When is an e-motorcycle better than an e-bike

[George S.]

http://cleantechnica.com

Polaris makes ebikes, but now they are stepping up a bit on electric motorcycles. Hero will bring motorcycles into the US market, but they also bought an ebike company. I don't know if they make anything but gas motorcycles. They had a deal with Honda, but no longer.

At some point motorcycles or scooter will be cheaper because battery prices will drop. If you are talking $4,000 and up ebikes, motorcycles will be price competitive. So, at some point, will people just buy e-motorcycles because they are faster and more versatile?

It makes more sense to me to have ebikes that cost a thousand or two.

 

[JoePah]

Polaris bought Brammo Electric Motocycles before they went bankrupt... If you look at how many of these eCycle businesses have failed in the last 5 years, makes you wonder why people would risk it.. Polaris has plenty of capital, so they must think there's a future..

eMotorcycles are just so expensive for what you get... A 50 mile range on an eBike is fine, but on a motorcycle, it's a joke!

 

[George S.]

It's the same argument for cars, about range. Still, GM with the Bolt is saying 200 miles and 30k dollars in a couple of years. That means much lower battery prices. Much lower battery prices make the $12k motorcycle of today $7k in a couple of years. And that's what high end ebikes cost.

Polaris won't go broke developing the Brammo as an all electric. Zero might make money. Mahindra will test the market with their $3k scooter that goes about 30 mph. And some day Yamahondazuki will join the mix.

 

[Shea N Encinitas]

I have not owned a motorcycle since I was a kid (off road only), last time I rode one was to get around Bali in 1984. The reason is I don't trust myself with too much power, if it will go 180 mph I will go 180 mph, I'm just not disciplined in that respect and have lost too many friends on the 'organ donor' AKA murdercycle. It's not just about the money either, it is also about the exercise. -S

 

[biknut]

I think there's plenty of room to lower the price of eBicycles once the volume picks up, so they'll always have the ability to enjoy a price advantage over electric motorcycles. Plus bicycles have greater versatility in the city. I wouldn't go back to motorcycles even if the price was the same. Now I feel stupid riding my motorcycles, just sitting on the seat not pedaling. Of course there's always going to be speed demons that feel differently, but I've already been there done that.

Right now though with technology such as it is, I think electric bicycles make the most sense of all electric vehicles. Right this moment my electric bicycle has all the range, and speed I can use. I can easily meet all my needs, and even out ride my butt with well over 50 mile range.

Motorcycles, and cars aren't there yet.

 

[George S.]

I have not owned a motorcycle since I was a kid (off road only), last time I rode one was to get around Bali in 1984. The reason is I don't trust myself with too much power, if it will go 180 mph I will go 180 mph, I'm just not disciplined in that respect and have lost too many friends on the 'organ donor' AKA murdercycle. It's not just about the money either, it is also about the exercise. -S

I love cheap ebikes. I would build a transportation around them. There's nothing wrong with expensive ebikes, but I think it misses the point. You want the numbers.

Ebikes are stuck in a kind of vise. If I want exercise and I'm young and healthy, I should really be riding a bike, especially for the average commute or trip to the market. If I have a real need for serious transport, an ebike has real limits. So you lop off the people who should just be riding a bike, no motor. Then you lop off the people who are better served with something that gets above 20 mph, or whatever. Something out there in traffic. I don't know what's left, but I like the picture for ebikes a lot more if they cost $1500.

“Low- and moderate-income households spend 42 percent of their total annual income on transportation, including those who live in rural areas, as compared to middle-income households, who spend less than 22 percent of their annual income on transportation.” (nytimes.com/2015/01/19)

 

[biknut]

Prices right now are based on quantity, and the fact that we're all early adopters. In time price will come down, and performance will improve.

I think there's a lot of room to improve laws concerning electric bicycles. A little higher top speed would be the first place to make changes, but for the majority even 20 mph can get the job done. I live about 17 miles from downtown. I can ride my bike to downtown at 20 mph, in an hour. It takes an hour or more to ride the bus assuming you only have to wait 1 minute at the bus stop, and then add extra time to walk from the bus stop downtown to where you work. The bus is not cheap either.

The real work is getting people to change their attitudes about riding. Most people don't understand the advantage of an eBike over a regular bicycle, and that includes motorcycles riders too.

 

[biknut]

I made this ride on Sunday. I was just joy riding so I wasn't going very fast. The top speed was racing down the biggest hill in Dallas on the way home. Besides that I rarely got up to 20 mph.



(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

 

[Arrugala]

I love cheap ebikes. I would build a transportation around them. There's nothing wrong with expensive ebikes, but I think it misses the point. You want the numbers.

Ebikes are stuck in a kind of vise. If I want exercise and I'm young and healthy, I should really be riding a bike, especially for the average commute or trip to the market. If I have a real need for serious transport, an ebike has real limits. So you lop off the people who should just be riding a bike, no motor. Then you lop off the people who are better served with something that gets above 20 mph, or whatever. Something out there in traffic. I don't know what's left, but I like the picture for ebikes a lot more if they cost $1500.

“Low- and moderate-income households spend 42 percent of their total annual income on transportation, including those who live in rural areas, as compared to middle-income households, who spend less than 22 percent of their annual income on transportation.” (nytimes.com/2015/01/19)

Hi in Cambodia i saw an electric motorcycle bike/

http://cleantechnica.com

Polaris makes ebikes, but now they are stepping up a bit on electric motorcycles. Hero will bring motorcycles into the US market, but they also bought an ebike company. I don't know if they make anything but gas motorcycles. They had a deal with Honda, but no longer.

At some point motorcycles or scooter will be cheaper because battery prices will drop. If you are talking $4,000 and up ebikes, motorcycles will be price competitive. So, at some point, will people just buy e-motorcycles because they are faster and more versatile?

It makes more sense to me to have ebikes that cost a thousand or two.