2012 TXT Pro All Electric
- Thread starter Moto7man
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GMP
Active member
Why? 
Is there really a market for that in trials competition, or is some kind of govt. subsidized green vehicle project. Is it going to be a requirement for indoor competition in the future? Seems to me development money could be better spent elsewhere. And yes, I know all about the torque characteristics of electric motors and their potential advantages. At the end of the day though, you have to be able to sell them to make money.
Is there really a market for that in trials competition, or is some kind of govt. subsidized green vehicle project. Is it going to be a requirement for indoor competition in the future? Seems to me development money could be better spent elsewhere. And yes, I know all about the torque characteristics of electric motors and their potential advantages. At the end of the day though, you have to be able to sell them to make money.There might or might not be a market for trials competition, but there is huge potential for them in built up areas where people don't like noisey bikes. It is the biggest problem we face as riders and land not being accessible to us.
A friend on a Zero electric bike once rode for an hour around a local BMX track and no-one seemed to care it was a motorbike.
I can't wait for electric bikes to have some good range to ride as you wont find many people who have ridden them, think they are not great!
A friend on a Zero electric bike once rode for an hour around a local BMX track and no-one seemed to care it was a motorbike.
I can't wait for electric bikes to have some good range to ride as you wont find many people who have ridden them, think they are not great!
skid jackson
New member
the mtb'ers will still chase you off "their" trails .. its got a motor .. not human powered ... its bad!! signs in our area say no "motorized" vehicles. The pedal pushing crowd have a hard enough time with the newer electric assist bikes that are out there.
that said electric dirtbikes and trials bikes could find a good market in urban areas.
HuskyDude
Super Moderator
Boy this thread has the potential of getting off track...But we'll see what happens.
First off
And yes I believe there will be a huge market for these E bikes. With the advancement on battery technology it's only a matter of time. And as far as electric automobiles are concerned...we will only see or hear what the car companies, oil companies and wealthy capitalists want us to see or hear.
First off
What we see or want in N. America has very little to do with GasGas sales over in Europe. However we might want to perceive our beloved GG endures bikes 'Trials' has always been first on their list.
And yes I believe there will be a huge market for these E bikes. With the advancement on battery technology it's only a matter of time. And as far as electric automobiles are concerned...we will only see or hear what the car companies, oil companies and wealthy capitalists want us to see or hear.
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GMP
Active member
Yes they do, and you can do a lot with the controller. I designed brushless motor controls, medical centrifuge, and various stepper motor applications.
You could ride that thing in the house like Uncle Fester did in the Adams Family.
My question simply was, and still is, is the average trials rider in Europe ready to drop coin on this just yet or play it safe with the 2 stroke? Just curious about how this project was driven, by market or something else like pending regulations or subsidies. Perhaps one of our Euro friends will know. Thats it, no spin, not off track.
Well a little off track thought for you about electric cars:
Power grid capacity for the charging of batteries is no where near adequate for mass adoption of the technology.
Such power has to come from somewhere, a lot of it fossil fuels. So more emmisions, mining, or drilling for gas. And, since every energy conversion is done at a loss, the end result is less effeiient.
Now, hydrogen fuel cells are cool. I was in a fuel cell converted BMW prototype my company co-developed. Very nice, and a lot more practical from a fuel logistics point of view than millions of Chevy Volt owners pulling 50A each off the grid to charge their cars when they get home from work.
You could ride that thing in the house like Uncle Fester did in the Adams Family.
My question simply was, and still is, is the average trials rider in Europe ready to drop coin on this just yet or play it safe with the 2 stroke? Just curious about how this project was driven, by market or something else like pending regulations or subsidies. Perhaps one of our Euro friends will know. Thats it, no spin, not off track.
Well a little off track thought for you about electric cars:
Power grid capacity for the charging of batteries is no where near adequate for mass adoption of the technology.
Such power has to come from somewhere, a lot of it fossil fuels. So more emmisions, mining, or drilling for gas. And, since every energy conversion is done at a loss, the end result is less effeiient.
Now, hydrogen fuel cells are cool. I was in a fuel cell converted BMW prototype my company co-developed. Very nice, and a lot more practical from a fuel logistics point of view than millions of Chevy Volt owners pulling 50A each off the grid to charge their cars when they get home from work.
KTM just released their all electric bike called the free ride. IMHO I think that GASGAS is one step ahead of KTM by marketing a trials bike. Endurocross is rapidly growing in the United States which emphasizes a trials bike skillset. In Europe Danny McCaskill has generated a wave of interest in trials techniques.
http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/bike-tests/2011/11/29/2012-ktm-freeride-e-electric-bike/full
See this link for McCaskill's awesome video,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19zFlPah-o
http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/bike-tests/2011/11/29/2012-ktm-freeride-e-electric-bike/full
See this link for McCaskill's awesome video,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19zFlPah-o
HuskyDude
Super Moderator
Now that video was very well done. I really think that will be the future for all to follow. They just have to find a way to pull all the power off of a few solar cells and we're in business.
