[59517]

Electric Motorsport :: Electric GPR

I am considering buying one of Electric GPR-S Electric motorcycle. The base price us $8000. It has a top speed of 70MPH and a range from 35 to 60 miles. Recharge is 1.5 hours to 4 hours depending on the charger type.

I am also considering buying a Ninja 250R (used of course, and doing a conversion). A friend of mine is completing a similar project, so I can take advantage of his expertise. I want to use this for a daily commuter, so the range is fine, although it would be nice to extend the range. Please take a look at the website. I am interested in your comments.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Electric Motorsport :: Electric GPR

I am considering buying one of Electric GPR-S Electric motorcycle. The base price us $8000. It has a top speed of 70MPH and a range from 35 to 60 miles. Recharge is 1.5 hours to 4 hours depending on the charger type.

I am also considering buying a Ninja 250R (used of course, and doing a conversion). A friend of mine is completing a similar project, so I can take advantage of his expertise. I want to use this for a daily commuter, so the range is fine, although it would be nice to extend the range. Please take a look at the website. I am interested in your comments.

Here's the thing; you can get a used 250R for about 2 grand. Now, if you are just looking for a way to save gas and you aren't looking for an experiment, I would go with a 250r as it has been known to get up to 80-100mpg. It will give you FAR greater range, speed and convenience than the electronic bikes you are looking at for a fraction of the cost. Plus you will have better dealer/parts support.

Even at 5 dollars a gallon for gas, it still seems to be the practical way to go.

Now, if you have your heart set on converting to electric because you are good with a wrench and love to work on project, than I would still suggest getting the 250r and trying to convert it to electric. You can probably find a wrecked 250r with a good frame and motor for about a grand or so. Still seems to be cheaper than buying one for 8 grand.

If you just plan on buying and riding, it just doesn't seem like the electric bikes are far enough along to be a good choice when you factor in parts, dealer network, reliability, initial cost vs. savings (on gas), range, and power.

Don't get me wrong, I think it would be neat to have a good electric bike as an option, but it looks to be about 3-5 years away before that happens.

 

[55028]

In economy mode it would get me to work. I don't know how my employer would feel about me plugging in everyday. I've been thinking of a scooter of late. With an in town speed requirement of say 35 plus alittle for safety, grocery/helmet storage and some weather protection, it may be greener/more economical than an electric bike. Maybe I don't know, but at $8,000.00 for an unknown commodity vs a known scooter, well...

 

[mscuddy]

When I was about 12 a buddy and I built a wooden go-kart that you steered with your feet on the front axle, used a Cadillac starter motor with a belt-pully on it where the gear use to be. Had a guillotene switch for a throttle and two Sears Die Hard's wired in series to get 24 volts out of it. Went about 50. Very dangerous, had one 2x4 cut in half on each side for brakes, you pulled up, and they scraped on the asphault to stop. Use to lift the rear wheels off the ground...

 

[59517]

When I was about 12 a buddy and I built a wooden go-kart that you steered with your feet on the front axle, used a Cadillac starter motor with a belt-pully on it where the gear use to be. Had a guillotene switch for a throttle and two Sears Die Hard's wired in series to get 24 volts out of it. Went about 50. Very dangerous, had one 2x4 cut in half on each side for brakes, you pulled up, and they scraped on the asphault to stop. Use to lift the rear wheels off the ground...

I believe your point is that a conversion is dangerous, and I should stick with purchasing a production vehicle?

I have thought about why I would spend $8,000 on a potentially unreliable, and unrepairable product. The motorcycle is built with relatively off the shelf parts with are inherently very reliable, and replaceable. An electric motorcycle has a very low level of complexity compared to an ICE. So, even if the company goes belly up, which is a strong likelihood, it should be relatively easy to repair, and should run reliably due to the nature of electric propulsion. The chassis itself comes from a production motorcycle.

I remember the 70's oil shocks, and I am damn well not going to allow myself to be victimized if I can plan ahead and take a chance on some alternatives. This seems to be a reasonable risk, and as a motorcycle hobbyist, it also looks very fun.

 

[sachiwilson]

Off the shelf, yes, but from Cagiva, which is not imported to the US, so your only source will be the maker of the bike. Those of us who have had less-than-common Italian bikes can confirm that parts availability will be a problem.