Enertia Electric Motorcycle

[bystander]

Enertia Electric Motorcycle

http://fp.images.autos.msn.com/merismus/News/n468135a.jpg

http://www.enertiabike.com/images/stories/batt_technology_3.jpg

Link to websites:

http://brammo.com/
http://www.enertiabike.com

Link to review:

http://autos.msn.com/advice/article.aspx?contentid=4024869

Comparison to PT


Cost: about 3 times
Top speed: about 4 times
Range at top speed: about 2 or 3 times
Battery capacity: A bit over 3 times
Charging time: about one third
Cost per full charge: over 3 times
Cell balancing circuits: one quarter as many
Unloaded weight: almost 3 times
Weight including 200 lb. passenger: about 1.6 times


Pros:


Faster
Longer range
Allowed on roads
Built in seat, headlight, signaling, mirrors.
Higher top speed allows mix with surface street traffic


Cons:


Costs more
Will need vehicle registration
Helmet required in many jurisdictions
Inherently unstable at zero and low speeds
Not intended for mixing with pedestrians
Less protection against cell imbalance
Not for sale yet, but prototypes are out there
May need motorcycle license in some jurisdictions
Low top speed (50 mph) may keep it off the freeway
Uses throttle and brake levers, not forward backward weight shifting
Uses conventional motorcycle steering
Requires a non-indoor parking spot at remote destinations, may not have access to charge


Same:


Uses house current to charge, does not use gasoline
Cargo capacity (not stated, but probably similar)
Battery chemistry - Saphion from Valence
"Automatic" (no shifting or clutch)
Looks like fun

[polo_pro]

good to see you back, bystander. As you can see the Sci & Tech board was getting quite empty without your consistent posts about new neat stuff!

[Desert_Seg]

Excellent read, very interesting product.

The range and speed are impressive and it is a viable, albeit expensive, product.

Now, let's see if Polo can make this into a high-speed polo-playing machine (see, even I can get an OPTA in there).

Steven

[hellphish]

http://www.enertiabike.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=16

Batteries by Valence! That's so cool.

[gbrandwood]

I wonder what kind of noise it will make? Conventional bikes are usually very noisey. A very high pitched noise wouldn't be very appealing, but come to think of it, I've never heard the noise of an electric car.

And I see it includes a kickstand.

Good to have you back on here bystander.

[polo_pro]

I wonder what kind of noise it will make? Conventional bikes are usually very noisey. A very high pitched noise wouldn't be very appealing, but come to think of it, I've never heard the noise of an electric car.

I've heard the real problem is how silent these vehicles are in general. I remember how some pedestrian advocacy group was pushing for ADDING an obnoxious noise to some electric vehicle. That way pedestrians would have a better chance of knowing one was coming their way when they jaywalk without looking.

[KSagal]

I have a friend and neighbor with a full electric pick-up truck. It was one of the units that was retrofitted electric back in the ninties, buy GM.

Reasonable truck, but the system is no longer supported by anyone, and even though the truck is fine, the life of the batteries is fading (beyound where he was advised to replace them, if he could find them) .

It is eerily silent. You do hear a bit of electic motor noise, and the tires on the pavement do make a noise, but it is similar to the noise your own car would make, if you left all the fans and lights on, but did not have the engine running while it was rolling down a hill...

It really does not make more noise than my segway, but it is so large by comparison, it does seem weird...

Of course, this is just one vehicle. I am no expert on others...

Maybe he could use a clothespin and a playing card. If he clipped the card to the spokes, he would have a pleasant noise that reminds all us dinosaurs of our youths...

[gbrandwood]

Nah, you could still get them by powering down and rolling the remaining distance (without a sound)

I have wondered sometimes though, when telling people how noise-free the Seg is compared to other devices, whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. You konw if it was more audible, people would complain about it being noisey. Not very noisey and people complain about it being too quiet and a possible hazard. A bell (airhorn?) or a good shout is the answer to that, methinks.

Or one of those soft squishy hammer thingies that makes a squeeky noise when you hit people with it, attached to the end of a polo mallet?

[hellphish]

Maybe he could use a clothespin and a playing card. If he clipped the card to the spokes, he would have a pleasant noise that reminds all us dinosaurs of our youths...

Kids still do this.

A bell (airhorn?) or a good shout is the answer to that, methinks.

CA vehicle code agrees with you :) I still have to get a pedestrian alert device.

[KSagal]

Nah, you could still get them by powering down and rolling the remaining distance (without a sound)

I have wondered sometimes though, when telling people how noise-free the Seg is compared to other devices, whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. You konw if it was more audible, people would complain about it being noisey. Not very noisey and people complain about it being too quiet and a possible hazard. A bell (airhorn?) or a good shout is the answer to that, methinks.

Or one of those soft squishy hammer thingies that makes a squeeky noise when you hit people with it, attached to the end of a polo mallet?


I have 12 volt horn & piezo on my e-167, but this is the high tech solution I came up with for my i2. (I have since moved the light, but the sumo is still there...)

http://forums.segwaychat.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11814/normal_i2_dash1.JPG

I prefer to have him squeek BEFORE I hit people rather than after, as was suggested above...

[nickyboy]

Quiet running has long been a problem with cars, I have had so many problems with pedestrians stepping out in front of my Rolls Royce.......NOT!

Seriously, a pal of mine runs a Prius and in car parks etc it is kind of spooky to just start rolling along up to 20mph or so without a sound.

[polo_pro]

Or one of those soft squishy hammer thingies that makes a squeeky noise when you hit people with it, attached to the end of a polo mallet?

Very nice OPTA! I prefer to just use the unpadded polo mallet myself...much easier to hook someone and move them off to the side! That is assuming they haven't already moved to the side upon seeing a mallet weilding glider coming at them.

As to noise...well, I run knobbies. A few weeks ago, they weren't shaved down as much as now. They'd rub the fenders. My fellow polo players said they really appreciated the added noise on the field, since they could tell where I was and when I was getting closer to them. Someone pointed out that when I accellerated, it sounded like the theme of JAWS.

Duhduh -- Duhduh ........... Duhduh -- duhduh ................Duhduh -- Duhduh -- Duhduh -- Duhduh ....