Here is a short video with some German Riders playing with the GasGas Electric.( Stop at 1 minute and 35 seconds everything else is regular trials bikes.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe254GFOUfQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe254GFOUfQ
skid jackson
New member
Very nice, and a lot more practical from a fuel logistics point of view than millions of Chevy Volt owners pulling 50A each off the grid to charge their cars when they get home from work.
as they walk into the house and boot the air conditioner up to full cool ...
and nobody wants any new nukes ....
GMP
Active member
Solar is another govt subsidized wet dream not ready for prime time. I wonder if any of the greenies have a clue as to what it actually takes to make a solar cell and how dirty of an industry it actually is. Why do you think most semiconductor mfg. is done off shore, and has been for a long time?
"We're basically limited by how much juice we can take out of the plug - it's not the battery that limits us, it's the socket," says Proschek, who claims that within 45 minutes of charging time, 80 percent of the charge is already restored.
That says it all right there, we are not really ready for All Electric Vehicles right now, especially automobiles. One thing that concerns me is crashing and having the battery catch fire. I know from racing 1/8th scale High Voltage RC Electric Offroad Buggies and Flying RC Electric Helicopters and Airplanes, that if the battery sustains damage in a crash its very likely that you could have a fire shortly after.
However, I would really consider buying one of the KTM's if brought to market at a good price, because there are lots of places near my house that I could ride this thing without anyone knowing or caring about it if I'm there. My 2 smoker is a different story, the sound is more agitating to the neighbors than the fact that I am riding there. It sounds like I am doing lots of damage and disturbs the peace more so. I can't blame them for not wanting it around.
That says it all right there, we are not really ready for All Electric Vehicles right now, especially automobiles. One thing that concerns me is crashing and having the battery catch fire. I know from racing 1/8th scale High Voltage RC Electric Offroad Buggies and Flying RC Electric Helicopters and Airplanes, that if the battery sustains damage in a crash its very likely that you could have a fire shortly after.
However, I would really consider buying one of the KTM's if brought to market at a good price, because there are lots of places near my house that I could ride this thing without anyone knowing or caring about it if I'm there. My 2 smoker is a different story, the sound is more agitating to the neighbors than the fact that I am riding there. It sounds like I am doing lots of damage and disturbs the peace more so. I can't blame them for not wanting it around.
GMP
Active member
LiPo batteries, pretty amazing but also not too stable in some cases. I've seen the videos of RC planes going up in flames during a recharge.
Another environmental question for the greenies: what would you do with all the spent LiPo and Li Ion batteries that mass production and widespread use of electric cars would produce?
Another environmental question for the greenies: what would you do with all the spent LiPo and Li Ion batteries that mass production and widespread use of electric cars would produce?
The most overlooked downside to charging batteries is that it takes dump truck loads of coal to produce the electricity. I saw an example that stated that the average 1,800 sq. ft house requires 1 1/2 dump truck loads of coal per month to produce the electricity required. Now plug in your car and motorcycle.. Nobody thinks of this because the coal comes in on a train but if you live in a coal producing state and get to see the aftermath of strip mining your electricity doesn't look so clean anymore.
I will say that old coal pits are fun places to ride dirt bikes and shoot guns
Trying not to insult anyone, but I am surprised at the short sighted thinking on electric vehicles here.
Currently we do not have great renewable energy generation nor battery storage capacity. But looking at the curve of technology these things will improve very shortly. How big was your mobile phone battery 10 years ago? Nokia, Apple, etc will drive battery technology. Don't discount better and greener power generation. Water, wind, solar, thermal, etc and the other power solutions that seem to be appearing on the horizon. All new industries need large investment and infrastructure to get started. Necessity is the mother of invention.
The idea we should not develop electric vehicles that can use renewable energy is a little hard for me to understand. Is the other option, just keep making petrol vehicles until there is no oil (and environment) left.
I reckon the Hoover damn might just be making power long after Pennsylvania runs out of oil.
Currently we do not have great renewable energy generation nor battery storage capacity. But looking at the curve of technology these things will improve very shortly. How big was your mobile phone battery 10 years ago? Nokia, Apple, etc will drive battery technology. Don't discount better and greener power generation. Water, wind, solar, thermal, etc and the other power solutions that seem to be appearing on the horizon. All new industries need large investment and infrastructure to get started. Necessity is the mother of invention.
The idea we should not develop electric vehicles that can use renewable energy is a little hard for me to understand. Is the other option, just keep making petrol vehicles until there is no oil (and environment) left.
I reckon the Hoover damn might just be making power long after Pennsylvania runs out of oil.
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It's good to be optimistic and generating clean energy is a plus but don't get your hopes up too high when it comes to mobile batteries. A friend of mine that owns a multi-million dollar company that manufactures battery testing equipment told me that the most advanced battery can only hold 1/25th of the energy of the same weight of gasoline. I guess if batteries get 25 times better they will be on a level playing field assuming gasoline engine research stops to wait for batteries to catch up.
