World’s fastest electric motorcycle, piloted by Larry “Spiderman” McBride

The Canadian government has certified the company that produces the Sora electric super bike, an EV motorcycle that offers a range of 185 miles-per-charge and reaches 60 mph in just four seconds. The government sanctioned Lito Green Motion as an official Canadian motorcycle manufacturer, which means the Sora (Japanese for “sky”) will soon be in showrooms. The quick-charge feature puts the $41,000 bike into fully-charged mode in a mere 90 minutes. A standard outlet needs eight hours to replenish the Sora’s 12 kWh lithium pack.

Electric Motorcycles: Video

There’s something about speed. It draws human attention like moths to a carbon-arc lamp. In the short video clip above, watch as Larry “Spiderman” McBride breaks the 200 mph barrier on an eerily silent electric motorcycle, the Lawless Electric Rocket bike. Clocking in at 201 mph and change, McBride has put electric bikes on the map and continues to build his own reputation as one of the sport’s premier drivers. A two-dimensional computer screen does not do justice to the feat, so be sure to maximize your window and crank up the sound, because this is truly one for the record books. Lawless Industries and Orange County Choppers constructed the bike.

Electric Motorcycles

The Sora tops out at 120 mph, but is designed to run quietly and with very little vibration. The bike’s design features a unique push-button seat adjustor, a 5.7-inch LCD as well as a proprietary Safe Range System app that keeps an eye on remaining distance. The Sora also has regenerative braking.

Many of the world’s big motorcycle dealers are now stocking EV versions of several bikes. The electric cycle was once an oddity, but with the advent of longer range, reasonable prices and science fiction designs, the niche is hotter than ever and will almost certainly grow rapidly for the near future.

Corporate websites for Lito Green Motion, Lawless Industries, and Orange County Choppers are below:
http://www.litogreenmotion.com/
http://www.paradefloats.com/orange.html
http://www.orangecountychoppers.com/

Larry Bell

Larry Bell + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Author, but we call him ‘The Expert‘. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Expert Author. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…

A typical e-bike

The biggest celebrity of the electric transportation world, and the undisputed leader in electric battery advancement, is neither a car nor a truck. It is the bicycle, or the e-bike to be more exact. While much has been written in the media, and on this very site, about e-bikes, new research shows growth of the two-wheeled EV sector is both larger and more important than ever before. A new report from survey organization Pike Research says the market for e-bikes could grow to almost 50 million per year by 2018. Data in that same survey points to e-bike sales as being something of an indicator for electric car acceptance and green transportation in general.

While many electric bikes use lead-acid battery packs, a massive trend toward lithium is underway, especially in Europe and the U.S. Apparently, many consumers in urban areas try out an e-bike before purchasing an electric car. The bikes are much cheaper, less of a commitment, and are ideal for those who live and work in dense urban areas like New York and London.

Currently the only place where lead-acid batteries are used for entire e-bike markets is China, which itself accounts for around 40 percent of the world’s lead usage. Those at Pike who conducted the study see cost decreases for lithium batteries pushing lead out of the market within the next several years. In China today, there are twice as many electric bicycles as there are automobiles of any kind, with e-bikes leading the numeric rally with 140 million units, compared to 70 million cars.

A dual-motor e-bike

For more about e-bikes, see this informative website that lists various types, styles, and motors: http://www.hightekbikes.com/index.html
For detailed historical and technical data about lithium-ion batteries and how they work, see the following source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium-ion_battery
If you are interested in trying out an e-bike, or just want to know if there is a dealer nearby, this link is one of the most comprehensive listings on the net for dealers, background, reviews, and all things e-bike: http://www.electric-bikes.com/

Larry Bell

Larry Bell + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Author, but we call him ‘The Expert‘. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Expert Author. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…

A typical "hobbyist" electric motorbike

Young man might be a better term than boy, but he certainly is a genius, and after you see how he constructed his very own 48-volt electric motorcycle, you will agree. The video clip tracks the young inventor’s progress from the day he begins tearing down a standard motorcycle, until the magic moment, eight months later, when he is ready to demonstrate the astounding creation. The teardown took up a good portion of the early phase, with the build itself taking about five months in total.

