MotorcycleInsurance.com » Electric Motorcycles

The Onslaught of Electric Motorcycles Will Be Unstoppable

Todd Halterman — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:49:23 +0000

For me, motorcycles have always been about internal combustion. The aroma of gas and oil. The percussive report of an engine at full throttle. It’s the sound and vibration as much as the propulsion that makes a ride what it is – a visceral experience.

Will that gut-moving experience be the same on a machine powered by an engine which runs – and sounds – as smooth as modern sewing machine?

Probably not, but there’s no use pining for the old days; the inevitable future now looms large on the horizon and it’s coming like a nearly silent freight train down the tracks to a motorcycle dealer near you.

Electric motorcycle makers failed to wave the flag at the recent Progressive International Motorcycle Show in New York, but the count on the plug-in bikes to gain popularity by leaps and bounds in the next few years. One analyst who covers the market says it is so, so let it be written. At this point, few Americans ride electric motorcycles as only about 1,300 units were sold in this county last year. Dave Hurst, a clean technology expert with Pike Research, thinks sales of electric motorcycles will grow to something over 30,000 by 2017.

It’s pretty likely that anyone who currently owns an electric motorcycle also have a stable piston-powered bikes, but the lure of the new technology (and perhaps to a lesser degree, the eco-friendliness of electric bikes) will prove appealing to motorcyclists in the coming years as battery technology and performance improve, at least, according to Hurst.

So who’s leading the pack in the electric motorcycle manufacturing race right now?

Zero Motorcycles seems to be poised to push the field. One of the top electric motorcycle manufacturers selling in the United States, the company’s bikes made in Santa Cruz, Calif., are priced at between $7,695 and 11,495. The demographic for Zero’s customers skews a little on the elderly side at between 35 and 50 years old, and it’s the price of what is still essentially a toy that means only the affluent are the target market.

Zero doesn’t disclose exact sales figures but they do say their premium and longer-range models – those with a range of 114 miles per charge – are the most popular.

“Right now, the folks that are buying these are wealthy enough that the cost isn’t a major concern,” says Hurst. “I do think that the cost is definitely going to become a issue as you try to reach a broader audience.”

One company set on stepping into the marketplace in that lower-priced segment, a New York-based firm, Evolve Motorcycles, plans to fill the gap with a line of plug-in motorcycles and scooters to serve a less cash-heavy buying public. Benjamin Plum, Evolve’s founder, says Evolve are nearly ready to ship their version of electric scooters to nearly a dozen dealerships across the country and they plan to offer an electric motorcycle within the next couple of years.

“The motorcycle market is actually shrinking in some areas and expanding slower than the scooter market due to the worldwide economic climate,” says Plum.

Evolve scooters can be had for between $2,900 and $6,900, and while that isn’t exactly cheap, Plum says he’s hoping lower prices might draw first-time motorcycle buyers.

According to Hurst, dealerships that sell electric motorcycles will get a boost from simply having them on the showroom floor. Zero currently numbers 43 dealerships on their list in North America and expects more to sign on by this spring.

“Traditional power sports dealers that would handle a Honda Goldwing or something like that have been sort of shying away from them, but we’re starting to see that turn,” Hurst said.

In the performance electric motorcycle market, another American company, Brammo, is making some waves.

“Brammo and Zero have really been focused on some specialized markets,” Hurst said.

The History of More Things That Were, And Now Are, Sort of Motorcycles

Todd Halterman — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:28:26 +0000

For years, designers have dreamed of creating a vehicle with the driving appeal of a motorcycle and the enclosed safety of a car, and one of the earliest attempts, the Ford Gyron, was a two-wheeled gyrocar first unveiled way back in 1961 as a concept car.

Though the configuration was something like a motorcycle, the vehicle was stabilized by gyroscopes.

Two occupants were seated side by side and when the vehicle was stationary, two small outriggers appeared from the sides to support it. Though there was never any intention to produce the Gyron, designer Alex Tremulis used gyroscopic systems based on Louis Brennan’s theories.

Ford Motor Company gave credit for the Gyron to Brennan.

Tremulis began his career working for the US Air Force and numbered among his projects a plan to build a “military flying saucer.” Tremulis was also the chief designer for the far-ahead of its time Tucker automobile before he joined Ford.

Tremulis went on to design concepts for Ford which included the “Tuscan Gyroscopic Motorcycle” and the Gyronaught XU1 gyroscopic car.

Now Lit Motors of San Francisco, lead by designer and engineer Daniel Kim, says they have the first production 2-seat vehicle combining the efficiency and freedom of a motorcycle with the safety of a car.

“We’re trying to open up safety to a huge market of 200 million motorcyclists daily in the world. We have a huge market, and I think we could have a lot of impact” says Kim.

The C1 features an electronically-controlled gyroscopic stabilizing system to keep it upright when stopped or at low speeds, and company says it will remain upright even in a side-impact collision.

