Didge
02-02-2007, 11:32 AM
Jan & I went to the ExCel show yesterday. What a f**king rip-off. 16 quid each to get in and hardly any manufacturers stands. Ducati were there tho' so that was good.
Don't think we'll bother again.
I did have a test ride of the Vectrix electric scooter:-
http://www.vectrix.com/default.aspx?portal=3&page=1
I was very impressed with it. Very rapid accelleration, and very smooth. Low centre of gravity (batteries are low down in the frame), made for nice handling, and it felt nice and comfy.
Only touched the brake lever once just to try the brakes out, and they were extremely good. I was useing the regenerative brake the rest of the time. This involved twisting the 'throttle' grip forwards from the off position, and used the motor to slow the bike, which it did so very efficiently. Whilst useing this system, the motor slows the bike down by, in laymans terms, becoming a generator and putting some charge back in the batteries. Regenerative braking is almost as old as electric motors themselves, and is a bloody brilliant system.
Overall, it has potential for a cheap to run commuter bike, or hack. The problem with it tho', besides the rather high purchase price of about £7,000, is it's range (approx. 60 miles between charges, riding it at it's full potential), and it's top speed of 50mph.
Honda have a concept electric scooter that is capable of 80mph, and a range of well over a 100 miles between charges.
I reckon that in the next couple of years, electric 2 wheelers will start to come into their own, so I'll wait a few years before changing my hack (Burgman 400), and going electric.
I wish Vectrix well for their launch in March, as it needs companies like them to push forward and make available to the commuting masses, electric 2 wheelers, which have many, many advantages over petrol engines.
Their first models tho', are not quite up to what many people need, but as I said, in a few years time, who knows?
Don't think we'll bother again.
I did have a test ride of the Vectrix electric scooter:-
http://www.vectrix.com/default.aspx?portal=3&page=1
I was very impressed with it. Very rapid accelleration, and very smooth. Low centre of gravity (batteries are low down in the frame), made for nice handling, and it felt nice and comfy.
Only touched the brake lever once just to try the brakes out, and they were extremely good. I was useing the regenerative brake the rest of the time. This involved twisting the 'throttle' grip forwards from the off position, and used the motor to slow the bike, which it did so very efficiently. Whilst useing this system, the motor slows the bike down by, in laymans terms, becoming a generator and putting some charge back in the batteries. Regenerative braking is almost as old as electric motors themselves, and is a bloody brilliant system.
Overall, it has potential for a cheap to run commuter bike, or hack. The problem with it tho', besides the rather high purchase price of about £7,000, is it's range (approx. 60 miles between charges, riding it at it's full potential), and it's top speed of 50mph.
Honda have a concept electric scooter that is capable of 80mph, and a range of well over a 100 miles between charges.
I reckon that in the next couple of years, electric 2 wheelers will start to come into their own, so I'll wait a few years before changing my hack (Burgman 400), and going electric.
I wish Vectrix well for their launch in March, as it needs companies like them to push forward and make available to the commuting masses, electric 2 wheelers, which have many, many advantages over petrol engines.
Their first models tho', are not quite up to what many people need, but as I said, in a few years time, who knows?