Do You Get A Kick Out Of Electric Bikes?

I have been reading about Electric Cars and they seem the smarter option these days, but then when I hear about Electric Bikes landing up on the market every other day and it makes me wonder - Does the joy of going green actually replace the adrenalin-rush of riding a gasoline powered motorbike? Can the steady, gentle thrum of the electric engine match up to the music of the throttle? How the people react and the path they  tread, only time will tell. But here’s taking a look at the options that the EV Motorbike market has to offer us today and (hopefully) the near future:   Zero Motorcycles Zero Motorcycle has only been around about five years but in this time it has covered some important milestones with its electric bikes. For example the Zero S launched earlier in 2011 offers an array of first-time features including regular gasoline-like acceleration and public charging station compatibility in the US. the 2011 Zero S Electric Motorcycle

They recently laid out the line-up to be launched in early 2012 with features such as a 100 miles on one single charge. and longer battery life. You can see the image below - wiith their features and prices listed beneath.

image via Zero Motorcycles The 2012 line includes the following models:

• The Zero S, offered in 2 configurations offers a top speed of 88 miles per hour at a price of $11,495.
• The Zero DS, a dual support bike with top speed of 80 mph also starts at $11,495.
• The Zero XU designed for inner city riding (hence includes regenerative braking technology) is priced starting at $7,695.
• The Zero X is a  street legal trail rider that starts at $9,945.
• The Zero MX built for motocross riding is priced starting at $9,945.

  Brammo Inc. The Oregon, US-based firm has made a reputation of making electric motorcycles which go fast, thanks to it winning the first two races of the 2011 TTXGP North American Series and lap-record holder at the Infineon Raceway. To enter the commercial market they launched the 2011 Brammo Enertia (see image below). The 2011 Brammo Enertia, priced at $7,995 is the cheapest electric motorcycle on the market today. The 18 horsepower, single-seater offers a top speed of 55 mph, a three-hour charge time and a 45-mile range, The Brammo Enertia (above) has a limited range of around 40 miles which should satsfy most daily commuters with a weeks’ worth of travel. For longer-distance trips, a larger batterypack is available in the $8,995 Enertia Plus—giving between 40 and 80 miles of travel depending on how it is ridden.   The Brammo Empulse was designed in Ashland, Oregon and production will commence there in early 2012. It can go over 100 mph and up to 100 miles on a single charge. Featuring a water cooled electric motor and six speed transmission the Empulse represents the state of the art in electric motorcycles.

The Empulse more than doubles the Enertia’s practicality while being only slightly more expensive than the latter with the top-spec model going for US$13,995. which could come down to as little as US$7,000 in certain states in the US once federal and state incentives are taken into account.   BRD This is an electric bike that is as fast as a fuel-powered counterpart, if not more so. That is exactly the philosophy BRD pursued when they released their first model - this lovely-looking roadgoing supermoto which will soon be followed by a RedShift MX enduro offering. The BRD RedShift SM claims the same performance as a four-stroke 250cc fuel-powered bike. It has a water-cooled AC Motor producing 40 hp at less than 115 kg total weight. There is a 5.2 kWh electric motor onboard which is currently estimated to give the RedShift SM a range of about 80 km. At a high price point of about $15,000 USD.   KTM The Dutch company KTM Freeride has released two Freeride models - the supermotard and cross/enduro bikes which produce 30 hp and 43 Nm off 2.5 kW lithium ion batteries. KTM Freeride supermotard

KTM Freeride Motocross

Battery recharge time is 1.5 hrs and the bike weighs 90 kg. Other features include 21-inch trial wheels, Drive by Wire technology, clutch-less transmission and chain and a hand operated hydraulic brake system with energy recuperation. The Freeride bikes are priced than 10,000 euros.   ORPHIRO the Orphiro Electric Cruiser The Dutch-designed, fully electric Orphiro has a 72V electric motor, a range of 60 miles and a top speed of 75 miles per hour. It utilizes five batteries which provide a claimed range of 100 km (62 miles) and a max speed of 120 km / hr (almost 75 mph). Its price, listed at 49,000 Euro (over US$70,000). The website for the Ophiro Electric Cruiser says the Dutch creator intends to custom make them for companies for promotional purposes. It is already in production but is being built on a per-order basis. http://www.cleantick.com/users/arunpillai/blogs/do-you-get-a-kick-out-of-electric-bikes