A variety of battery packs provide a full-charge range of from 150 to 200 miles after a 4 to 6 hour juice-up.

According to Lit, the C1 depends on electric hub high-performance Remy HVH motors to drive both wheels.

The company also says the C1 uses KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), a technology which transfers energy normally lost during braking to deliver power back to the drivetrain when the vehicle is accelerating.

Lit says the top speed of the C1 should be around 120 mph…

I Only Do This When My Bike Craps Out By the Side of the Road

Todd Halterman — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:44:35 +0000

Nothing worse than having your bike take a dump by the side of the road. You’re left hanging in a way you just aren’t if you’re driving a car. No sitting in heated – or at least weatherproof – comfort while you wait to be rescued.

And there have been a few times when I’ve done just what this guy is doing, but for completely different reasons.

This demonstration of an interesting conceptual motorcycle technology involves kicking the bike…but with a slightly different outcome:

Clyde Igarashi, CEO of Thrustcycle Enterprises LLC, says his bike’s gyro technology is the future of the motorcycle building game. Taking electric motor technology and a unique system to prevent the bike from being unstable, Igarishi might be on to something here.

“The gyro system improves handling and creates a specific field of gravity within the vehicle,” Igarishi said.”We used the ZEV7100 internal hub motor. Our system is being tested on this rear-steered prototype to demonstrate that even such a challenging configuration can be made viable with gyro-technology. Future prototypes will focus on more conventional steering.”

Igarishi’s vision for the technology has some enviable goals.

“Technological improvements in Gyro stabilization will enable safer, more efficient transportation,” he said. “Enclosed narrow track vehicles can be stable and have the ability to recycle braking energy through the use of a gyro/flywheel kinetic energy recovery system.”

As the top speed of this baby is somewhere around 70mph, it meets one of my major requirements of a motorcycle – it’s reasonably fast. The Thrustcycle Enterprises LLC gyro creation is powered by a motor from Z Electric, a Pennsylvania based company which claims to make the world’s fastest electric production scooter. Z Electric says their scooters are capable of speeds as high as 80 mph, and their ZEV7100 scooter uses Thundersky Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries to power a 7100W brushless hub motor.

Designed as a practical commuter vehicle that can complete a 50 mile trip, the ZEV7100 is a real performance machine according to all the reviews.

Not sure how it will work out for the guys at Z Electric and Thrustcycle Enterprises, but I’m always heartened to see that people have the stones to try something different in pursuit of The Perfect Motorcycle…

Japanese Three-Wheeled Motorcycle Runs on Poop

Todd Halterman — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:00:52 +0000

The Neo is part motorcycle and part toilet and it runs on eco-friendly biogas produced from sewage and this – well, eccentric at best – machine recently completed a journey of more than 600 miles across Japan.

It was certainly met with some inquiring looks and vacant stares along the way.

The three-wheeled vehicle, developed by Japanese toilet maker Toto, features a toilet for a seat and has a giant roll of toilet paper mount on the back which flutters in the breeze as the bike cruises along. The company also makes a “talking toilet,” and that’s just another product I don’t see myself spending any money to purchase.

Fortunately for all concerned, the Neo is a “concept bike,” and there are no plans to put it on sale.

Toto unveiled its toilet-cycle earlier this year as part of the company’s plan to half their carbon emissions by 2017. As for other “emissions,” this bike will need them to keep running down the road. The three-wheeled motorcycle is powered by livestock waste, household sewage, and ecologically friendly biogas.

The seat of the motorcycle is, for lack of a more delicate way to say it, a toilet, but in a move sure to please all of those sharing the roads with it, the toilet isn’t in working order.

“Although the seat of the bike is indeed a toilet, it is not for actual use,” said Toto spokesman Kenji Fujita. “The fuel is eco-friendly biogas, stored in the tanks on the back. It’s a surprisingly nice way to travel.”

The motorcycle can travel up to 186 miles at a speed of 45mph before it needs to be, uh, recharged, as it were. Toto has no plans to sell the Toilet Bike Neo but they have added an interesting alternative to the mix.

I must admit that I do dig the old school whitewalls, if not the overall concept of the bike.

Is An Air Powered Motorcycle A Viable Alternative? Ask Dean Benstead

Todd Halterman — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:43:45 +0000

Motorcycle design engineers are looking at all the viable technologies to make bikes more environmentally friendly, more sustainable and more useful in a world which may soon be without fossil fuels, but can a motorcycle be powered by a source other than gas or electricity?

Let’s face it, motorcycles powered by electricity are, at least at this point, running on filthy and potentially dangerous fuels – coal or plutonium. Hydrogen? Well, it costs more to produce it than it saves in the long haul.

What’s left? How about…air.

A motorcycle powered entirely by compressed air will be unveiled at the 2011 Sydney Motorcycle & Scooter Show, November 25-27 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.

