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World's First Fuel-Cell Motorcycle
Alex writes "Rubber Magazine reports that the British company Intelligent Energy has unveiled today the first purpose-built, fuel-cell motorbike. The bike has a 6kW (8 hp) electric motor, top speed of 50 mph (80kph), a range of 100 miles (160km). The engine is completely silent, which might not go well with many motorcycle lovers. In addition it could also possibly pose an interesting safety issue, since a pedestrian or motorist would not hear it coming."
In addition it could also possibly pose an interesting safety issue, since a pedestrian or motorist would not hear it coming.
We bicyclists have the same problem, but if one obeys the rules of the road, there should be no problem. The problem bicyclists (and many motorcyclists) have is with people in their automobiles who fail to properly look out and are too busy talking on the damned cell phone while driving their gas sucking SUVs. (Disclaimer: I own a Toyota 4runner, but bicycle back and forth to work every day, and run many of my errands on the bicycle) My recent experience with a near miss can be read here.
The engine is completely silent, which might not go well with many motorcycle lovers.
I have to admit that when I did ride motorcycles, there was a certain magic about either the banshee wail of a sport bike as you wound it up while screaming up a canyon road or even the relaxed "POTATO POTATO POTATO" of the Harleys. However that said, this is going to be the future of transportation and I would most certainly embrace fuel cell technology that reduces the worlds outrageous consumption of oil. Plus, this ENV bike is a pretty sweet looking ride.
Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
... is a sidecar with a tactical nuke in it.
Motorcycles are already pretty damn fuel efficient as is.
Myths:
- Not all motorcycles are made by Harley.
- Not all motorcycles are cruisers or sportbikes.
- Not all motorcyclists like loud pipes.
-ted, motorcycling geekSomehow, I think that the top speed of 50 mph might not be that popular either.
Just mount an ordinary playing card to hit the wheel's spokes. It makes a nice "motor" sound.
Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
If I purchase one of these I'll just have to make that putt-putt noise with my lips: ...and ring my bicycle bell once in a while.
*bbbbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr*
You can't talk about Wikipedia's flaws on Wikipedia
In addition it could also possibly pose an interesting safety issue, since a pedestrian or motorist would not hear it coming.
Haven't these guys ever heard of the cardboard in the spokes trick?
-R
The silence issue also exists for the electric cars. At low speeds or coasting they run pretty much silent and, since they're a lot larger, could pose as much of a threat. If you've ever run through LA and almost been hit by one popping out of a blind alley (cuz nobody stops at the end of alleys here) that you weren't able to hear while approaching, you know what I'm talking about...
In addition it could also possibly pose an interesting safety issue, since a pedestrian or motorist would not hear it coming.
Easy. Put baseball cards between the spokes. Problem solved.
How I anticipate a thousand posts about the time some guy attached a shaken bottle of root beer to his bicycle, and how that, for some reason, means this isn't really a first.
^^What I said above.
"Thanks to the remote control I have the attention span of a gerbil."
Don't you people coordinate paid placements?
Okay I read the review, and I couldn't help but feel the guy writing the review is either a budding art critic, or an interior decorator.
Also I wonder how many people go to rubbermagazine.com and are a little disappointed when they get there.
Nothing some buggle gum and a playing card won't fix.
I commute in ~20 miles from a rural community and gas prices are rising excessively and the oil supply in general will be/is running low. This is therefore the perfect mode of transportation for North Dakota in the winter...
You've seen the bumper stickers and the t-shirts. Or maybe you haven't. Being a rider myself I've had to wonder whether or not the sound that an auto or motorbike makes would really make a difference.
My old bike had a nice not overly loud aftermarket pipe on it. Having a v-4 engine in it, the stock silencer made it sound anemic. I put the can on more for aesthetics than anything else.
My new bike with an inline 4 is just whiny and I'm VERY thankful for the silencer on there and have no intention of changing it.
Those loud pipes you hear on big-twins (i.e. of the H-D or metric ilk) usually are so obnoxiously loud that it defeats the purpose and is generally just annoying.
Yeah you can hear them 6 miles away, unless of course you're on the highway doing about 70-80mph in your "cage" at which point, depending on the acoustics of your auto, might be completely drowned or damped out.
The real problem with the bike's safety is its tiny weight: about the weight of the rider (80Kg/176lbs). Even a 300lb bike gets blown around by wind on, say, the SF Bay Bridge, has trouble hugging curves in mountain roads, and needs more acceleration to stay at speed despite drag. The other big momentum problem is that when a car hits you, you'll split the absorbed momentum equally with the ENV - while a heavier bike will absorb more momentum. As cars get heavier (SUVs etc), these collisions are really terrible mismatches for a bike, especially one which can't jet out of the way at higher speeds, due to limited top speed (50MPH).
The ENV is really a big, quiet H2 scooter. The difference is really just in the marketing, but that creates the mindset in the rider. Ride it like a Harley, get squashed like a bug. Ride it like a Razor, and rule the road.
--
make install -not war
FTFA "On a full tank, the ENV bike could be used continually for up to four hours without any need for re-fuelling" - not bad, and at top speed (50mph), you could go 200 miles.
However, a lot of small commuter bikes are pretty quiet - quiet enough that they serve no pedestrian warning purpose - so I don't really see an issue here.
Engineering is the art of compromise.
Now all we need to buy is our own hydrogen gas station to refill the tank, hmm?
Really, I think a whisper quiet vehicle is the ultimate definition of cool 'noise'. Which would you rather have, an Eclipse or some such thing that whines loudly (noise = wang size) or a Mustang whose engine noise wasn't even a whisper? It would be as if Death's own chariot were at your command...
Given that oil prices are going through the ceiling again. We must be close to the break even point for alternative fuels at this stage.
Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
What truth?
There is no dupe
The engine is completely silent, which might not go well with many motorcycle lovers. This sure would make a drive-by easy though. I hate it when they run...
They are using the bike as an example of what a CORE power system is, think if it as a big battery, you can take the battery out of your motorcycle and put it into your jet ski.
But the battery is reusable, and can be used else where. Camping, Emergency Generators, vehicals, kids toys, etc.
And as for the quiteness of them, new problems are only new challenges. Most people cant hear whats outside their car now, with the radio on, speaker phone, and kids crying in the back.
