Electric mega sports bikes?

[BroadsRS6]

Is anyone really going to find even the most potent single speed battery powered bike as much fun, as interesting, as good sounding (!) or as, i dunno, horny as something like a 1299 Panigale, 1103 Panigale, Yamaha R1 or even a 1200 Speed triple?
I might be old fashioned in my 40s now but i just don't want one. The only bike i might trade for electric would be my Wing, if an electric super tourer was lighter/smaller than my bike and more powerful. Now as a continent crosser that might work for me. I'd want 300 mile range minimum though.

[BroadsRS6]

1299 Panigale. 6 speed manual. Noise to absolutely die for. Just the right amount of vibration to let you know there's 2 massive pistons at work without being uncomfortable. Absolute animal! Most fun I've ever had on 2 wheels, no question at all.
Or a silent one speed electric superbike?
Oasis or One Direction!!!

[BroadsRS6]

Neal H said:

It depends on whether you view a bike as an enthusiasts toy or a mode of transport. I suspect most on here are the former.

Electric sports bike has no appeal to me, an electric commuter bike would. I have an electric push-bike (mountain bike) and think it’s ace for getting from a to b, but that’s it.

Yep.
That's why the topic is electric mega sports bikes! To get from A to B only, anything will do, but my biking is either fast riding fun, or in the case of the Gold Wing, something i ride several times a year to France, Spain, Germany and Portugal. The last Wing i had, due to a cock up in bookings, once did a 970 mile day and i was relatively fresh (sort of) at the end of it. I can see a powerful electric tourer doing a similar job. Huge easy miles.

[BroadsRS6]

crofty1984 said:

BroadsRS6 said:

Yep.
That's why the topic is electric mega sports bikes! To get from A to B only, anything will do, but my biking is either fast riding fun, or in the case of the Gold Wing, something i ride several times a year to France, Spain, Germany and Portugal. The last Wing i had, due to a cock up in bookings, once did a 970 mile day and i was relatively fresh (sort of) at the end of it. I can see a powerful electric tourer doing a similar job. Huge easy miles.

Surely you should have just done the extra 30 miles?

Not when the 970 miles got me to a b and b in France that was not fully booked. We hadn't slept or rested for what seemed like a week!

[BroadsRS6]

Wish said:

I’ve had a BMW C Evolution to travel back and forth to work on in the summer.
Don’t knock it until you try it!

They are fantastic fun with instant max torque always at hand. I bought it as a gimmick but am really impressed with it.

I’ve come from Fireblade, Fast Ducati’s, my last bike was a aprilia tuono and the BMW still made me smile :-)

Fine for work as you say, but not as a replacement for an R1 or GSXR1000 is my point.
No electric bike will EVER give us what one of those do, or indeed the 1299 Panigale i used to own. Nil chance.

[BroadsRS6]

MrGman said:

BroadsRS6 said:

No electric bike will EVER give us what one of those do, or indeed the 1299 Panigale i used to own. Nil chance.

I’m with you 100%

They will however give something a R1 or 1299 never has, and I think the vast majority will come to liking what electric bikes have to offer.

HMMM...
Silence. One gear. Weird weight distribution. Zero engine character. The absent howl of a quality sports V twin or 15,000 rpm scream of an inline 4, or even the evil thump of an HD with 950cc pistons. A soul-less experience costing a bloody fortune. Charging hassles. Range issues.
Blimey, i can hardly wait!!!
My upcoming 1200 Speed triple or an electric street fighter? Salmon or Pilchard!

[BroadsRS6]

Most bike tuners i have spoken to say that batteries HINDER sports bike design terribly, the opposite of what the poster said above. I have driven several electric cars and like many people they leave me cold. Utterly. I drive a 760 bhp V10 petrol as the fast car of my choice and no electric car even if it was faster would match that for fun.
Anyone seriously thinking that a 1 speed 'torque from the word go' electric bike better than a 6 speed manual litre like an R1 or S1000RR is crazy. For a start, power and torque from revolution number one is irrelevant with a machine 10% of the weight of most cars. My 1299 Ducati didn't pull well from 50 rpm either but from 2,000 rpm it was immense. Absolute animal.
As for the sound being a nuisance to other people, what about the increased deaths silent bikes and cars will guarantee? The wildlife deaths that will rocket also? Hearing traffic around you is a big part of avoiding it, whether you are a driver, pedestrian, an older or short sighted person maybe, or our beautiful wildlife which gets wiped out by silent 2 tonne killing machines haring through their back garden.

[BroadsRS6]

Okay, everyone reply with E or ICE. Just those letters will do. Cheers, all.

You have won a bike and you will pick it up on July 1st this year.
The E bike has 200 bhp, one speed, silence and power as soon as you open the throttle. It weighs 200 kgs. It does 200 mph. It gets to 100 mph in about 5 seconds.
The ICE Ducati or Japanese/German petrol burner has the same power, weight, top speed and acceleration, give or take a gnat's nose. It doesn't have power from 50 rpm but screams it's iconic song as you drop in gear after gear around the red line. For many of the above that's 14,000 delicious rpm, so who cares what happens at 50 rpm after all?

