Electric letters
This is what MSL readers think about electric bikes. Safe to say they split the opinion.
Given that we have a big road test and a history article covering electric motorcycles in this issue, we thought that it would be good to pick some of our readers’ letters that cover the same topic. This is what MSL readers think about electric motorcycles, and how they see the industry developing...
ELECTRICKERY
In my mid 50s I cannot ever see myself ever owning an electric bike. Why? They do nothing I like that can be applied to where I live and what I use a bike for. Main reasons at present? Cost, range and, to be honest, weight and looks (all improving, but still take nothing away from their fundamental flaws).
In many radio phone-ins I hear electric car owners praising their vehicles. Without fail so far they live in large towns or cities, are used for short journeys and could likely easily be replaced by public transport. That isn't available in rural areas – and makes journeys more worrisome.
Also, if you live on a terraced street/flat or even many housing estates where families have three or four cars, where are all the charging cables going?
Until they close petrol stations and replace them with 10 times more charging point stations I'll stick with octane fuelled, geared, long-distance sheer motorcycle nirvana – will people look back on these times as the halcyon days?
It will change, in some time, but the only electric vehicle I ever see me owning would be a buggy in old, old age like the ever-increasing number running round towns everywhere – God help me.
Fritz
SLOW CHARGE OR FAST CHARGE
I was very interested in your articles on the latest electric motorcycles. Not, I am sad to say, because I am thinking of buying one, but because I have found something interesting with my new mobile phone. Let me explain. Two months ago I upgraded my old phone and my new one came with a rapid charger. At first this was fascinating to watch the charge increase before my eyes and then it became the norm and I no longer paid any attention. However, on the odd occasion when I didn’t have the rapid
charger I juiced up the oldfashioned way. It was whilst doing this that I started to notice my battery was lasting longer after a slow charge. Now there is no science involved in this other than after a fairly consistent day of use I had something like 10-15% more charge left at the end of the day with the slow method versus the rapid. I would love to know if there could be anything to my experience and could this be the same for electric vehicles.
GB
NO ELECTRIC BIKES, THANKS
After reading Peter Henshaw’s article on electric bikes I have to say that I certainly won’t be considering one for the foreseeable future. For me, there are four massive drawbacks to electric vehicles, be they bikes or cars. These are: purchase price, range, recharging time, and lack of recharging infrastructure. These are all regularly occurring themes in all the tests I’ve read to date and until they are all addressed, they make any thoughts of ownership out of the question for me.
You also mentioned emissions in your editorial. There seems little point in trying to reduce urban levels of air pollution by
merely moving the source of emissions from vehicle exhaust gasses to power stations. There is also the question of whether the National Grid would be able to generate sufficient electricity to power millions of new vehicles without continued massive investment in renewable sources of power generation. That’s before we consider the ability (or otherwise) of our politicians to come up with a properly costed and funded integrated transport policy.
So it’ll be petrol power for me for the foreseeable future. Electric bikes may well be fun to ride, but so are my petrol ones and they were also cheaper to buy and require none of the compromises of electric ones. Paul Baker
ELECTRIC BIKES... DEATH OF MANUFACTURERS?
Ok, it appears that more and more bike manufacturers are developing electric bikes. Let's assume that given time they overcome the low mileage range, high prices and lack of charging points across the country. There is, however, a side effect which I don't think bike makers have thought through. Bear with me ....
Right now, BMW are known for their horizontal flat twins,
Triumph for their triples and parallel twins, Harley and Indian for their large capacity V twins, the Japanese for their high revving in-line four cylinder engines, Guzzi for their thudding transverse V twins. And so on.
What happens when all manufacturers offer bikes powered by an electric motor? How will the established brands differ from each other, apart from cosmetic differences? The electric motor will offer a very similar experience whatever bike it's put in and whoever makes it. At the moment if you want (for example) a smooth, seamless power delivery you could look at a Triumph or Yamaha triple. If you like a thumping power delivery, then a single cylinder might fit the bill. If you like lots of characterful low-down torque at low revs you have a choice of Guzzi, Harley, Indian, etc. If a low centre of gravity is important, then BMW’s flat twins hit the spot. And for screaming sportsbikes, there is still a good choice of highrevving Japanese in-line four cylinder machinery out there. And so on.
But what happens when all bikes have a very similar single electric motor? All the quirky differences which make us like a particular brand will have disappeared. All the heritage associated with particular brands will disappear, and there will be hardly any differences between one manufacturer and another. This could spell the end for quite a few famous names as they all end up alike. Or am I missing something? Answers please .... Roger Martin
ELECTRIC NEGATIVITY
I am writing in reply to Paul Baker’s article dismissing electric vehicles – both four- and two-wheeled. His adherence to petrol engines (ICE) for the foreseeable future appears to be based on a lack of confidence in the future and lacks evidence.
Renewable energy is growing very quickly (it could move faster with government incentives and a future plan) and the smart grid will enable all battery-powered vehicles to contribute their power to the grid when not in use.
Home battery storage is available and growing, albeit slowly, and, linked to solar panels on your roof, will provide a net contribution to the grid as well as charging your vehicle. The electricity grid as we know will change in the next 20 years to take advantage of this. Also, as battery technology improves exponentially, smaller, more dense batteries will become available for two-wheeled transport, providing much faster acceleration and longer between charges.
Current average bike tank sizes sometimes mean stopping every 100+ miles – about an hour-anda-half of riding – though my RT does do about 250-300 miles on a tank. Range anxiety is usually based on four things – fuel, food, drink or toilet.
As electric cars and bikes become ubiquitous their prices will drop, so this worry about high prices will drop away in the next few years. The market will determine these prices as we see electric car prices drop with fewer moving parts, more range and higher levels of trim and functions.
Fast charging brings charge times down year on year with a current 80% CCS charge being delivered in the time for the rider to fill up an ICE tank and enjoy a cup of coffee/sandwich at a service station. As to
charging stations the UK, there are about 15000 with a planned 27000 by 2024.
Electric is coming and coming fast. I do think we should embrace it, contribute to it and not be so negative about change. Sadly, the major oil companies appear to be discouraging people from changing their attitudes and it seems many are still persuaded by their gas guzzling/electric negative rhetoric.
Derek Lawther
BEGINNING OR END?
March 1 outside a local café, a group of bikers gathered for what looked like their first ride out of the year. All the bikes were large capacity and immaculate; all the riders well kitted out. The thing that really was noticeable was the age range, a few under 70 and others 70-plus. With bikers saying they won't switch to electric bikes, and lack of young people coming into motorcycling, it could die out anyway as current bikers fade away. Petrol and diesel engines will be banned at some point, so if electric bikes don't sell in enough numbers, manufacturers won't make or import them with no demand.
I ride a Honda Forza 300. It’s fast enough and comfortable for my needs, so I would seriously consider an electric scooter if that keeps me riding.
Gordon Louth
MSL’s Maynard is our man with a very unique view on motorcycling from both sides of the pond. Yes, he is American, yes, he does ride around on a second-hand Guzzi that causes him grief... and yes, he does have his finger right on the pulse of life on two wheels.