Funny how quiet is a drawback, when I'm thinking quiet traffic is worth it. You dont jay-walk for a reason, now you dont hear the car hitting you, maybe its darwinism in realtime.
Which is what the majority of traffic in any given city is anyway.
Congestion would be reduced because it's easier to maneuver a motorcycle than a car.
Pollution would be drastically reduced (once adoption rate is high enough).
Parking would be WAY easier, since a cycle takes like 1/3 or less the space of a car.
No unauthorized use. Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.
Imagine watching a big Harley gang with big Harley people with big Harley clothes with big Harley expressions overtaking your Corolla - but the Harley engines are silent!!!
...
mu ha ha ha
Most modern, efficient vehicles are very quiet. I doubt most SUV drivers hear a Honda Civic next to them on freeway- even if they aren't on the phone or listening to the radio.
Why is it any different with a motorcycle? Loud pipes annoy the rider and nearby pedestrians. The visibility issue with motorcycles is more a function of size than volume.
-ted, motorcycling geek
For the record, I do have a motorcycle... Its not extremely loud (stock pipe) but my neighbour, well, 4 houses away can wake the dead when he starts up in the morning.
"Thanks to the remote control I have the attention span of a gerbil."
In the future, we'll all carry 2KW generators to power our local environments. Mobile devices, climate control, transport. Who knows - when the dollar collapses and oil runs out, maybe our currency will be denominated in Kjoules, which we trade for drinking water. The "Core" transportable fuelcell that powers the ENV is a step in that direction - we're always "in our cars", which transform around us by our needed functions. But I don't get it with this ENV. How is its motor "6KW", while its power supply outputs only 1KW? Is it really all science fiction?
--
make install -not war
There is a Wired article on this issue.
It's gotta look like the bike in Akira! (Like this: http://www.bbakira.co.uk/kanbike/bike.htm)
By power produced from windwills, wavecraft generators, or from burning of trees.
Freedom or George Bush
How about having a man with a red flag and a horn run in front of it to warn others? It is a tried solution.
All i know is that if they team up with the makers of that annoying frog ring tone to give the bike an engine noise there are gonna be scores of drivers intentionally running them over and laughing manically.
This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
how original
"Thanks to the remote control I have the attention span of a gerbil."
I have always wanted a quiter bike. I do not like the loud 'like at me' rumble (which may exceed legal limits in many places) that some riders seem to like.
Now my 250cc Rebel (my firts bike) puts out 15 HP. So, an 8 HP bike might be a bit weeny for highway cruising, but this sounds like a great city bike.
In terms of noise again, bicycles and even Segways make no (or very little) noise. Its not the pedestrian who has an issue. Its the driver.
If its licensed like a standard Gas powered bike, then the driver knows the rules on riding and should not be endangering anyone.
I applaud this and all the other cool alternative fuel bikes. My little bike gets 70 mpg, and my biggest get 35 mpg. Not bad compared to most cars people actually drive, but they still add to the pollutiuon level none the less.
50mph in London or for that matter any British city ? good luck with that between 7am-10pm
Even on my bike 500lbs I get tossed around alot on windy days... I wouldn't want to be on this bike if an 18 wheeler passed me on the highway.
"Thanks to the remote control I have the attention span of a gerbil."
As cool as a fuel-celled motorbike sounds I'd imagine not too many revheads would be keen on the silent, slow vehicles. Isn't that the entire point of owning a motorcycle? I mean, you don't buy one for the safety value.
You wouldn't want the HDAA (cross between hells angels and RIAA) comming after you, would you.
when they introduced the 7series they initially made a prototype but it was so silent due to the 200kilos of soundproofing that drivers became "too disconnected" as they didnt know if they had stalled the engine or not, so BMW had to ease off with the soundproofing to let a bit of engine noise and vibration back into the cabin again
we can make silent vehicles now, its just we dont like driving them
For dirtbike riding, rather than a help, weight is a huge impediment. It makes the bike less responsive to rider input, harder landing when you jump, and more dangerous when you fall off (which you do a lot more often on a dirtbike than a streetbike).
In any case, crosswinds are something you just have to deal with on a bike, light or heavy. I never had too much trouble on my 100kg (200-odd pound) trailbike ridden on roads, provided I paid attention. If you're not paying attention on a bike you're going to die soon enough anyway...
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo
--Andy Finkel (J. Klass?)
And those damn pedestrians - totally silent!
You'll hear me coming - I'm the one yelling "HEY ASS****!" at the car trying to hit me.
Give a man a fish and you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish, and he'll say "WHERE'S MY FISH, YOU IDIOT?"
girls love bad boys.
bad boys ride Harleys.
Well no problem there just add a police siren. I cant see any problems with that setup.
although I mostly agree with the wind issue (I've experienced that a few times myself) I am not quite sure I understand the rest of your observations and I'd like to qualify the wind issue a bit more anyways.
The wind is a problem if you happen to sit fairly high up on a motorbike with a big side profile (aka most 'high performance' road bikes). Even if said bike weighed a lot you'd probably still be moved around quite a bit as you go fast. The wind is a lot less of an issue on choppers since you're sitting way lower and they have way smaller side profiles.
= has trouble hugging curves in mountain roads
huh? What does weight have to do with anything when talking about cornering? You don't see MotoGP riders strapping anvils to their bikes to corner better, do you?
= needs more acceleration to stay at speed despite drag.
this doesn't make any sense: AFAIK the drag is proportional to the bike's frontal area, not to its weight.
= while a heavier bike will absorb more momentum.
if you collide with a car and you're on a motorbike you're going to be thrown off it whether or not the motorbike weighs 200lb or 500lb: most/all cars outweigh you by an order of magnitude anyways, and let's not even talk about SUVs.
= these collisions are really terrible mismatches for a bike, especially one which can't jet out of the way at higher speeds
most of the bike-car collisions I've seen/heard about couldn't be avoided by being able to accelerate or go faster: if that was the case there would be no accidents involving high performance road bikes, right?
Personally I think this bike is perfect for European city commuting (since it's near silent and non-polluting odds are you'll be able to drive it in the city centres that are currently off-limits to mopeds and motorbikes) but won't really do much here in North America, although you might see the odd one around (like I've seen a S.M.A.R.T. car the other day, the likes of which you see way more often in Europe).
The 80kph speed limit is about perfect as well, as traffic usually moves around at 50-70kph in town: my old moped was capable of hitting 60-65kph (on a good day, with some tailwind) and having an extra 20kph would be way more than enough for those times where traffic is moving faster than usual.
