugely increased load. Not to mention not all countries will be going to this and these places will continue to create mass pollution (India, Pakistan, China-days when it looks like there is fog and it's airborne pollution).

 

[Bumblebee]

..I just read this...Hyundai who has their fingers in everything must know something..

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[jch364]

Just another example that shows the genius of Elon Musk. The car is amazing and so is the bike. doubt even Chris could squeeze out a 9:20 something on a bone stock gen3

 

[sixpack577]

Whether we like it or not, they are coming....

I'm not a fan of them for a few reasons, Lithium is really intrusive and destructive to mine, it is hard to recycle and not renewable (more Li doesn't grow once we mine it-once it's gone, it's gone).

EVs need to be recharged..where exactly to people think the power comes to do this? In some places coal fired electrical plants...even the nuclear plants are nasty...lots of really nasty nuclear waste which we need to store and as we saw in Fukushima and Chernobyl they can be really dangerous.

....and the electrical grids will need trillions upon trillions of dollars to be updated to accept this hugely increased load. Not to mention not all countries will be going to this and these places will continue to create mass pollution (India, Pakistan, China-days when it looks like there is fog and it's airborne pollution).

No worries, Greta Thunberg is currently sailing around the world, and advising big government on how to fix all this.
Now...look over there while all the dirty stuff goes on to make 'clean' energy.

 

[Bumblebee]

 

[fallenarch]

The big thing for me in all of this electric stuff is there is a ton of money to be made. It's just like oil-fueled (pun intended) the modern consumer economy. So why not do it? Save the planet, make a lot of Billionaires, lots of good jobs, and cool stuff to play with. What's not to like?

I'm guessing if you want to ride your Busa on occasion, you'll be able to for our lifetimes at least.

 

[HayaWakened]

Not sure the electric grid could keep up if we all drove e-vehicles. I mean, it could, if no one minds burning coal to generate electricity

 

[Bumblebee]

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[rd99]

At $170,000 Cdn, I don't know how much bragging I'd be doing if at that price it only marginally beats a $20,000 motorcycle....

This "batterymobile" is at the pinnacle of it's performance level..

To the Battree Mobile!

 

[Bumblebee]

Pretty hard to beat that instantaneous torque....

I'd imagine the power consumption is crazy when you push it hard....

I was talking to my older brother last night and he isn't a big advocate of EV...he told me the life cycle of the batteries would be the biggest downside of the tech especially in any harsher climates. You can only cycle Li batteries so many times before they will no longer hold a charge.

He mentioned lights being on longer but LED take quite a bit less draw and I'd imagine the windows will all have built in defrosters so unlike a regular car won't have to sit as long to clear the windows of ice and frost.

It's the extreme cold and heat that will place the biggest strain on the batteries I reckon....