RMIT Industrial Design student Dean Benstead has designed and developed the ’02 Pursuit’, a working prototype of what is essentially a motocross bike that makes use of air as an alternate source power from a DiPietro air engine developed by Angelo DiPietro of Engineair Australia.

The initial focus of the project was on design and product development over performance engineering, but designer Benstead thinks he can envision a future which includes a marketable model based on his air-powered prototype.

Benstead says he believes that with further development there’s a place for compressed air in the future of the motorcycle, and that it would be an economical and environmentally friendly option.

“The concept evolved from research to sketches to computer modeling before the chassis and bodywork was built and fabrication at local manufacturer, Rinlatech Engineering, began,” Benstead said. “I wanted to explore the viability of compressed air as an alternative fuel, and my childhood experiences riding dirt bikes led me to design the motocross bike based around the Engineair engine. I’ve worked closely with project partners including Engineair, Yamaha Australia, who donated the running gear from a WR250F to power the bike, as well as various design staff members like Simon Curlis and Automotive designer Marcus Hotblack from RMIT.

“The stationary test runs we’ve run have been very positive – the bike can hit speeds in excess of 62 mph in its current build, and with more development, we can see the range of the bike doubling or tripling,” Benstead said. “The next prototype would involve a total re-style, different material choices over the current steel tube chassis, such as aluminum or even a futuristic printed titanium, reducing the weight comparable to a heavy-duty mountain bike.”

The O2 Pursuit will be unveiled on November 25 during the Two Wheels exhibit for the duration of the three-day show at the Sydney Motorcycle & Scooter Show in Australia.

Will it ever be a winner with consumers? That remains to be seen, but it will certainly be up against stiff competition from electric and hydrogen powered options…

If you had the earth-friendly constitution, refinement and pocketbook to buy a Brammo electric bike, your insurance needs can get complicated. We’re here to help you find the right insurance for your brand new electric or hydrogen-powered motorcyle…

The World’s Most Expensive Electric Motorcycle – Daniel Simon’s Detonator

Todd Halterman — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:21:06 +0000

Daniel Simon is The Man when it comes to building concept motorcycles so over the top they’re seemingly impossible. Simon’s latest creation, The Detonator, is the world’s most expensive electric motorcycle and it looks like some kind of feverish kid’s dream of what his ideal bike would look like.

You’d hardly be surprised if we told you Simon pulled some inspiration from the sci-fi world as it was Simon, with a little help from toy manufacturer Parker Brothers, who created the Lightcycle for the movie Tron.

The Detonator

The Detonator sports a sticker price of $150,000, so you’ll have to be a well-heeled individual indeed to park one in your garage. The bike clocks in at 11.5 feet long, it’s powered by lithium-ion batteries and gets somewhere between 80 to 100 miles per charge.

And the best thing about it? It’s not just eye candy. The Detonator can hit speeds in excess of 120 mph.

Simon himself says the Detonator is a “street cruiser bike built for humanoid droids.”

The Detonator features a unique chassis design and this elegant, futuristic and expensive electric motorcycle has been realized with large wheels at the front and the back to give the necessary traction to lay down all that power. The wheels check in at a monstrous 30 inches and 27 inches.

If you find yourself so obsessed that you have to have one, the Detonator is actually available in the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Europe, with a mighty dear price tag of – just to reiterate the stunning price of being at the cutting edge - $150,000.

You can own a Detonator sending your check or money order to either a Parker Brother Outlet, or from the Cosmic Motors studio.

2519" title="MI-Logo" src="http://www.motorcycleinsurance.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/MI-

Logo-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="100" height="100" align="right" />If you had the earth-

friendly constitution, refinement and pocketbook to buy a Brammo electric bike, your

insurance needs can get complicated.

href="http://www.motorcycleinsurance.com/guide/">We’re here to help you find the right

insurance for your brand new electric or hydrogen-powered motorcyle…

Electric-Powered Cafe Racer Harkens Back to the History of Speed

Todd Halterman — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 14:22:48 +0000

When American World War II vets came back from the horror they endured, they snapped up the all the Army standard issue Harley Davidson motorcycles they could get their hands on – often at bargain basement prices.

They were very large bikes and the servicemen riders set to work making them faster to provide the necessary shot of adrenaline they were looking for on the open road, far from the madding crowds eager to ask them about “The War.” The bikers hacked away the the parts not deemed useful, and the resulting machines were dubbed “bobbers.”

In Europe, riders were looking for the same thrill of speed, but narrow, winding roads and high fuel prices demanded a different sort of rocket for riders looking to push the edge of the envelope. Those unique requirements led to the creation of what was named the “cafe racer.” These were stripped-down – often British and Italian – bikes which were, due to their light weight and finely-tuned mills, capable of outrageous bursts of speed and silky handling.

Times have changed, and the requirements of motorcyclists seeking the proper urban and suburban road machines are changing with them. Once again, high fuel prices, a reaction against bikes with less-than-optimal handling and the need for speed and style have created a sub-genre of motorcycles at the bleeding edge of technology and desire. A husband and wife team based in South Carolina have answered the call with an electric motorcycle that features the appeal of the classic cafe racer.

