Harley-Davidson Made An Electric Motorcycle

You're LITERALLY making a strawman argument again, when I've proven you wrong each and every time.

Here is the original post: http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1040910683&postcount=100

Your original statement is:
Full torque no matter how fast you're going.
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You don't get full torque at the wheel at any speed compared to a traditional ICE alternative, because there is no transmission.
ducman69 said:
Virtually all electric motorcycles (I don't know of an exception) do not have a gear box. What is the purpose of a gearbox? Torque multiplication in lower gears, and overdrive gears for higher possible speeds... snip...Like other electric motorcycles, the HD electric bike does not have a gearbox... snip... So the HD electric with its 50ftlbs of torque gains no mechanical advantage (ignoring final drive since that's the same on the other bike). A HD Sporster by contrast makes 55ftlbs but in first gear it may have a 3:1 ratio, so you effectively have 165ftlbs of torque.
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You can't edit posts here, its all in stone in black and white.

Last I checked, 165 ftlbs of torque > 55 ftlbs of torque. Remember, bigger numbers means more.
 
Ducman69 said:
Christ, I constantly hear this and its WRONG WRONG WRONG! Virtually all electric motorcycles (I don't know of an exception) do not have a gear box.

What is the purpose of a gearbox? Torque multiplication in lower gears, and overdrive gears for higher possible speeds. A tractor with a 50hp engine with low enough gearing can pull a stump out of the ground. It'll do so at half a mile per hour, but the torque is insane thanks to gearing.

Like other electric motorcycles, the HD electric bike does not have a gearbox, it has a static ratio which is approximately the same as driving a car in fourth gear; for those that don't know that's usually close to a 1:1 ratio, and your car will be slow as butt even if you're slipping the clutch at your cars peak torque RPM.

So the HD electric with its 50ftlbs of torque gains no mechanical advantage (ignoring final drive since that's the same on the other bike).

A HD Sporster by contrast makes 55ftlbs but in first gear it may have a 3:1 ratio, so you effectively have 165ftlbs of torque.

Hmmmm... 165ftlbs or 50ftlbs... choices! ;)

So if you want to imply that electric motorcycles are torquey bikes, nothing could be further from the truth. They are slow off the line, and have low top speeds because they are stuck in fourth gear all day. Zero RPM shmar-PM.
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Go ride a Zero motorcycle and tell me that thing doesn't have major torque. I got to ride the first one in Wisconsin (dmv didn't know how to even register it) and the power is just insane. Made me rethink electric bikes altogether.

It is anything but slow. It's freaky accelerating that fast with only the noise of wind in your ears.
 
Dolby said:
Go ride a Zero motorcycle and tell me that thing doesn't have major torque. I got to ride the first one in Wisconsin (dmv didn't know how to even register it) and the power is just insane. Made me rethink electric bikes altogether.

It is anything but slow. It's freaky accelerating that fast with only the noise of wind in your ears.
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Yes, it is insanely fast: http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/10/3...ric-motorcycles-comparison-test-specs-photos/

Zero S
Price as tested: $15,995 (charging station not included)
Top Speed: 90 mph <- pathetic
Weight: 393 lb. <- lightweight, nice
Range: 62 mi. <- pathetic
Torque: 75.8 ftlb @ 1088 rpm <- very high
1/4 mile time: 14.01 sec <- UNBELIEVABLY slow for a motorcycle

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14:
Price as tested: $15,299
Top Speed: 185mph <- governed limit due to European regulations, capable of 200mph+
Weight: 490 lbs
Range: 205 mi. <- good
Torque: +75 ftlbs from 3000rpm and up (peak 108ftlbs)
1/4 mile time: 9.71 seconds <- Very fast

To put that in perspective, for less than the price of a Zero S without the extended battery (which adds weight and degrades performance), you have a bike that has over twice the range, is over twice as fast, accelerates nearly twice as fast, and according to motorcycle-usa offers about the handling performance of a budget entry level motorcycle like the Suzuki Gladius (a bike designed to introduce women to the sport) was their closest comparison.

Really?

And just to recap, why do you think a motorcycle with GOBS of motor torque considering how lightweight it is accelerates so slowly? Could it have anything to do with the fact that it... *bites pinky* ... doesn't have a gearbox? *insert maniacal laugh*
dr-evil-pinky_opt.jpg
 
Oops, that should have read "and according to motorcycle-usa the Zero S offers..."
 
It's okay to admit that you spent money on something and that you're going to argue against something different so that you feel better about the purchase you made to not be thought of as lesser. It's a lot like being excited that you bought a new 233 MHz IDT WinChip only to find out that someone also makes something different and possibly better and then very aggressively defend the WinChip because it was expensive. Brand loyalty is silly and so is flipping out about a better product that you can't or won't buy for lack of money. I mean really, it's pretty obvious that someone who names themselves after some obscure motorcycle company would feel threatened now by something better from a more well-known company.
 
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