Two-Wheel EV whizzer: The evDaytona electric motorcycle
GoWheel brings you an electric motorbike that's going to cost you some money, but it looks and goes just like the real thing. Almost. Starting with a Triumph Daytona, the folks at Go replace the inline DOHC 3-cylinder with a li-ion battery pack that adds 100-190 pounds depending on how many batteries you want. The bike still gets to 60 in 2.9 seconds, and will cruise at 93 mph for 143 highway miles or 49 miles of hard street use. As this whole electric thing gathers steam -- no pun intended -- it's nice to see more and more rides that look like their fire-powered equivalents. But for now, there are always caveats: the bike isn't DOT approved, and it sports an enormous Plexiglas fairing to improve aero efficiency that looks more like a giant shield. And one more thing -- if the bike ever gets made, it will cost you $77,000 to ride in silence.
[Source: Motorbiker via Engadget]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
F451 5:39PM (7/02/2007)
"...it will cost you $77,000 to ride in silence." Hmmm...I'll take three!
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Kwyjibo 7:25PM (7/02/2007)
Umm...it's going to cost you your life to ride in silence cause the dumb-iphone-toting-soccer-mom-in-her-SUV won't hear you coming at all when she changes lanes into you without a turn signal on, or checking her mirrors because her good friend is telling her about what she missed on Days of Our Lives that day.
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Obvious Alias 8:08PM (7/02/2007)
Agreed!
As someone who often commutes via motorcycle, I agree that the biggest threat to a motorcyclist's wellbeing is distracted drivers. Sound (and a lot of it) is one of our best safety features.
A typical driver glances down the road, (rather than actually looking down it), doesn't see you, and for the next 200 yards, you're trying to balance both yourself and your bike on just your front wheel; nearly 700 pounds over a contact patch the size of a business card. With a noisy bike at least they hear you coming.
Besides, my bike gets well over 50mpg (being driven hard), so efficiency really isn't a compelling argument. I'm much more concerned about the environmental impact of my cars.
Viv 8:09PM (7/02/2007)
All i can say is AMEN. Unless a motorcycle is obnoxiously loud most people don't even pay attention.
1337 9:05AM (7/03/2007)
Unfortunately, the driver has to hear the racket, too.
mike 9:02AM (7/03/2007)
I love the idea personally. this bike is a first step on the road to one that costs $7500 and has a 250 mile range and costs about twenty cents (equivalent) per gallon to operate. If you guys are worried, you can get one of these so you'll be safe. http://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Noise-Maker-Bicycle-Horn/dp/B000PAJM0O
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Lee 4:52PM (7/03/2007)
Kind of off topic, but if that was the donor bike in the picture...the original engine was an inline 4. Triumph didn't move to the sub 900cc triple in the Daytona bikes until this model year w/ the 675.
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