Motenergy Electric Cafe Racer

Ed and Tammy Fargo started out riding, drag racing and building on a shoestring when they spent $250 for a 1978 Honda CB750 basket case and began their quest for electric cafe racer perfection. After ripping out the engine and exhaust, the Fargo’s bolted in Headway batteries, an Altrax 450 AMP controller, a Motenergy.com ME1003 Motor and some Airtech period-correct fiberglass parts, and the machine’s 90 volt power plant can now push their cafe racer to 102.5 MPH, and that’s as serious as a heart attack when it comes to electric-motorcycle speed.

It looks fine like Spring Wine, and if you don’t like the sound? Better get used to it, that electric buzz is the future of motorcycling, and it’s coming on like a freight train…

Click here to view the embedded video.

2519" title="MI-Logo" src="http://www.motorcycleinsurance.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/MI-

Logo-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="100" height="100" align="right" />If you had the earth-

friendly constitution, refinement and pocketbook to buy a Brammo electric bike, your

insurance needs can get complicated.

href="http://www.motorcycleinsurance.com/guide/">We’re here to help you find the right

insurance for your brand new electric or hydrogen-powered motorcyle…

The Friday Motorcycle Chain Links – Best of the Motorcycling Interweb

Todd Halterman — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:30:11 +0000

It’s Friday once again, and time for us to compile our favorite stuff from Motorcycling Interweb. These guys and gals are the pros, and every Friday, we’ll give you some links to our favorite stuff from their sites.Enjoy…and give them some link love.
Kawazuki GSX-R H2 Crossbreed	The Kneeslider
CRD #7: Ossa Copa “Grand Prix”	Bike EXIF
The MotoLady Rocking Her Honda Scrambler	The MotoLady
The Fat Bike Blog	Fat Bike Blog
Survivor Star And Sturgis Rally Faithful Attender Rupert Boneham Running For Governor Of Indiana	Cyril Huze Post
Founder of Patron Tequila and Paul Mitchell Fills His Tank – For Five Grand Cash	Visor Down
Hells Angels Are Pussies	Bikes in the Fast Lane

Buying Your First Bike? The Women’s Guide to Motorcycle Insurance

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.
We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
Towing / Pickup
Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Are Motorcyclists Environmental Criminals

Todd Halterman — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:04:48 +0000

The “MythBusters, ” yeah, the guys with the world’s best job, are taking some flak after their program recently investigated the idea that emissions from motorcycle tailpipes are less damaging to the environment than the emissions from cars.

The “Bike vs. Car” episode of the show aired on September 28, and since then, the emissions have hit the fan. While their general conclusion is true without a doubt, the reasons it’s true might be a little less than good news for the motorcycle industry.

David Munro, CEO of Long Island-based Global MRV, the company which supplied the Discovery Channel series with its signature lightweight “portable emissions testing systems” – or PEMS – and then scientific and technical consulting to set up the equipment in the field and crunch the results, wasn’t surprised to find out how much pollution motorcycles actually do create.

While motorcycles used considerably less fuel, and therefore created less total pollution, the pollution they did create was, well, nasty…

When Munro and Global MRV finally finished work on the points of data collected for the show, motorcycles did prove to use less fuel per mile than the cars created substantially less carbon dioxide: 43 percent less than the 1980s cars, 15 percent less for the 1990s cars, and 30 percent less than the vehicles made in the 2000′s.

To test their hypotheses, Mythbusters hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman took out each pair of vehicles out on the road for 30-minute test runs on city streets and freeways. What they found was, at best, some slightly conflicting data. The data showed motorcycles generated more pollution than automobiles.

• Motorcycles created several hundred times more hydrocarbon pollution than cars.

• Nitrous oxide emissions were equal for the 1980′s vehicles, but the 1990′s-built motorcycle produced 138 percent more NO2 than its partner car, and the 2000′s motorcycle up to 3,220 percent more than the car it was up against.

• The 2000s-built cycle emitted 8,065 percent more poisonous-to-breathe carbon monoxide than the car it was matched against, while the 1990s and 1980′s-built motorcycles produced 516 percent and 313 percent more than the cars from the same era.

“We suspected that the results might turn out the way they did,” says Global MRV’s Munro. “What surprised us was how big of a percentage difference that was discovered.”

Why did the cars do so well against the bikes? Uncle Sam’s rules.

Pretty easy to figure: stricter regulation for cars since the mid-1970s federal standards went into effect to reduce hydrocarbons and tailpipe emissions have ratcheted up while motorcycles have largely been ignored by in that legislative effort.

But where does that actually leave the motorcycle as a viable source of transportation?

In limbo, that’s where.

What it really comes down to is what’s referred to in the eco-business as a “lifecycle assessment,” and that’s where the whole car vs motorcycle as polluters question gets dicey once again.