-- the cake is a lie
*puts on tin foil hat*
Any chance that *some guys* can have these engines on their black helicopters?
Online backup with Mozy, sounds like Ozzie, but more!
The bike has a 6kW (8 hp) electric motor, top speed of 50 mph (80kph), a range of 100 miles (160km). The engine is completely silent, which might not go well with many motorcycle lovers.
I'm a bike rider and it would be great to ride with a silent engine up to some traffic lights behind another bike. Then, as the lights change I overtake him almost instantly.
But.. on this bike I'd have 8hp and the other bike could have 150+. No contest.
They were going to include a playing card, but they haven't quite figured out how to recapture the energy from the card being bent by the spokes.
If anyone is ever going to develop a perpetual motion device, my bet is on an electric vehicle designer.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
...harnessing the raw power of the sun between your legs?
...could then be re-charged from a mini hydrogen creator, the size of a shoebox.")
Eep.
(From the article: "a bike
(Granted, not fusion, but still. Hinden-nads... Eep!)
- - - -
KickingDragon
I am sure the military are wetting themselves for this kind of tech.
You know, I thought Rubber Magazine was about a different subject matter entirely...
Oh and then after we do all that, we'll have to figure out some way of getting hydrogen that doesn't involve using even more fossil fuels than we used to use to get gasoline. This idea is so brilliant it could only have been thought of by the oil industry!
To add a little content to my post here, this company was making electric scooter thingies several years ago, for $4k. They don't need hydrogen; you just plug them in to the wall. They probably cost 90% less than what a fuel cell motorcycle would cost. They actually work and get comparable performance. And did I mention that you don't have to find a hydrogen filling station to make use of them?
That article I linked to above is for old technology. Lithium batteries would boost range or performance by about five times, making them comparable to a mid-level streetbike, except they would need no gasoline and could recharge anywhere.
Repeat after me: "The hydrogen economy is a euphemism for the biggest subsidy project the oil industry has ever imagined."
Fuel cells are going to be cheap just as soon as we find an enormous asteroid of solid palladium. Hydrogen storage will be cheap just as soon as we find a way to overcome the repulsive electromagnetic force between particles with the same charge. Lithium batteries, on the other hand, will become cheap just as soon as we start mass producing them.
...ninjas!
AMA and MRF
The only thing loud pipes will do is make it easy for the govt (CARB) to say that motorcycle "emission systems" shouldn't be tampered with by the unwashed massed and they will create an OBD-II type performance control system on bikes like they have for cars. "its just for pollution" - yeah, right it is to regulate performance more than pollution.
I think a silent vehicle would be the coolest thing, but I think the adult babysitters would find a reason that vehicles are required by law to make a minimum amount of sound - for "safety" and to prevent you-know-who from doing you-know-what.
I didn't see a price for the motorcycle, but I assume that if you have to ask you can't afford it.
However, I ran into a guy on BART (San Francisco Bay Area) with a Segway - he was just getting on in Orinda and said he had come over the hill from Berkeley - a good 5 miles and a 1000 foot climb and descent. And he was not a small guy either. He says he has ridden as far as 10 miles from Berkeley, over the hill and into Lafayette, 5 miles further than Orinda.
I had previously thought of the Segway as a toy for rich tech kiddies but this raised my respect for the technology considerably. The Segways are 3 KW and also have regenerative braking (which helped the big guy going over the hill get such good range.)
If the Segways come down a $K or two in price I'll probbaly buy one instead of a new motorcycle.
Give a man a fish and you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish, and he'll say "WHERE'S MY FISH, YOU IDIOT?"
everyone keeps making smart assed comments about how people buy bikes for how loud they are. the fact of the matter is that loud pipes save lives. if people can hear you coming they at least know that a motorbike is in the area.
Pardon my French, but fuck 'em (read till the end for why, I have a little explaining to do first).
In my state (Massachusetts) a bunch of do-gooders are working on legislation to ban "aftermarket" exhaust systems on cars (and cars only) which are "louder" than the OEM systems. This was originally intended to stop all the idiots with Hondas from putting practically-open mufflers on their 4-bangers. Which IS really annoying.
However, for people like me who own an older German car for which the exhaust system OEM costs about a bazillion dollars, pretty soon I won't be able to install a significantly cheaper exhaust system, simply because it is slightly louder than the original, and the original was dead quiet...or because I'd have to have it "tested" or the manufacturer would have to have it "certified".
Meanwhile, some guy who thinks he's really Bad Ass (TM) gets to run COMPLETE STRAIGHT PIPES off his damn Harley that are so loud they make your chest pound. Or some college student on a crotch rocket puts mufflers on his bike that are so loud he sounds like an screaming F1 car. Nevermind none of these idiots have catalytic converters, and the damn things are little better than lawnmowers; most of them are still using carbs (yes, I know some "sport bikes" are now EFI, whatever, that's not the point). They're emissions -nightmares-, and while I have to have my car strapped to a dyno every 2 years, he barely has to have his blinkers checked.
So, until that law applies to them (it does NOT) AND cops start holding motorcycles to EXISTING noise limits, don't you dare go telling me what I can/can't do with my car's exhaust...and certainly don't whine to me about how a fuel-cell bike makes no noise.
Thank you. Yes, I am done.
Please help metamoderate.
It could be ironic that high oil prices might actually hurt fuel cell development since the companies that rely on cheap oil are the ones that are also pushing the development of fuel cells.
As a life long motorcycler. We enjoy loud motorcycles because they let everyone around us know where we are. Most cagers (car drivers) do not look properly. They also might be putting on make up, talking on the cell phone, and enjoying some of the latest Barbara songs. Loud Pipes save Lives.
Wow, a Fuel Cell ($$$$) bike that has almost caught up with a pure Electric vehicle. Except that it's top speed is lower, it costs more to build, and is far more difficult to refuel. Yup, Fuel Cells are the future! The only reason Fuel Cells are being pushed so hard is that they retain the Big Company infrastructure needed to use them. You will need a large distribution network if you want to refuel lots of cars, AND you will need to produce all that hyrdrogen - which will likely be made from oil. EV's can do it now at lower cost than Fool Cells, but for some reason are being ignored. (Or actively discouraged - like GM crushing the quite nice EV1's.)