Do YOU take the Panigale 1299, S1000RR, Fireblade, ZX12R, etc. or the electric bike?

No brainer, the ICE!!!

[BroadsRS6]

ddom said:

Electric bikes are even worse than electric cars. Remove the USP (the interesting engine) and there’s a frame, pair of wheels and some clocks. It’s a very limited area ti stamp your manufacture vision upon? All the bikes with a battery will accelerate the same, sound and feel the same. The extra weight will ruin the dynamics and it’s likely they’ll all need wider tyres and other compromises. There’s no aftermarket scene, apart from a branded plug adapter and after you’ve done a few standing starts you’re left with a very big twist and go. Pick one, any of them and PX it in six months for a different brand. It’s the antithesis of motorcycling IMO.

Spot on. I'm using a friend's R6 this week as he is away on business and i can't believe how much fun it is. Using all 15,000 rpm in the lower 3 gears is just amazing and yet the bike will pull smoothly from 40 mph in top cog. It's a 2010 so probably not expensive to buy either. I am sorry but no electric bike will EVER be this much fun. No way. EVEN if it had 300 bhp from one rpm!

[BroadsRS6]

One more thing against electric bikes and cars. We've been told that during severe winters we have come as a nation very close to electrical supply capacity limit. Won't it be fun when 10 million people plug their vehicles in at 5 to 7 pm! When all the lorries and buses put the chargers on in unison. Lights out anyone? Lovely!

The bottom line is that as pure transport, any fuel will do. But my original post was mega sports bikes and NO single speed silent bike will ever, ever come close for FUN as something like my R1 or 1299 Panigale or my soon to arrive 1200 Speed triple. No way.
We can all admit that 200 bhp is more than enough on the road for a sports bike. So then, it is all about how you make the power and some ways are far better than others.
You could get 200 bhp from an electric pack. You could get it from a 2 litre diesel automatic.
Give me a screaming 1000cc-1200cc petrol manual every single time.

[BroadsRS6]

Has anyone mentioned the pollution caused in making all this electricity for battery packs? One Sunday 'paper had an article that showed immense damage to the planet from electric vehicles. It's no free lunch.

[BroadsRS6]

ddom said:

We have Moto E. would you watch it in preference to GP?

Precisely. E Bikes are boring just like the E cars i have driven, no matter how fast.
Put it this way. If i was to give you a 200 bhp sports bike weighing 200 kgs, put these in the order you would choose. Thanks.

VOTE TIME FOR ALL OF YOU!

1) Petrol V4 or straight 4, 14,000 rpm, titanium con rods, lightweight valve gear and lightweight forged pistons, etc., 6 speed manual. Amazing noise, gurgly at low rpm and an absolute banshee howl above 10,000 rpm.

2) Turbo diesel. 300 lb-ft of torque. 8 speed DSG or 6 speed manual. Grunty power from low down and a bad ass voice through the rev range.

3) Electric. One speed. Silent. Erm. Power from the word go, nearly forgot the best bit.

[BroadsRS6]

Kawasicki said:

BroadsRS6 said:

ddom said:

We have Moto E. would you watch it in preference to GP?

Precisely. E Bikes are boring just like the E cars i have driven, no matter how fast.
Put it this way. If i was to give you a 200 bhp sports bike weighing 200 kgs, put these in the order you would choose. Thanks.

VOTE TIME FOR ALL OF YOU!

1) Petrol V4 or straight 4, 14,000 rpm, titanium con rods, lightweight valve gear and lightweight forged pistons, etc., 6 speed manual. Amazing noise, gurgly at low rpm and an absolute banshee howl above 10,000 rpm.

2) Turbo diesel. 300 lb-ft of torque. 8 speed DSG or 6 speed manual. Grunty power from low down and a bad ass voice through the rev range.

3) Electric. One speed. Silent. Erm. Power from the word go, nearly forgot the best bit.

In your example 1 above you mentioned a lot about the specification of the components. In example 2 very little about the specification. In example 3 pretty much nothing. Why is that?

Because they are the highlights, the things worth noting.
A bit like describing, for a dining fanatic, the good points of a great pizza or roast dinner.
Then a lettuce sandwich! There's little to mention!

[BroadsRS6]

KTMsm said:

Perhaps a fairer assessment...

Put the following in order of importance:

Absolute Speed
Noise
Character
Fun
Silence
Weight
Looks
Purchase price
Cost to run including depreciation
Range / ease of refuelling

Okay, will do. For a mega sports bike. Some of these could arguably move up or down one, for various reasons.
Let's do top 10.

Performance. Equal before long.
Handling. Maybe equal in time.
Noise. ICE every time bar none.
Fun. ICE every time bar none.
Character. ICE every time bar none.
Weight. Maybe equal in time.
Looks. Equal in time.
Purchase price. ICE for a long time yet.
Range. Not much in it.
Silence. ICE every time, who wants it in a sports bike, bar a nun or a monk fgs?

[BroadsRS6]

srob said:

BroadsRS6 said:

Okay, will do. For a mega sports bike. Some of these could arguably move up or down one, for various reasons.
Let's do top 10.