Lifecycle analysis attempts to measure how much energy is required to harvest raw materials during production and what impact that has on the environment. How much energy is required to harvest the raw materials needed to build a motorcycle? How much energy goes into the manufacturing processes used to build a motorcycle? What’s the impact of all the infrastructure required to support a motorcycle like gas stations and oil changes? What amount of wear and tear does a motorcycle cause to streets and parking lots when compared to a car? How useful will the motorcycle be as transportation and how many miles will it take passengers? What’s involved in recycling a motorcycle when it’s done running and how much pollution is created in getting rid of it?

One way to measure the worth of a particular vehicle is “passenger miles traveled.” It goes like this: a city bus which travels 100 miles a day and carries 10 passengers is responsible for 1000 passenger miles per day and a motorcycle which travels that same 100 miles, carrying 1.3 passengers resulted in 130 passenger miles. Now you’re talking the same language, and it’s that kind of model which Mikhail Chester, a transportation lifecycle analysis expert, uses to develop his theories on the environmental impact of transportation modes.

So what does Chester’s work reveal? Some not great news for bikers.

Chester’s study basically found that a motorcycle’s environmental impact is determined largely by “economies of scale.” That means a motorcycle, by virtue of an overall look at what it takes to make it and maintain it, produces more waste and pollution because production methods are less efficient.
“The discussion of okay-to-good motorcycle fuel efficiency hides the discussion of direct human health and environment-impacting pollutants which tend to be larger for motorcycles than other modes [of transportation],” Chester said in his study.

It comes down to this, motorcycles are manufactured in smaller quantities than cars and smaller scale production, at least in general, equals less efficiency, more pollution and more waste. Chester’s work points to the fact that it takes nearly the same amount of energy to manufacture a motorcycle as it does to make a car.

On the other hand (and there’s always another hand in environmental debates) motorcycles often don’t have catalytic converters and evaporative emissions equipment. While this means they put out less more hydrocarbons, their environmental impact is lessened as a result – at least by one measure :

An internal combustion engine equipped with a three-way catalytic converter to run at the stoichiometric point means it is less efficient than if it were operated lean. What does that mean? It means there’s an increases the amount of fossil fuels consumed and an increase in the carbon-dioxide emissions from the vehicle.
Catalytic converters do remove hydrocarbons and other harmful emissions, but they don’t solve the basic problem created when you burn fossil fuels. The U.S. EPA says catalytic converters are “a significant and growing cause of global warming,” because of their release of nitrous oxide (N₂O), a greenhouse gas over three hundred times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Catalytic converter production requires palladium or platinum, and a big chunk of the world’s supply of those precious metals is produced near Norilsk, Russia. So, you say, big deal. Well, in part due to the mining and production of said metals there, Norilsk was added to Time magazine’s list of most-polluted places.

So what’s the final conclusion? There isn’t one, or more to the point, let’s say the answer is dependent on work which isn’t really complete at this stage, but all signs point to one pretty unavoidable fact; as it stands, motorcycles aren’t really all that nice to the environment and you, as a rider, are indeed on the wrong side of the tree-hugging nation.

If that is indeed the fact, the case for electric motorcycles might have gotten a bit stronger, but don’t electric motorcycles essentially run on coal? Oh boy, here we go again…

Environmental Life-cycle Assessment of Passenger Transportation: A Detailed Methodology for Energy, Greenhouse Gas and Criteria Pollutant Inventories of Automobiles, Buses, Light Rail, Heavy Rail and Air v.2

Frequently Asked Questions: In-Depth Information for Motorcycle Owners on EPA’s New Emission Standards for Highway Motorcycles

Bad things can happen to you and your bike, and your insurance needs can get complicated. We’re here to help…

Electric and Hydrogen Powered Motorcycles Getting Traction With Investors

Todd Halterman — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:07:39 +0000

Electric motorcycle manufacturer, Brammo, announced on Wednesday that it has raised $28 million from investors to boost development of electric motorcycle powertrain technology.

So who’s kicking in all the cash? Polaris Industries, for one. Polaris is a powersports giant which makes all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, motorcycles and road-legal electric vehicles, and they’re obviously eyeing a step into the nascent electric motorcycle market.

Polaris CEO Scott Wine is betting on electric motorcycle technology to take off a gas prices climb ever higher.

“We’re not going to buy something to get bigger; we’re going to buy something to get better, faster,” Wine said recently.

The Polaris deal with Brammo’s positions the company to move the Brammo powertrain technology into a host of vehicle types and makes Polaris an instant player in the EV technology which is very likely to replace four-stroke engines traditionally used to power bikes and snowmobiles.

Think Polaris is the only major powersports player looking to develop electric motorcycle technology. You sir, are not correct…

Zero Motorcycles, another manufacturer of all-electric motorcycles, also announced that they raised $26 million in additional financing from investors, led by Invus, the company’s main backer since 2008. The deal closed with $17 million invested and sources say the potential for an additional $9 million over the coming months is in the offing.