...stick playing cards between the spokes...rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!
= needs more acceleration to stay at speed despite drag.
this doesn't make any sense: AFAIK the drag is proportional to the bike's frontal area, not to its weight.
You said it, drag = constant. But drag = mass * acceleration. A smaller mass means that a larger acceleration is necessary. (Given the small HP of this bike, obviously the acceleration isn't larger than for a stardard bike, hence the problem).
The real problem here is that pedistrians are silent. I hate it when they sneak up on my car and jump out in front of me. If my ride is required to have lights and be noisy, then let's be fair. Why are foot travelers the only ones allowed to move about in stealth mode? Make the carless/bikeless among us wear noise making devices that indicate velocity (and maybe backup beepers too for reverse mode). I think this should apply to pets too.
No unauthorized use. Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.
my 125cc honda XLR (check http://www.honda.com.br/ is a retired bike but they have a similar replacement) make 210km on 7 liters of gasoline, 30 km/l it weighs 110 kg (dry). with me + oil and fuel is about 185 kg. 30 km/l with a 12.5 hp engine at constant 80 km/h moving 180 kg, take note.
my statio wagon is a 1200 kg volkswagen parati with a 1800cc engine produces 90 hp and at 80 km/h it does... 12 km/l.
an engine 14 times bigger only needs twice the fuel to move a car 7 times the weight of the motorcicle.
things get worse as the motorcicle engine gets bigger. a honda CB-400 with a 400cc engine does 15 km/l a CBR-7500 spends more than my car.
whos "pretty damn fuel efficient" now ?
What ? Me, worry ?
...who read the article and saw this: The CORE.. is a radically compact and efficient fuel cell, capable of powering anything from a motorboat to a small domestic property and thought, "Why would I want to drive a house around?"
For in-town driving, where posted limits rarely exceed 40, a 50mph top speed would work well..
Plus you dont have to deal with 18 wheelers blowing you off the hiway since its SOOO light...
Need to stick one of these powerplants in a current electric car..
---- Booth was a patriot ----
The engine is completely silent, which might not go well with many motorcycle lovers.
Too friggen bad.....
Why does everyone have to make so much friggin noise?
Punks blast up and down my street with 200,000 watt bongomaster systems and no mufflers.
The sound pressure levels of these things are so high that they cause physical pain in my head.
I have a right to peace and quiet. These people invade my home with their offensive "music" and excessive noise.
It's the "my dick is bigger than your dick" syndrome. Whoever can make the most noise is king.
Why does everyone think that you aren't living unless you are living a life of excess?
Bling-bling, trashy appearances, extreme noise, fast driving, burning rubber, instant gratification, etc....
I think they should outlaw all noisy machinery.
I live near a bunch of refineries and the scream of high speed turbines is ever present, 24 hours a day, plus all the loud idiots with their loud cars and trucks. You can't even sit in the back yard and listen to the wind blow through the trees, or hear the birds chirping or crickets.
Slow down people. Quiet down. Learn to enjoy the peace and quiet, it's a wonderful thing, when you can find it..
It says rebel -- with a social conscience.
Just the thing for picking up vegan babes at the PETA rally.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
The motor is rated at 6kW = ~8HP. Harleys average about an order of magnitude more horsepower than that.
Royal Enfield diesel is much more efficient. Here is an example with 1000km range on 14.5l tank!
Of course you want the sound. The trick is to recapture the energy from the card returning to the straight position before the next spoke hits!
Think of the card as a simple spring, storing energy when bent and releasing it to straighten out once more.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I read about this earlier this week.
Anyway, there are two reasons why this is dead in the water.
1) The fact that it is so quiet no rider in his right mind would take one on the road. There is a reason harleys are so loud - LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES. They want you to hear them a block away so you are looking for them - even if its just to turn your nose up at them, at least you looked.
This is more important today then ever; thanks to cell phones.
2) Total and complete lack of power. In a car excessive power is nice -- in a motorcycle excessive power can save your life and lack thereof can kill you.
In addition it could also possibly pose an interesting safety issue, since a pedestrian or motorist would not hear it coming.
Yes, but the bike will be a huge smash hit with NINJAS!
'My name is robert, and Ninjas are soooo sweet.'
HA! I just wasted some of your bandwidth with a frivolous sig!
I think that the top speed of 50 mph might not be that popular either.
That also implies that the accelleration is pretty puny, too. One of the points of motorcycles is that they can accellerate drastically to pull ahead out of trouble. (That helps to make up for not being able to brake heavily without risking going down.)
It's also one of the points of electric-motor drive: A motor can put out a LOT of torque.
Right now it's a glorified lazy-man's bicycle, suitable for in-town commuting only.
Bump up the size of the fuel cell by a factor of 4 to get crusing speed up to highway levels and enable at-speed hill climbing, bump the size of the motor and controller by a factor of 10 or so and add a supercapacitor so you can power up to speed quicly and zip out of impending accidents. Then you'll have a serious road macine.
Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
Now all we need is some high-grade bullet-resistant body armor suits and kevlar samurai helmets and some light sabers, and we can have some fun on the streets! ... What, don't tell me such images didn't flash thru your mind when you heard how quiet they are ...
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
Not if they used a FUCKING BELL!
One of these days I'm gonna be turning off the path with my fishing pole and accidently hook some assholes eyeball because I didn't hear him coming.
The dickheads who pass within an inch while going 30
just to watch people jump have already broken one old hobo ladys hip.
Fucking assholes are the problem, not their bicycles.
Spend $3k on a bike and won't spring another $6 for a fucking bell!
If shoe fits, fuck you, otherwise, thanks for the bell!
If you think yours in the US are high and getting higher consider them in Germany:
Diesel fuel is currently at about 1 / liter, gasoline even higher.
1 / liter = 5,06 Dollars per Gallon
Of course, Germany is considerably smaller than the US; and people tend to buy more fuel efficient cars here as well, if not for caring about the environment then because gas guzzlers' owners are punished through high fuel prices resulting from the the taxes on them.
fuel cells always seem to have vague and bizzare press releases. looking the company you can see what they do, but not what they make or how in hell to get them.. for instance, this article talks about a bike you can't buy, no mention of how much one would cost, nor where you would fill one up, except to mention that you can get a hydrogen generator the size of a shoe box(where? what? who makes it?) and they say the power for this bike is the CORE thing, but google doesn't know a thing about this core device. so heres my challenge to fuel cell manufacturers, make a fuel cell, say 1kw, and a hydrogen generator powered by tap water and standard household power, sell it as a kit and let me use it! i would happily buy one if i could
1. find one
2. find a hydrogen generator
3. have any clue how much it would cost
-and occasionaly a giant moose.