To answer the most common two questions first, the bike’s range is 25 miles and the top speed is 50 mph. As you see in the clip, the road-worthy vehicle really zips along on a crisp winter morning, and even has enough power to burn a little rubber. As its designer and owner states, the bike is powerful enough to burn rubber until the batteries run down. The original combustion bike it was built from didn’t burn anything but gasoline.

For the mechanically inclined, and hardcore do-it-yourselfers, the full-time college student, who constructed this thing entirely in his spare time, used four BB EB50-12 batteries, an Alltrax 4865 motor controller, an Etek-R brushed DC electric motor, an Allbright contactor, a Magura 0-5k potentiometer throttle, and a 25-amp quick-charge charger. (Just in case you want to head to the garage and try to replicate his feat).

The young mastermind who conceived, planned, designed, and built this gorgeous little machine is currently a college student who, we hope, is majoring in engineering. If not, then some other field of study is gaining a razor-sharp mind and a brilliant engineer. With the current surge in popularity of electric motorbikes and scooters, there are plenty of kits available for those who want to try their hand at building an electric conveyance.

For more about electric motorcycles and scooters, see a comprehensive data page, at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_motorcycles_and_scooters

Larry Bell

Larry Bell + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Author, but we call him ‘The Expert‘. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Expert Author. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…

The Xenon out for a cruise

TRON Electric Motorcycle

Evolve Motorcycles recently donated a $55,000 electric motorcycle to charitable organization Charitybuzz to be auctioned off for fundraising purposes. The pricey bikes are just one of the several models that Evolve makes, with another coming soon. The company names all of its e-bikes after chemical elements, but the Xenon, which looks exactly like the bike in the movie Tron, goes for $55K and is by far the costliest of the bunch. Most other Evolve bikes are priced under $7,000. With names like Titanium, Neon, Xenon, Helium, Zinc, and Lithium, you expect these things to exude a futuristic look, and they certainly live up to the challenge.

If you are shopping for a unique motorcycle, put these facts on your list: The Xenon has a fiberglass frame but the cool lighted body effect comes from organic LEDs, also known as OLEDs. This type of light is used on some high-end television screens, because it is literally a giant sheet of tiny very bright lights. Depending which version you want, the Xenon can reach 70 mph and travel 100 miles in between charges.

The ultra-safe lithium-iron-phosphate battery has a reputation for durability and efficiency. Unlike the electric, low-mph scooters that are so popular nowadays, you will definitely need a license for the Evolve products, since all are road-worthy, full-fledged pieces of chic transportation.

It looks even better at night

The Xenon Electric Motorcycle

In any case, the Xenon turns heads wherever it goes, whether people remember it from the movie or not. Seriously, how can you miss a lighted motorcycle that looks like it just arrived via time machine from the year 2500? Beam me up.

For more information about Evolve’s full line of electric motorcycles, and to see some awesome photos of all the bikes in action, check out the company’s website, at http://evolvemotorcycles.com/
Warning: looking at pictures of Evolve’s electric bikes can be addictive.

Larry Bell

Larry Bell + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Author, but we call him ‘The Expert‘. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Expert Author. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…

The Scoot electric scooter

Getting around in San Francisco will be easier once a new scooter-sharing system is in place. Scoot Networks, which found initial funding from environmental seeding organization Greenstart, will begin beta testing phases of a citywide electric scooter program within the next few weeks. Already, the alpha portion of the program is underway, with ten electric scooters available for short jaunts to and fro in the city.

Riding a wave of popularity for electric motorbikes, scooters, and motorcycles, Scoot Networks hopes to greatly expand both its reach and simplicity during its first year of operation. The scooters are made in China, are easy to operate, and can interface with modern phones. Though the current units have a short range of just 20 or so miles, for urban settings that has proven to be adequate. Eventually, the company’s founders hope to have hundreds of garages for the small electric vehicles, but in alpha testing is using only one. In time, most major transit hubs could be sites for scooter garages.

So far, cost issues have been minimal, with $5 per hour appearing to be the norm, though plans are in the works for a subscription system, which would cost perhaps $100 per month for a lease-type arrangement. Because the units are so mechanically uncomplicated and easy to maintain, inventory and upkeep are quite reasonable for the company. In fact, the vehicles cannot exceed 30 mph, which means users do not even need to obtain a motorcycle license. Anyone who has ridden a bicycle in a large city knows the ins-and-outs of maneuvering a small vehicle through busy streets, so the learning curve, at least for urban dwellers, should be short.