Zero will use the cash to crank up U.S.-based production of their line of electric bikes and to expand global sales. Zero officials said they would commit “significant” resources to research and development of their electric drivetrain technology.

“We’re building the leading supply chain in the industry through our own efforts and our partnering with world-class suppliers,” said Zero CEO Gene Banman . “The company has the strong financial footing it needs to expand the business and move the state of electric motorcycle development rapidly forward.”

Yet another entrant in the carbon-free motorcycle market, Intelligent Energy, a British company, announced their plans to come out with a motorcycle named Emission Neutral Vehicle (ENV), and they say the ENV is, perhaps a bit disingenuously, the world’s first hydrogen-powered bike.

Intelligent Energy says the bike has a top speed of 50 mph and a range of at least 100 miles. The stated fact that the ENV can run for four hours before a fuel cell recharge means the vehicle would be a viable commuter platform, and more so if you could actually find the fuel it takes to run one.

Price might be an issue as well as a prototype of ENV shown in London will set you back more than $8,300.

But will motorcyclists go for a product that only looks like a motorcycle but sounds more like a really boss electric fan?

The ENV hydrogen bike is mighty quiet. None of the reassuring roar you get with a motorcycles, so the manufacturers are saying they might use a fake engine noise device. The sound factor might well play in China and India where a huge number of riders use motorcycles for everyday transportation, but it will be a tough sell here in the US of A where we like our bikes loud and powerful…

James May of Top Gear test the ENV:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Has the Electric Motorcycle Gotten A Foothold in the Market?

Todd Halterman — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 21:55:21 +0000

The rest of the world, and particularly those in Asian countries, have embraced two-wheeled transportation, and it remains to be seen if consumers in North America and Europe will follow suit.

High fuel costs, customer perception, and government incentives are all contributing to a growing demand for electric motorcycles and scooters. In areas where the population is increasingly moving to cities and large vehicles are impractical and expensive to own and park, practicality is the driving force for the e-motorcycle and e-scooter markets.

According to a report from Pike Research, sales of these vehicles will rise sharply in Europe and North America over the next six years.

Annual sales of e-motorcycles will essentially double each year through 2017, the cleantech intelligence firm says, with some countries, such as Italy and France, seeing compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) of greater than 120%. The nations of Eastern Europe will see even more explosive growth, with e-motorcycle sales increasing by 138% annually from 2011 through 2017. CAGRs for e-motorcycles in North America will surpass 71%.

“For now, sales numbers are low, but manufacturers of two-wheeled electric vehicles are finding specialty niches that will provide solid growth early on in the next decade,” says senior analyst Dave Hurst. “E-scooters, for example, are effective for small parcel deliveries, while police forces are gravitating toward e-motorcycles to save money on fuel.”

By far the largest market for e-motorcycles and e-scooters is China, where Pike Research forecasts that 2.3 million and 13.5 million vehicles, respectively, will be sold by 2017. This growth is driven by the huge existing market for two-wheeled vehicles and by the fact that many e-scooters are sold as bicycles, so they do not have to be registered. China, however, is a relatively mature market; the CAGR for e-motorcycle sales through 2017 will be under 2% and, for e-scooters, under 5%.

The total number of e-motorcycles and e-scooters on the road, worldwide, will increase from 17 million in 2011 to 138 million by 2017.

Pike Research’s study, “Electric Motorcycles and Scooters”, provides a comprehensive examination of the market forces, technology issues, government incentives and regulations, and key drivers of the growth of e-motorcycles and e-scooters.

The report includes e-motorcycle and e-scooter sales forecasts and battery technology forecasts through 2017, as well as profiles of key industry players. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm’s website.

Pike Research is a market research and consulting firm that provides in-depth analysis of global clean technology markets and you can see what they’re up to here at www.pikeresearch.com.

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
Towing / Pickup
Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Bike Find of the Day – The Lito Sora Electric Superbike

Todd Halterman — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:13:22 +0000

Without a clutch and generating incredible torque, the Lito Sora superbike also happens to be sort of, well, excellent looking.

Kind of a bobber on CAD steroids

On one of these babies, you can get from 0-125 miles-an-hour in a mind-blowing time, and sporting a full charge which lasts nearly 300 miles, this thing is more than a novelty item.

It’s not just that you can go 300 miles between charges, it also re-charges overnight, at least they say it only takes eight hours to a full charge.