...car, which "could" sneak up on unsuspecting pedestrians, who "happen" to be IN THE FREAKING RIGHT OF WAY.
"In addition it could also possibly pose an interesting safety issue, since a pedestrian or motorist would not hear it coming."
What a load.
I hate product announcements that don't include any information about the price of the product, when it will be available, and from where. Does anyone have any of that information? I'd love to buy one if it's not too expensive.
And the men who hold high places must be the ones who start
To mold a new reality... closer to the heart
Is there some magic juice which makes any (/. + fark) reader a complete fucking jerk, or is it just excess noise generated by people who spend their entire lives reading crappy geek-"news" sites?
to come up with something even more effeminate and loserish, that makes even their pathetic little motor scooters look like Knucklehead choppers with full-bore drag pipes and apes by comparison.
"Memmy, Memmy, eym popping doon to the shops for some treacle to put on my tea."
Why didn't they just paint the damn thing pink, put their test rider in a dress and be done with it.
That crunching sound was my Shovelhead grinding it into powder. Loud pipes, fumes, and apehangers baby!!!!!!!!!!
--- Jump!! Fire!! Bullet time!! - Lego version of the Matrix
The 100 mile range might just be enough to get from one hydrogen fueling station to the next.
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
Wouldn't those annoying Earthquake subwoofers be enough.
Or would the power draw cut the range in half.
Perfect for policing the neighbourhood though. Watch out downloaders, the *AA will have them before you can say "Jack Robinson"!
If they could get to about 14hp, this could be used for a small aircraft. The biggest problem with trikes and powered hang gliders is that the engines are loud. But a lightweight, silent engine would be a great replacement for something like a mosquito harness
This new device, though not audibly safe with pedestrian and urban traffic, would be a great asset for any Military application where stealth is key. Its a cycle, meaning its prolly small Its silent, so it would be great for swift raids or infiltration And i would presume it has some rugged features that would allow it to traverse rough terrain, perfect. Though not safe for the streets, it would prolly be a helluva asset on the modern battlefield.
Silent fuel cell Motorbike is like a
Harley with a silent electric engine... no more roOAAAAARRRR
> But drag = mass * acceleration.
not sure why I even bother but anyways here's some Physics 101 for you:
F = m * a (Newton's 2nd law) doesn't have anything to do with drag.
D (force due to drag) = 0.5 * Cd (drag coefficient) * ro (density of the fluid) * A (frontal area) * v^2 (square of the velocity of the object relative to the fluid) is the equation you should be thinking about.
In fact the equation that you referenced implies that a very, very, very, very light bike would let you experience a much higher 'acceleration' than a very heavy bike (which is pretty much common knowledge).
-- the cake is a lie
Yep, soonz theys gonna shrinx this down to crotch size and it'll be ballz to atoms cross route 66. What with jizm banks and all the family gonadz can store up a few wadz for future procreationz and life will be copacetic...
That's comparable with a medium sized petrol-fuel automobile. But with the automobile's 3X to 4X range, it takes 3X to 4X as long total to fuel your vehicle for the same amount of travel.
And what is the cost per mile of the fuel? That detail seems to be missing.
And how inefficient is it when you have to detour to refuel so often.
And don't tell me this is clean energy until you're producing the hydrogen for it with clean energy somehow. Say a solar farm spread over a few square miles of desert.
My solution is to convert all those GM EV-1 charging stations into hydrogen generating stations. The power is already there. Just run a line in from the nearest drinking fountain and throw the switch!
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
Yes.
Where are those mod points when you need them? Very insightful.
...motorcycles were for assholes who wanted to drive a ghetto blaster AND show off their tattoos at the same time.
Of course, I live in Pittsburgh, so my view of things is probably skewed.
If they change that back sprocket (final drive gear) maybe they could go over 100MPH+ and start setting some land speed records with clean technology. Once the general population starts thinking that 'clean' energy can be sporty then the industry can begin to enhance the performance, efficiency and safety of the new tech.
;0
Now, this is how we dance on sprockets. / \ - /
you were close..but no cigar. your thinking is right, you just stated it all wrong:
Momentum = mass * velocity
The point is, when the throttle is released, a lighter bike will decelerate faster as it has less momentum. The original poster was right a lighter bike needs more power to maintain a velocity.
Drag is not constant but for this discussion can be considered the same for a heavy or light bike if they are the same size/shape. The drag coefficient is dependant on the aerodynamics of the vehicle which is fixed.
The force of drag however, changes with the square of the velocity and the density of air (which is also not constant -- it changes with temp).
Wearing a scuba diver dry-suit doesn't seem that appealing while it belches water vapors.
Nor would it go well with other drivers thinking you spat/sprayed on their windshields/visors, thus forcing them to wipe for a clearer vision.
*sigh* Too much Discovery Channel...
Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
pair-a-noyd, I had a similar problem with people in my apartment complex who would hang around in the parking lot and play their car stereos loudly right outside my window.
To solve this problem, I would just call the police department's non-emergency number (311) and simply say, "I'd like to make a noise complaint" to whoever picked up the phone. They would dispatch me to a police officer, and I'd repeat my opening statement, and then provide the necessary details. And then I'd add, "Please keep me anonymous".
By Jove, it worked. In fact, after a couple of times, not only did the people stop, within a month, they moved out of the apartment complex!
I suspect that anybody playing their music so loudly that normal people would be deafened are probably doing drugs or getting tanked, which is why they can't feel the pain in their ears. In fact, for this case, every time these people congregated, they would leave scores of beer bottles lying outside my window. If they know that the police are going to come by and check them out, they ain't gonna do it.
Some city municipalities do have noise-pollution laws on the books. In other words, if the sounds can be heard within a certain radius, the perpetrator gets a misdemeanor fine. Contact your police and tell them about your problem; maybe they will be able to help.
It's been mentioned before that silent vehicles could be a safety issue because pedestrians / bicyclists might not hear them coming.