Scooter-sharing coming to the city

For more information about electric motorcycles and scooters, and their history and development, see this data page, at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_motorcycles_and_scooters

Larry Bell

Larry Bell + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Author, but we call him ‘The Expert‘. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Expert Author. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…

Everybody bicycles everywhere

This is how 1 million MPG and zero pollution can be done. While growing up in the Netherlands in the 60’s the bicycle was our main form of transportation and  One in ten families owned a car and most people went to work in the town where they lived by bicycle. I had never seen a yellow school bus like we have here in the USA. Instead we went to school by bicycle, rain or shine, which in Holland can be mostly rain.

Early in the morning you will find hordes of teenagers riding their bicycle to school, sometimes over 6 miles each way. Public transport in Holland is big, but the bicycle should be Holland’s claim to fame! Not only is it the cleanest form of transportation, it is also an excellent form of exercise. While going to work or school you get your exercise as well. The Dutch can therefore be considered among the fittest people in the world. Even when you go to the fitness club you would bicycle there.

Cyclist in suit in Amsterdam

Executives can be seen bicycling in their suits to work. Check out this article and watch the video. It is very informative!:

http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/how-dutch-came-have-such-nice-bike-paths.html

When I moved to the USA in the 70’s, first to go to M.I.T, next to live here, I was convinced that the USA should have more bicycles. I have become more pragmatic since then.

But all is not lost! Yes it is true that distances are much larger here and everyone already owns a car. In Holland we first own a bicycle before we own a car. And we learn to ride it so well that we can do it almost better than walk. Check out this guy texting while riding a bicycle.

Ride and text

Secondly Holland has a huge bicycle infrastructure. In order for me to ride a bicycle to work here in San Jose, CA, I would have to cross two highways with no way to do it than to ride long detours. Car drivers are not used to dealing with bicycles and I would have to be prepared to be cut off when crossing an intersection.

But it is this knowledge that the Dutch need to export. Check out this video, it will help your cause if you feel inclined to make the world a greener place through the use of bicycles in your city.

Bob Twaalfhoven

Bob Twaalfhoven + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Owner and Visionary Creator, but people just call him “Bob T”.. Here is his full Bio: Bob Twaalfhoven. Bob lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Founder of BobCAD-CAM software. BobCAD-CAM was created by Bob, who was an engineer graduate of MIT in 1978. He created the software as a means to bring the technology of CAD/CAM to the personal computer. But overall – Bob is a lover of cars, engines and anything that is fast…

 

Concept urban e-bikes

Filmmaker Chris Paine has been added to the advisory board of Conscious Commuter Corporation, a firm that hopes to reinvigorate the concept of electric commuter bikes. An emerging trend in and around urban areas, small, efficient electric bikes have been replacing mopeds over the last decade. While CCC is “thrilled to have Chris on board,” as company president Bob Vander Woude stated in a recent news conference, the company has plenty of competition, and that’s a good thing.

Experts say that something like 50 percent of all urban commutes are of a distance under three miles. Motorized gasoline bicycles carved a small niche in that market back in the 1970s and after. Now, with many cities banning the smoky, inefficient engines on those bikes, the electric urban bike has found a golden opportunity.

Paine’s documentaries are a testament to his expertise in the area of transportation planning. He produced “Who Killed the Electric Car?,” “Revenge of the Electric Car,” and most recently, “Charge.” After taking a ride on one of CCC’s e-bike concept units during a chance meeting last year, Paine decided to become more involved with the project, having become convinced that e-bikes can play a significant role in the future of urban transportation.

E-bikes are becoming more common

Conscious Commuter’s corporate mission involves “solving the first and last mile commute problem,” as well as integrating the folding e-bike into American urban culture. Because they are so lightweight, and electrically propelled, e-bikes can take a rider to a nearby bus stop, a local bus hub, or even to the office. No pedaling means no huffing and puffing, which means business people can arrive at their meetings or offices without looking like they just came from the gym.

For more information about Conscious Commuter bikes, see the company’s website, at http://www.consciouscommuter.com/

Larry Bell

Larry Bell + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Author, but we call him ‘The Expert‘. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Expert Author. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…

Some people choose their motorcycle at least in part by the distinctive sound of it’s motor. There is, in fact, a whole motorcycle culture in the United States revolving around the type of bike you ride.