The Lito Sora Electric Superbike

Lito Sora Specs:

An energy storing, integrated charge management system. Ride for up to 300 km on a single charge thanks to the top-of-the-line, high-density battery — built to last for the life of the bike
A powerful electric motor and CVT transmission. Experience the power of going 0-200 km/h with zero clutch and phenomenal torque that makes you feel like you’re flying on the road
An advanced communication and power management unit, developed by LITO and designed to convert every watt of power efficiently to minimize energy loss
A patented Safe Range System™. With this revolutionary application you will never experience range anxiety. Just set your destination the Sora will manage the amount of energy to get you there
State-of-the-art integrated GPS system and touch screen. Stay connected to your bike in a new way never before possible
The world’s first ever electric motorbike seat. Change your ride handling on the fly
High-quality front fork and rear suspension and top-of-the-line braking, designed to let you stop faster than on almost any other superbike
An on-board charging port and sealed lockable storage compartment. Keep you gear dry and secure
Patented email notification when the SORA charge is complete
A regenerative braking system. Energy lost during braking is used to recharge the battery, so you can travel further in a single charge. The system also minimizes impact on the brake pad, which means less maintenance
Lightweight carbon fiber fairing and aluminum chassis. Aircraft grade materials, stronger, lighter, faster.

Chassis

Chassis Lightweight aluminum 6061-T6	Wheelbase1498 mm (59.0 in.)
Front suspension43 mm inverted cartridge fork. Fully adjustable	Front wheel travel125 mm
Rear suspension Elka suspension fully adjustable preload. Aluminum swingarm	Rear wheel travel127 mm
TiresFront: 120/70 ZR17 Rear: 180/55 ZR17	Wheels6-spoke lightweight forged billet aluminum Front: 3.50 x 17″ Rear: 5.50 x 17″
Front brake Dual semi-floating 310 mm petal discs, radial-mount opposed 4-piston calipers 2-pad	Rear brakeSingle 250 mm petal disc, opposed 2-piston caliper
Rake25.0°	Weight240 kg (529.2 lbs.)
Seat Height Adjustable electric seat from 750 to 850mm (29.5 to 33.5 in.)

POWERTRAIN

Motor Liquid-cooled 3-phase AC induction	TransmissionsBelt final drive and CVT transmission
Torque Crank: 80 Nm (59 ft-lb, 0-6000rpm) Wheel: 960 Nm (708 ft-lb)	SORA top speed200 km/h (120 mph)
Energy storage12 kWh lithium-polymer battery modules with integrated Battery Management System, on-board charge, J1772 compatible	Power ControlLITO advanced software,integrated computer, regenerative braking, 3 control modes (performance, eco, safe range)
Recharge Time Approximately 8 hours	InstrumentationDigital unit with displays for: speedometer, battery charge level and warning lights 5.7in. LCD with touch screen: GPS and LITO’s application USB port
Range Up to 300 km (185 miles)

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

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The Future of Motorcycles Is A Unicycle? The Ryno Monowheel Motorcycle

Whitey Hudson — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:41:34 +0000

The sort of transportation we choose; the tool we select to get from here to there, calls for making a highly personal and subjective decision.

If you’re a more sociable sort than most, you might decide to take the bus or the train. If you need a place to put on your makeup or eat breakfast on the way to work, you’ll pick a car, most likely one which you believe in some way reflects the wonderfulness of who you are on the inside.

People like my friend, Rob Kirkbride, choose the healthy approach and walk when they can. Some, those in a greener mode, choose a bicycle to take them wherever they have to go.

If you’re a rebel, a loner or simply a greasemonkey like me, you’ll choose a motorcycle.

I love the feel of being out in the wind on a bike. I like the way it makes my senses go on full alert.

This, however, doesn’t seem like a motorcycle to me, and by this I refer to a monowheel motorcycle from the creative people Ryno Motors.

They company announced that it will begin production of a monowheel motorcycle that, should you think it’s a good idea, will sell for the startlingly low price of $4,200 American Cash Money. Using roughly the same technology which propels the Segway, the company decided to jack up the horsepower involved.

Inventor Chris Hoffmann put together a “motorcycle” which stands about hip-high and features a single bulky wheel beneath a wide seat and handlebar set. At this point, there’s only one, but his Vancouver, Washington, start-up, Ryno Motors, says it will be in production by early next year.

Hoffmann’s futuristic bike is capable of 20 miles per hour and sports a stated range of up to 30 miles per charge.

“What can you build that fits through the cracks of our existing infrastructure? This is small, strong, and has personality,” Hoffmann said.

Once mounted, the micro-cycle feels stable side to side, with a Segway-like self-balancing mechanism. To accelerate, you lean forward; to stop, using a hand brake tilts you back into an upright position and you put your feet down.

You’d be hard pressed to call it boring, but you’d also be quite a loose cannon if you ran out and bought one.

While it does look impressive in a Star Wars kind of way, it’s hard to imagine riding one. It kind of brings to mind what my friends and I regularly employ as a short of shorthand to mean, ‘don’t be seen on one;’ the “The Moped Joke Reference.”

I find it difficult to believe that I wouldn’t look almost exactly like a trained bear from a circus riding one of these, but maybe one fine day, The Ryno Monocycle it will be all the rage.