Ther's a solution that might well take care of it, and the reality of that possible solution will make the most ardent environmentalist happy to stop all research into alternative fuels forever:
Ring tones for your car
It is a requirement here in Australia to hold a license for 12 months on a motorcycle with a lower engine capacity. This would be perfect, but it appears that the requirements only permit 260cc or below; there is no mention of a horsepower or top speed restriction. Has anybody heard of these rules being bent?
Hey WormHoleFiend if you're reading, pick me some lotto numbers for Saturday. Apparently you have a gift for seeing the future.
No sig for you!!
From the hurt report
So acceleration won't help, but the small frontal area of the fuel cell bike might be a visibility issue (from other parts of the report)
if you collide with a car and you're on a motorbike you're going to be thrown off it whether or not the motorbike weighs 200lb or 500lb
Yeah, but how far you fly and how hard you land depend a lot on how much momentum gets transferred to you vs the bike.
Sort of like if somebody rear-ends you while you are driving a big old Buick you say, "Did I just run over a cat?" vs if you are in a Honda Civic you say, "Mffmmggmmfbmmf" because it's hard to talk with a steering wheel in your mouth.
Your roaring upswepts are pointing behind you. You're essentially inaudible to someone in a car in front of you, which is where 99% of your problems will be coming from. Loud pipes just piss off the citizens and get all of our motorcycles banned from roads and neighborhoods.
dear slashdot -- too many of your own posts have looked like trolls lately. cant you just express the point without putting some third rate lawyer spin on it?
tires make noise. horns make noise. bike chains do too sometimes. its all road noise - aka noise pollution. it's encouraging to see them coming up with the quiet designs.
"Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." -Jesus Christ The Lord's Prayer
Despite the nay-sayers (sibling posts to this one), this is pretty much right - although perhaps a bit misleading.
The power/force required to maintain constant speed against wind resistance is independent of the weight of the bike.
If we had two bikes, identical except for weight, then in vacuum the lighter bike has better accleration. In atmosphere, it still has better acceleration, but not by as much, so indeed it costs 'more acceleration to stay at speed'. This is, however misleading - the lighter bike still performs better, having better acceleration at any speed (but the same top speed.)
If we had two bikes with different weight and power proportional to weight (including rider), they will perform identically in vacuum, but in air the more powerful (heavier) bike will have a greater top speed.
So this isn't a problem with weight, it is a problem with power. The original statement ("needs more acceleration to stay at speed despite drag") is technically correct, but highly misleading.
Quattuor res in hoc mundo sanctae sunt: libri, liberi, libertas et liberalitas.
maybe this will eventually put an end to the annoyance of those damn harleys... I HATE when they ride by, it's hard to think of anything more annoying than a loud motorcycle.
Free electronics!
Of course the energy used to generate the sound is lost - as I said what I am recapturing is the remaining stored energy in the card, after the sound is produced.
:-)
If there is no energy left after the sound is produced, then how does the card straighten again?
I am afraid my friend you should stick to designing go-karts instead of highly sophisticated electronic vehicles.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Does it include a deck of cards that you can stick into the wheel spokes for the revving sound? :)
One can replace the noise pollution of a gas engine with annoying cell phone ring tones or loud music.
For sound purists, there's an obvious (don't try to patent this!) method of taking a motorcycle sound and matching it to the throttle and rpm speeds of the cycle.
Play me
...and rent them out in Yellowstone National Park!
The whole "loud pipes save lives" moto lore is probably false. And of course, you can't hear bicycles either; there's no "interesting safety issue" here folks.
Cameron Simpson, DoD#743 cs@cskk.id.au http://www.cskk.ezoshosting.com/cs/
There's been talk of building hybrid vehicles for performance, as an electric motor can provide a great boost in acceleration, but instead we have mostly wierd-looking, slow econo-boxes for hybrids. Sure, what's out there now appeals to an environmentally-concious niche market who wishes to make a statement, and that's fine for them, but the appeal doesn't go beyond that and won't until there's something that gets people excited. That's when electric vehicles and hybrids will start making a difference.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
Burning trees? That creates CO2, which defeats the whole purpose of using hydrogen. Besides, a tree's the energy density is even worse than coal.
Okay, how's this? When I was a kid (back in the 50s) we used the playing cards sometimes, but what really made the coolest sound was a balloon in the spokes. Sounded more like a motorcycle that way. Betcha won't see that over at fark.
Are you trying to be funny or are you clueless?
Hydrogen powered engines or fuel cells exhaust water in form of steam. And if you release hydrogen into the atmosphere, it will react with the oxygen in the air and burn to water, again in form of steam.
Water steam in the air tends to eventually come down as rain. No greehhouse gas. That's the beauty of hydrogen.
A problem arises only when the hydrogen is produced through burning fossil fuels. However, it can be produced cleanly, eg. solar powered hydrogen plants.
But even if the hydrogen is produced by burning fossil fuels, you still get a benefit because power plants are typically more efficient than otto engines and also because the emissions are kept out of the cities.
the macintosh asterisk mailing list http://www.astm
And those that can be avoided by accelerating require acceleration. All of the ones avoided by acceleration don't appear in collision reports. I've sped away from "tight spots" many times on bikes - the torque is a defensive advantage.
--
make install -not war
Energy doesn't make the card straighten, that is a function of molecular memory. not energy. God you're dumb.
Racing bikers have many other concerns where extra weight is a liability. Have you driven a big bike (>1000cc) and a small bike (500cc) on the same mountain roads? I have, in the Santa Cruz mountains. The heavier bike stays leaned over in the turns at higher speeds, and the lighter bike returns upright - widening the turn.
Heaver bikes tend to keep going more, despite the opposing drag force. Ligher bikes need more engine acceleration to keep pushing against the oncoming wind. The drag doesn't change, but the forward momentum does, with increased weight.
I obviously like motorcycles. And they seem good for Europe, because of the parking/density. An efficient, quiet, powerful scooter that is stable enough to travel intercity has a real place. But the lightness has safety issues, clear to me by extension from my experience with bikes as light as a Honda Rebel (250cc).