Performance. Equal before long.
Handling. Maybe equal in time.
Noise. ICE every time bar none.
Fun. ICE every time bar none.
Character. ICE every time bar none.
Weight. Maybe equal in time.
Looks. Equal in time.
Purchase price. ICE for a long time yet.
Range. Not much in it.
Silence. ICE every time, who wants it in a sports bike, bar a nun or a monk fgs?

I love it when someone decides they’re the voice of everyone and speaks as the though subjective data is objective

That's what a forum is for and i find the hypocrisy of people like you most amusing. Hehehe.
There again some people prefer non alcohol wine to the real stuff. Bit like silent 1 gear sports bike versus an R1. :-)

[BroadsRS6]

KTMsm said:

srob said:

I love it when someone decides they’re the voice of everyone and speaks as the though subjective data is objective

I love how you keep saying we can't judge anything yet

Electric cars / bikes are being made so we can decide whether we want to buy them now

You can ask this question in 5, 10, 20 years time and you'll likely find some have changed their mind

Currently the vast majority aren't interested in them

Yep, electric power for bikes is boring. Unless they are for A to B daily hauls.
The way srob talks we may as well all worry about the fact that in 100 years time we may not be allowed to exceed 50 mph anywhere and may even be forced to work within 10 miles of home.
He clearly believes that whatever happens in the future must be better than what we have now. But progress does not mean more fun, what our short life is all about.
I'm looking at buying a late 1970s Honda CBX-1000/6 from a friend when he sells his bike collection this year. NO electric bike will EVER have the sheer soul, presence and iconic sound of THAT, i assure you.
What comes next isn't always better. Sports bikes right now are the best they will ever be. Many reasons for that. Not least the woke world we are becoming.

[BroadsRS6]

Jazoli said:

We will all be dead or too old to ride before a lack of petrol stations become a major problem, just because potentially all 'new' car sales will have to be electric at some point in the future there will still be tens of millions of ICE powered cars in daily use, the infrastructure isn't going to disappear overnight.

Absolutely. The dreary among us would be happy with silent, one speed sports bikes, limited to 55 mph as all vehicles likely will be one day as ''safety'' takes hold of everything in our lives and paying £1 a mile for the right to be out there.
Sometimes what you have now is best.
In any case improvement in anything is sharp for a while then eventually flattens off. Look at anything in life from the 100 metres world record, to the top speed of sports bikes. The improvements in the last 20 years are negligible. Bikes were doing almost 200 mph 20 years ago and only a fraction more now. 0-100 mph the same situation.
Clinical, silent, 1 gear sports bike? You go for it. I'll take my new 1200 or a Panigale V4/V2 every single time thanks.

[BroadsRS6]

srob said:

As for a CBX having soul - compared to my Mk1 KTT Velocette it’s a generic boring brick.

Well that shows that you seriously haven't got a clue! Wherever you work. I am a boat restorer by trade including the engines and my father was an Aston Martin mechanic for 20 years. So what?
If you actually believe that and are not being silly for the sake of it!
A Velocette is about as useful a road bike as a Sinclair C5. Soul? Do me a favour. I had a CBX and they have an incredible sound to die for when fitted with an apt exhaust system. The smooth 6 pot is something to behold and the design was so different to anything we saw or have seen in a mass produced bike.
That Velo could be ANY old single, a bone shaker that removes fillings as you ride, pathetic performance and brakes and tyres to keep you honest above 30 mph. Don't be bloody ridiculous.
When my very old father passes i will get his 7-bike collection, which includes a 1957 BSA Gold Star DBD34 in 'Clubmans' trim. For a ancient single that is a pretty good bike, but a CBX offers much more soul. A straight 6 motorcycle is unique. A single ain't!

Edited by BroadsRS6 on Saturday 13th March 07:31

[BroadsRS6]

srob said:

black-k1 said:

I think that within 10 years the government (regardless of colour) will start significantly ramping up fuel tax. It shows intent for CO2 reduction and raises some short term revenue. That, in turn will dramatically reduce the demand for petrol/diesel and thus the stations that supply it.

In 20 years, I think we can expect to travel some significant distance to find a petrol station and pay a lot for the petrol when we get there.

Exactly. There won’t be an outright ban on it but it’ll just be all but banned by making it so hard to do!

You talk like a depressed 90 year old, talk about negative and boring! Cheer up chum!
:-)

[BroadsRS6]

ddom said:

Esceptico said:

ICE engines have been used because up until
now they were the best alternative. They have lots of negatives - noisy, smelly, power depends upon revs so you need gearboxes, use flammable fuel with poor energy density, get hot so need cooling, lots of vibrations that need dampening. Doesn’t make them an ideal form of propulsion for vehicles.

You've just described 'character'.

Which is ideal.

Exactly. The world is becoming sterile and woke. We mustn't offend anyone with words or vehicles, or say anything about anything, bikes or cars which give pleasure must certainly be banned!
When motorcycles become simply a way of getting around and nothing more, motorcycling is DEAD. I am just pleased i have had 27 years and around 500,000 miles on bikes that have always been fast and fun. I do the boring stuff by car, bikes are all about speed and fun for me.