Like bellbottom jeans…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Whether you ride a sport bike, an American cruiser or a Monowheeled Ryno, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

The Electric Motorcycle Comes of Age – Lightning Motorcycle Hits 200 MPH at Bonneville

Todd Halterman — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 23:52:06 +0000

According to Richard Hatfield of Lightning Motorcycles, his company’s “Flying Banana Mk. II” hit 205.2 mph and 208.6 during two runs at the Southern California Timing Associations’ Speed Week at Bonneville.

That hair-raising, spit flying run made Lightning the first electric motorcycle manufacturer to have a bike break the 200 mph barrier in competition.

Once verified, the 205.2 run would shatter the current land speed record of 176.4 mph, which was set by Riches Nelson and his streamlined Airtech Lightning Bolt electric.

Lightning also currently holds the AMA and FIM land speed records in a couple of classes for electric motorcycles weighing between 150kg and 300kg.

Paul Thede took the Flying Banana Mk. I to 173.321 mph at Bonneville last year.

Hatfield says his team is confident that, having used only 3% of its battery charge and being ridden at quarter-throttle, the machine can go even faster and predicted that a cranked-on, full-throttle run should provide 210 mph.

The speed is impressive, but that’s not to say the run was without issues. Hatfield said the Mk. II ran into some light aerodynamic issues due to the rider position and the partially streamlined bodywork. Rider Thede said he had to counteract the bike’s tendency to pull to the right side of the course.

Paul Thede shattered the speed record for electric motorcycles this week at the Bonneville Salt Flats

Bad things can happen to you and your bike, and your insurance needs can get complicated. We’re here to help…

Michigan Learning the Electric Motorcycle Lesson – Current Motor Is Banking On It

Todd Halterman — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:45:13 +0000

Ann Arbor Company Building Electric Bikes: MyFoxDETROIT.com

Current Motor seems to have learned a lesson most of the automakers in Detroit were slow to pick up on; electric vehicles are the wave of the future.

Current Motor is banking on their new invention to give a push to electric vehicle sales and introduce them into the affordable mainstream.

“Some electric vehicles are starting to become popular right now, but they’re so expensive,” said Current Motor founder Erik Kauppi. “We wanted to make affordable transportation that real people could use to get to work and back.”

Affordable? That may be a matter of perspective or the health of your bank account.

They company’s bikes sell for under $8,000 each. At a penny a mile to operate, sooner or later, you’ll get your money back, but don’t pay attention too closely to the math. You have to use Green Think to justify the price equation, but perhaps the super feeling you’ll get from being kind to the environment is worth a few extra bucks when you buy.

If you need further convincing of your do-gooder-ness, check out this table which outlines the “carbon footprint” of various vehicles:

Vehicle	Carbon Footprint fromEnergy Use	Carbon Footprint fromEnergy Production	Total
Large SUV	396	40	436
Small SUV	371	37	408
Full Size Sedan	253	25	278
Mid Size Sedan	231	23	254
Compact Hybrid	120	12	132
250 cc motorcycle	80	8	88
150 cc motorcycle	61	6	67
Current Motor Companyelectric maxi-scooter	0	34	34

You can also consider this, if you’re willing to pitch in, Current Motor will lop a couple of grand off the purchase price if you join their “test pilot” program.

Test Pilot Program Details

Test Pilot Program member receives:
1. $2000 discount.
2. $300 fee for each purchase made as a result of people they refer to us.
3. Preferential pricing and priority availability on future trade-ins and upgrades.
In exchange Test Pilot agrees to:
1. Provide us monthly feedback on your usage of the bike for a period of 12 months – contact will be via an email containing a link to a short survey. Test Pilots are also encouraged to contact us with additional feedback.
2. Provide permission to use their name and electric vehicle story in publicity.
3. Allow us the opportunity to address any unexpected glitches with the bike at the company’s expense before they seek other redress.
Enrollment in the Test Pilot Program is at the company’s discretion. We currently expect the first 25 bikes of each model to be available. We reserve the right to terminate the program when we have achieved the product development objectives.
Acceptance into the program will be on a first-come-first-served basis with preference given to those applicants who are most willing to be part of the team.

The bikes use lithium ion batteries and plug in to any standard outlet for recharging.

According to Kauppi, the bikes can reach a top speed of 60 miles-per-hour and go about 50 miles on a single charge.

“Current Motor CEO Lauren Flanagan, like Kauppi a former Ford Motor Company engineer, said the company launched a test program back in January and set up shop in Michigan to be close to suppliers, manufacturing facilities and workers with the proper skills set.

Estimates are that some 25-million e-motorcycles and 120-million e-scooters will be whining down the roads worldwide in next five years, and nearly a quarter of them will be in the United States.

Current Motor scooters are being sold in Ann Arbor and online, and if all goes as planned, the company says it will create hundreds of jobs in Southeast Michigan.

You’re going to need to insure your new electric bike. We’re here to help…