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make install -not war
Just a bit of nitpicking: "kph" does not exist. The unit you are looking for is "km/h"
I used to drive a 250cc Honda Rebel around the Bay Area, and up in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Including Rt 17, one of the twistiest commuter highways (traffic) in the US. And I used to drive a 650cc Honda around there too. I'd take the heavier bike - it's a lot more power to get out of threatening situations, and more stable, especially at high speeds (>70MPH). Maybe it has to do with driving style: I'm very aggressive, take a lot of (calculated) risks, prefer to act than react. And I never dropped a bike, in 10s of Kmiles - though I was almost killed about a half-dozen times, always by drivers who seemed not to even notice I was in the way. Full disclosure: I did almost drop the 250 Rebel once, trying to start at the top of a steep Berkeley hill early in my experience, but it was light enough that I caught it on its way over sideways. Sometimes light bikes are worth it :).
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make install -not war
> huh? What does weight have to do with anything
... when it's mass center moves.
...
> when talking about cornering? You don't see MotoGP
> riders strapping anvils to their bikes to corner
> better, do you?
no, but they're not running around on 300lb bikes, either. their bikes weigh 250-300+ lbs. a bike that's a lot less than that will have it's suspension easily upset when the mass-center (which will be very high as the rider will almost always outweigh the bike by a factor of 1.5 or more)
what happens in a turn, on that twisty road, in that corner? you lean. and your body moves over, and the force of gravity's vector changes, it's not straight down through the bike any more. you'll see that you tip in way too quickly at speed or slowly on a bike like this. just because you weigh more than the bike.
i'm all for the power plant here, and this would make a great motard/dualie/dirt bike, but as a sportbike it would need more mass to settle in to those curves
nothing worth possessing isn't possessed. or something.
The principle at work is the tendency of a real machine, in atmosphere, to keep going, despite the wind resistance, because it's got more forward momentum at a given speed when it's got more weight. A lighter bike needs more kicking the gas to stay at speed, because it's got less "staying power" in the face of the same force of wind. Which is a pain in the ass when you're just enjoying the cruise among California scenery, away from traffic, and just want to fly.
--
make install -not war
um, i meant "they're not running around on 100lb bikes". damn this irish whiskey ...
nothing worth possessing isn't possessed. or something.
You have proved nothing except that you don't know how to argue, and that you regularly indulge in antisocial noise-making behavior.
bye !
Guess what? Gasoline is explosive, too.
It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.
it's not the torque, it's the power-to-weight ratio which doesn't have anything to do with how absolutely heavy the bike is. Actually a lighter bike can get you out of tight spots more easily, it being easier to move around and having less inertia.
-- the cake is a lie
Honestly, silence is not the issue. Put a bloody high-powered horn or speaker on the car to make noise! Don't complain that it's too quiet! That's like someone complaining that a gun has too low a recoil.
Due to financial difficulties, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off.
At constant speed, the momentum is irrelevant. It affects how quickly you decelerate once you cease applying power: the heavier bike will decelerate more slowly.
In our idealized model, both bikes need the same power to maintain the same speed. (In the real world, the bigger power plant will have more internal friction, the heavier bike will have more tire friction, and so will need slightly more power. The heaver/more powerful bike will also tend to have higher drag.)
Trust me on this - I have a PhD in astrophysics.
It may feel like you're using more gas on a lighter bike to go at the same speed, but that would be because the lighter bike has a smaller engine, so you're closer to max throttle. (This all assumes the two engines have the same efficiency. This may not be the case, and relative efficiencies could vary with power output. I don't know much about internal combustion engine efficiency, so I can't comment on this.)
Quattuor res in hoc mundo sanctae sunt: libri, liberi, libertas et liberalitas.
I typically drive faster than the speed of sound and nobody seems to mind. At least, I haven't heard anyone honk or complain...
The E-Plane project is working on battery powered flight, followed by an electric/fuel cell hybrid and finally full fuel cell operation. There's a 45 page powerpoint preso on it here. Looks interesting.
One of these days I'm moving to Theory - everything works there
For visually impaired and blind pedestrians silent vehicles can represent a distinct threat. Part of the problem is the already deafening background noise in urban areas which blocks out important sounds anyway. The industrial world is just too noisy a place.
The throaty rumble of a Harley may jiggle the gonads of the rider in exciting ways, but for everyone else in a half km radius it's just annoying. Harley's don't make the world a better place to live in.
The Segway is also a problem for the blind due to their quiet operation, but of greater concern the Segway promoters want to enable riders to drive primarily on the sidewalks. Sidewalks are currently reserved for pedestrians (including wheelchair and scooter users) and skaters. This should stay as it is. When the issue comes up in your town (as it surely will) please express your opinion opposing allowing Segways on sidewalks.
-- "Most people prefer a popular myth to an unpopular truth"
I remember clearly seeing a Union Carbide ad on TV in the late 60's. A man on a silent fuel cell powered motorbike pulls up in traffic next to a guy on a Harley. The electric motorbike is silent.
Being loud really doesn't help that much any more. Modern cars are fairly soundproof (for that silent "luxury" ride), and almost always air conditioned (if it weren't for toll booths and parking garages, the windows would never roll down). The pick-ups and SUVs combine soundproofing and A/C with considerable drive train racket and tire tread noise of their own. Then you have the boom-box and fart-pipe fad. Even straight pipes may not stand out on today's roads. It's best to think like a bicyclist: It's not paranoia, they really are out to kill you!
In Japan, because of their tax laws 400cc bikes are very popular. It's just that they don't import them to the states because, as you say, they cost pretty much the same to make as a 1000cc machine.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo
--Andy Finkel (J. Klass?)
...we have the MTT Superbike. Powered by a gas turbine originally designed for helicopters. Exaust hot enough to melt the bumpers of tailgaters!
*honk* *honk* *beep* *beep* *tring* *tring*
Even though it's silent and electric, It'll still need an exhaust pipe to put the compulsory sticker on. (NSW bikers know what I mean)
If my call is important, why am I talking to a recording?
I was just thinking. If fuel cells are viable, why not add a "noise maker" to the engine? Yes, it sounds crazy, but hey, you could tune it to sound like a Harley, or a Honda. Or one of those cool bikes we saw in the classic movie Akira.
However, I'm glad they're doing this. Anytime someone tries to do this kind of thing with cars, such as would involve big oil money and car manufacturers (who are all in bed together) the research seems to go slower. I suppose because we're told we don't want that kind of thing and therefor they do not find it "cost effective."
Let them come up with an efficient and useful fuel cell for a moto and maybe the mfg's of bigger machines will have to take notice.
Lane Myer: I have great fear of tools. I once made a birdhouse in woodshop and the fair housing committee condemned it.
