Off topic

[guest18]

Off topic but I just love specials and imaginative engineering!

Now take that, bin the lead acid batteries and spend the money on some big li-po or whatever modern batteries, add a vetter/rifle type fairing... and you could get something that would spank a 125 commuter for speed and economy *and* have a useable commuting range (defined by me as at least 25 to 30 miles of stop start/high speed running)
Good thinking using seperate chargers for each battery to speed the recharge time!

But hey, what he's built is pretty damn cool anyway  great to see "men in sheds" ( (C) James May) building what the big four don't have the bottle to do 

Worth having a wander round youtube looking at some of the other E-bikes, some neat work floating around 

[squirrelciv]

Sorry matey, but I like burning fossil fuels. That way you get a lervly noise when you're riding along

[guest18]

Fair enough  I just love the imagination and nice, practical engineering that goes into a decent special, particularly if someone has done something a bit out of the ordinary or even a little groundbreaking.
I'd far rather pore over a couple of scruffy but innovative specials than for instance look at the twenty or thirty identikit (over restored) Goldies that were lined up at the owners tent at Uttoxeter! Even though a Goldstar is a beautiful bike and I'd probably not even want to drive some of the specials, they're just more interesting to me...

Singles are fun, small high revving fours can make a gorgeous noise, I'd still like a shot on a properly powerful electric bike just to see what the instant power is like 
(Almost) All bikes are fun to me in some ways 

[guest27]

Really like the two throttle set up positive and negative throttle...  Now I would have thought the throttle is a potentiometer so could have been centrered ad zero, close over centre for negative and open normally for positive, or rig the negative throttle to the rear brake pedal and use a Moto Guzzi rear set up for the brakes but running off the front, or the like.  I am sure he has good reason as he seems to have thought out most things.

Mentioned it to someone today and they were planning a raid on my shed for the frame wheels etc to make one.  The only suitable rolling chassis I have is a RD500, and that still has a lovely but non running V4 stinkwheel in it.

R

[guest18]

I have a non running NSR125R with fresh bodywork lurking behind my shed... but no spare cash for frivolities 

[Andy M]

...  Now I would have thought the throttle is a potentiometer so could have been centrered ad zero, close over centre for negative and open normally for positive, or rig the negative throttle to the rear brake pedal and use a Moto Guzzi rear set up for the brakes but running off the front, or the like.  I am sure he has good reason as he seems to have thought out most things.

Potentiometers are horrid things when faced with changing temps. A position sensor, either PWM or optical is better. From a production point of view the throttle would need to be like a standard bike with everything else automatic, but if he likes his set up and made it work why not.

Andy

[guest27]

I stand corrected! 

OK so the throttle would ave to be some lekky pixie who knows where the twistie thing is and can shout in lekky pixieese to their mates near the motor...

So why would the controls have to be like those on a conventional bike? Is this the best solution or just a skeuomorph? There have been no end of changes over the years, we no longer have mixture levers (ok most of us Bruce...) do no t have to pump the oil by hand etc.  The gear and brake lever have swapped sides (despite research showing that they are safer in the European layout) - ah there is my answer conservative dumb yanks...

Written on a QWERTY keyboard which must be the biggest economic drain of a skeuomorph going.

[Steffan]

I used to feel the same as Pat until I thought of the possibilities of free solar recharging - never running out of fuel and no duty.

Saw these bike at their first TT lapping the island faster than most of us could do on conventional stuff.

No Pat, I too love the internal combustion engine but if it is the difference between riding and not riding, I know which I would pick

Steffan

[Andy M]

OK so the throttle would ave to be some lekky pixie who knows where the twistie thing is and can shout in lekky pixieese to their mates near the motor...

.... - ah there is my answer conservative dumb yanks...

Correct on the electric pixies.

There are UN standards for vehicle controls, plus EU and US ergonomic/inclusion requirements that are easier to meet if you follow the UN standards. It's not impossible, but if your bike has a RHS throttle or your car has CBA pedals your lawyers and sponsors will be happier than if you fit a foot released hand brake on your Citroen or hand lever rear brake on your Bentley. Things like the Ural reverse gear get by because they are outside the specs (wouldn't fancy writing the manual for a new approval though). I'd bet they'd want a throttle to be like a throttle.

Does a Skewedmorph involve plastercine and ten pints of cider?   

Andy

[guest18]

I used to feel the same as Pat until I thought of the possibilities of free solar recharging - never running out of fuel and no duty.

Saw these bike at their first TT lapping the island faster than most of us could do on conventional stuff.