But what if you had a motorcycle that made no sound at all? I suppose you’d have to ask yourself if you ride for the sound of the engine or not; I know people who do.

Enter Zero Motorcycles Inc., whose bikes are anything BUT zero, except perhaps zero emissions!

Zero Motorcycles Inc. was founded in Scotts Valley, California (near Santa Cruz, California) in 2006. The founder is one Neal Saiki, who was formerly employed as a NASA engineer.

The Zero line has been in the production phase for four years, including the 2012 model year.

The first production model was the Zero S, a street motorcycle. This was accompanied by two dirt bikes, the Zero X and the Zero MX (for higher performance).

Now the Zero motorcycle on the tip of the tongue is the Zero DS, or Dual Sport.

The Zero DS is designed for on and off road driving, and is built on the Zero S chassis. Per the Zero Motorcycles website, the Zero DS is “powered by the most advanced powertrain in the industry.”

As far as the specifications, the Zero DS has a range of up to 112 miles, depending on driving conditions and the battery pack chosen. It has a top speed of about 80 miles per hour and is equipped with either a 5.3 kilowatt-hour battery or a 7.9 kilowatt-hour battery.

The cost to fully charge this not-so-bad boy? Under a dollar at the current energy prices. Okay, so that IS practically zero.

Catherine Siverts

Catherine Siverts is My Perfect Automobile’s Expert Author, but people call her Cat. Here is her bio: My Perfect Automobile. Catherine lives in San Jose, CA and is also a Dedicated Member of the My Perfect Automobile Team. Catherine is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Nerdy Stuff (power), Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars!

    

Shhhhhh… It’s hard to imagine a quiet motorcycle.  But if you listen closely we are hearing whispers of an awesome electric Honda motorcycle called the RC-E. The first view was at the Tokyo auto show November of last year.

Motorcycles tend to do well in tough economic times, as drivers look for ways to save on fuel and vehicle purchase costs. Americans bought 1.1 million motorcycles last year, the sixth year in a row that domestic bike sales topped 1 million units, according to the MIC. Motorcycles are replacing bicycles for everyday transportation in these markets, and long-term and steady market growth is expected for the motorcycle business despite the economic conditions.

Motorcycles and motor bikes are the perfect match for electric motors because they don’t require large amounts of power!

Honda Motorcycles Electric RC-E

So what’s this we hear about an Electric Honda Motorcycle?

The only information on the RC-E available from Honda reads as follows:

“An EV version of a super sports bike that pursues the joy of riding. A powerful & smooth ride unique to an EV model is achieved with the 250cc-class compact body.”

Honda Motorcycles showed off this Lean Mean Racing Machine in Tokyo (and it was a hit!):

This is from Freshness Mag:

Electric Motorcycle Close Up

After the recent onslaught of criticism over its unimaginative designs – Honda aims to bounce back at next month’s Tokyo Motor Show. In a publicity blitz – the company will unveil seven new concepts for its expansive product range – including this – the Honda RC-E – for its motorcycles division. Already quite distinctive because of its silhouette alone – the bike’s front & rear are suspended by Ohlins TTX. What’s more – tucked away near the air intake dam by the nose is the LED headlight – an ingenious method to maintain the bike’s aerodynamics. The most unique aspect – however – will be the RC-E’s engine. In place of a traditional gas-driven combustible engine – the RC-E runs on electricity – evident from the large copper bundle & the “plug-in” signage at mid-bike. Another advantage will be the electric powertrain’s smaller footprint – allowing a 600cc-class performance to fit into a 250cc-class chassis. Quiet – fast – & green…can’t wait to see this on the road in the near future.

Electric Motorcycle

Honda Motorcycles Electric RC-E

Honda Electric Motorcycle Breaks

Electric Motorcycle Engine

Honda Motorcycle Electric Plug

Electric Honda Motorcycle

Honda Electric Motorcycle Rear Tire

Electric Motorcycle Front Breaks

Electric Motorcycle Sport Bike

Charles Verhoeff

Charles Verhoeff + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Webmaster and SEO Guy, but people call him Amazing.
Here is his full Bio: Charles Verhoeff. Charles Lives in Los Angeles, CA and is also the Owner of World Class Media. Charles is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept and Electric Cars…