A number of other major manufacturers (Honda for sure) have built fuel-cell motorcycles/scooters.
--
Toby
I for one don't care much for people broadcasting the fact that they drive a motorcycle with a perpetuated engine fault (Harley).
I think they should perhaps have speakers embedded into their helmets to blast their own ears away.
-grin-
I think some form of speaker system can be installed which will simulate some form of engine noise (Star Wars vehicles come to mind...) to help with the safety issue. Besides, the noise of some motorcycles prevent the rider from hearing others around them.
I too drive a 3.0 litre Porsche 911 SC, and am painfully aware how bad it is for the environment (and my fuel budget). Fortunately event though my exhaust needs to be replaced (I almost sound as bad as a free-flow modified VW Beetle!) the car is totally silent within. (Pretty cool really)
I'll miss the roar I think, but then again I'm all for viable (quasi-)electric vehicles.
whose bikes travel faster than 761 mph, not being heard by people we are overtaking is already a big problem.
Dan East
Better known as 318230.
"The engine is completely silent, which might not go well with many motorcycle lovers."
I guess most people don't realize that a LOUD bike alerts the surrounding cars that they are present. It makes people take a double look in their mirrors.
And yes, there are the people who get a kick out of making loud noises with their bikes.
You sound just like that Dana Carvey "Grumpy Old Man" character.
Instead of assuming that just because a law is passed that it will affect you with your older German quietisch mufflenheimer, keep in mind that tickets are given out selectively. No one is going to write you a ticket because your aftermarket muffler system is 24 decibels but the original was only 20. Who could even know that or measure it? But if you do run across a traffic cop who is that anal retentive and has that great of a need to flaunt his authority then for your own safety just be polite and pay the ticket cause he is probably an undetected serial killer and you don't want to end up as 40 pounds of hamburger in the bottom of his deep freezer.
Liberals call everyone Nazis yet they are the closest thing to it.
Oh Yeah?
Seriously, it may well end up a hit with the military. Silent operation can be a major tactical asset on the battlefield!
Pedestrians should look where they are going anyways. If they are not at a crosswalk/zebra crossing, they should look, not just wander into the road blindly with their back facing oncoming traffic!
I have this problem with my car - the engine is too well insulated and the exhaust silencer actually works - and pedestrians wander into the street in front of me. Its costing me a small fortune in new brake pads!
Or maybe some silly bugger has put a SEP device on my car for a joke... I have even had pedestrians walk into my car while it is stationary. They bounce off, look all confused while attempting to navigate themselves around the vehicle.
-- The universe began. Life started on a billion worlds...
-- Except on one where stupidity was there first.
If you think it is the lack of sound in the engine that will be a problem, you obviously don't know bikers. First, the thing can only do 50 mph, which makes it useless on the highway, and second, it only has a range of 100 miles. My bike is a gas guzzler (for a motorcycle) and I can still get 150+ miles on a tank of gas. It seems that work on a fuel cell motorcycle is kind of a waste considering many motorcycles get upwards of 50 mpg already. I think research should be concentrated in automobiles.
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
The article describes a hybrid powertrain with a battery that augments fuel cell power at speed. The fuel cell only appears to put out about 1KW (1-2 horsepower). Does this mean that the 50 mph top speed was achieved with both power sources being tapped? If that's the case, the real top speed, ie one you could actually sustain, would be much lower, maybe 30mph.
Have you seen my stapler?
That's fucking pitiful. My old Jeep Cherokee gets 25 M/G and my roommate's downright archaic Celica Supra gets 22.
You'd have great mileage though if you say, drove a diesel Ford or something. But shit, man, that's pretty pathetic mileage for a motorcycle.
ALL HAIL THE BEAST THAT ASCENDETH FROM THE PIT WITH HIS CUTE WIDDLE NOSE =^o.o^=
Actually, you always had the attention span of a gerbil, the remote control just allows you to fulfill your destiny :-)
Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it. --Mark Twain
Riding a silent bike in town is a form of suicide. More than half of the time, the only way the drivers know you are there is by ear. It's the noise that makes you look for a motorcycle near you on the road. Bicycles are only safe because they don't mingle with large vehicles in traffic,
Also this thing is only comparable to a rather small motorbike, what with 8hp. It's equivalent to, say, 12hp gas engine, something like 1/4 liter engine. Which is probably a good thing, considering how unsafe it might on the highway without the noise.
Why is the article in an exotic metric system, and the international system (like this)?
Loud pipes saves lives.
It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion, It is by the beans of Java that thoughts acquire speed, The hands acqui
Wish I had modpoints! :)
In space, maybe. Astrophysics doesn't take into account any wind except "solar". I'm talking about the greater momentum of the bigger bike being less affected by the buffeting headwind, so you need to hit the gas less often. Smaller engines have better fuel efficiency, larger engines have more power - that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about how a larger bike lets you cruise longer, without boosting to retain speed - along Earth roads.
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make install -not war
It's not really a motorcycle, it's an electric bicycle, but as that it is quite cool.
I ride a lot on my motorcycle, 20,000 miles per year through London. It's the only sane way to travel there.
I have a loud exhaust on my bike, I rationalise it as a safety feature but it really just sounds good, and I'm wearing earplugs anyway. My bike isn't a sportsbike, or a cruiser, it's a 650 single, it's very punchy at low revs but not terribly fast, top speed of around 110mph, but it still does 0-60 in under 4 seconds. That's the key feature of a motorcycle, *wicked* acceleration.
I'd like to see this machine's big brother, electric motors can produce fantastic torque from zero rpm. It's the torque which produces acceleration, I'd expect a big brother to be spectacularly quick. Having said that, the current problem getting good acceleration out of a bike is basically gravity, keeping that front wheel on the ground can be a bit of a challenge.
Government of the people, by corporate executives, for corporate profits.
My V-30 Magna (500cc) without a fairing and my fairly portly carcass in the seat does about 50mpg in typical backroads kind of riding. I notice when doing highway riding ~65mph or better, that wind resistance becomes a major impediment to going faster, even more so than weight. Riding at 50 into a 25 mph headwind, I need to roll on the throttle as much as if I were doing 70 in calm air. Unfaired motorcycles (my Magna and most cruiser bikes included) have lousy aerodynamics, and probably present nearly as much wind resistance at speed as a modern compact car, and probably more than some of the super aerodynamic things such as the Honda Insight.