No Pat, I too love the internal combustion engine but if it is the difference between riding and not riding, I know which I would pick

Steffan

Likewise, I started out on bicycles and envied the comfort and (apparently) effortless power of motorbikes, *any* motorbikes (30mph was fast to me then, as it still is on a bicycle!). Then I started riding bikes and slid down the oh so common slope of bigger and faster until I realised I was risking everything dear to me, and my life, in a somewhat selfish search for a bigger thrill/scare. So I dropped back to middleweight singles and I bop along at largely legal speeds in a moderately sensible manner enjoying the ride.
So when I see electric bikes doing 37.73 miles at an average speed just over 87 miles an hour then I know that electric powered two wheelers have just become a realistic proposition...

Yes the technology is still relatively new for two wheelers, and yes they have different compromises when compared with a "conventional" powered bike, but I think they have the potential to be every bit as much fun as a petrol bike.
For example, I don't need a bike that does more than 70, but I want decent acceleration and the ability to do 70mph anywhere, a petrol engine works well over a very small speed range, hence our gearboxes, but an electric motor can give you full power from pretty much any revs, how good will that be for snap overtakes!   and as Steffan says, fancy charging your bike from a windmill genny/solar setup and just topping it from the mains? It's possible...
When I was a kid I preferred (good) electric remote control cars to the liquid fueled ones because they were cleaner and accelerated much more quickly and were just less hassle to use... I hope in a few years we may see electric bikes that manage the same trick.
I still would like to see petrol bikes on the road, in the same way I like to see an LC on the road, but simply, for a large number of reasons it's had it's day and is no longer a sensible bike for daily use.

Almost merits a "discuss" now lol  

[Andy M]

The issue to me is that electric vehicles still have to be designed to a specific purpose and are very dependent on infrastructure. If you want to ride your CG125 from the North Cape to Cape Town, all you need is time and money. This was possible anytime after about 1925 when they'd got fuel dumps in place. For the work to install charging points along the route you could build a fair bit of railway, a more efficient solution. You also have the issue that you can "recharge" a petrol bike in seconds. It's possible in minutes with batteries but they still prefer hours.

My take is that the one size fits all period is passing fast. You'll go to work on a pure electric vehicle or electric public transport if your route is along a main corridor. To go cross country the train will be cheapest and up to maybe 500 miles faster. Aircraft will use hydrogen. Out of the way AND long distance overland we'll see alternate fuels be it hydrogen or bio diesel (with electric drive). There will be a lot more flexibility, expect your train ticket to include use of a city owned drop-and-charge type vehicle. The diesel overland travel is going to be expensive compared to the train.

In terms of bikes, I think there needs to be choice. An electric sports-touring bike (150 mph/150 miles range) is possible soon. The later generation of GS style bikes will be Diesel for years. Petrol can be made for classics for as long as we need it from coal, but will be poor quality and expensive. There is no fear that kids in 2109 won't be able to go see a running Brough or Bonneville in the same way we take them to see coal fired railway engines.

Give it 100 years and the great grandkids will be looking back on GC's XBR like we look at wood burning locomotives though, they'll see it has great advantages (you just dig a hole and pump the fuel out) but will be pretty horrified at the noise/pollution/safety and the fact you had to take it to bits and get carcogens on your hands.

Done well, the electric bike can be just as fun as the petrol one. My Honda Hybrid is just a car to me. I assume an electric CG125 replacement will just feel like it did when commuters switched from BSA Bantams to CG's. Some will like the clean efficiency, so will miss the smell of blue smoke. I'll go electric and when the technology is right, the only petrol bike I might keep is the MZ due to the fact it has almost zero monetary value. I don't think this'll happen for at least 20 years though and we might go Diesel first.

Andy

[guest18]

I may disagree slightly over some timescales and details, but essentially I think Andy is smack on the money, and I'll still enjoy riding some sort of bike! 
imho we are approaching a major change in the use/type/perception of personal transport and on the whole I think that's quite an interesting, even exciting thing. 

[guest27]

I think the big thing will being able to make a choice - until now there has been the hairshirt approach to emissions, which will only enthrall the few and alienate the many.  Soon we will be able to make real choices.  However I think we still need to see some more of the death throes of the market economy, not to a socialist state, but to one where social equity and environment are equal to financial bottom line (triple bottom line) or the like that will actually encourage entrepreneurial approaches and local authority investment.

With a bot of luck it could be quite a iberating and exciting time.  It is just a same that so much has been pumped into supporting yesterdays economy through this recession rater than supporting tomorrow.

R