If you could get something in the same price range of a gasoline bike, that looked about the same, and had the same performance, would you switch?Or is the noise an important part of your riding experience?If the performance was not quite as good, or driving distance not quite as far, would you still be interested? Would the price have to be much cheaper to get you to switch?Thanks in advance for all your answers
Yes, for sure. Taking off from the lights sounding like a lawnmower on crack is kind of cool I guess but a bit childish. Taking off from the lights like a bat out of hell making no noise at all would be cooler. If I was looking for a bike just to commute less than 100km/day (I do 50), I'd get the Zero today if it cost the same as a gas bike. But for road trips, the range is a big issue. Riding for 2 hours then being stranded in the mountains doesn't really appeal.
*IF* If all the trees were all one tree what a big tree it would be. Wish in one hand and shirt in the other hand and see which fills up first. I have had breakfast in Los Angeles, rode my motorcycle and arrived in Holbrook AZ, 570 miles away, in time for dinner. There is not an electrical or fuel cell motorcycle capable of that, at any cost. The Zero can only do about 65 mph, less than 60 miles. Then it needs a 2-4 hour recharge. On a trip I could easily beat that riding a Vespa 150. Fuel Cell vehicles require compressed hydrogen. You cannot get compressed hydrogen on the Interstate, and no plans in for at least a decade. I will be dead of old age before I will be able to get a electric or fuel cell motorcycle.
If all costs are the same, performance doesn't suffer and the bike gives me the kind of ride I'm looking for, then i don't care what the power plant is. I like my bikes quiet. After I've passed through town, no one should have noticed me for noise. People usually comment on my Hi Viz jacket though. Bikes should be quiet. It makes for a wonderful long day in the saddle and is much less tiring than listening to your exhaust all day long.
To me, the largest issue is range, as I enjoy longer rides, and it would be a MAJOR inconvenience to need a lengthy stop to recharge. When that issue is solved, I'm sure that once E-bikes hit the 80% threshold, I'd buy one. By that, I mean either 80% of the performance of a conventional motorcycle for the same price; or the same performance where the conventional bike would be 80% of the cost of the equivalent E-bike. I'm not convinced that fuel-cell bikes are really in our future. As an aside, I recently took a demo ride on an E-bicycle, and although it was very impressive, the price was too high to me--but they are currently sold with a VERY large profit margin. That will change when they become more of a commodity.
I don't care about noise, but I do care about distance and reliability. When I was working, my daily commute was 80 miles round trip, and no place to plug in or recharge an electric vehicle on the job site. If I ride into the city for the day, it's a 100 mile round trip. When I ride for pleasure, I typically run 400-500 miles in a day. What I want to see is a vehicle that can go 300 miles between fuel/recharge stops and be able to fully recharge or refuel in 15 minutes or less. So far I haven't seen ANY battery powered or alternative fuel vehicle that can accommodate my lifestyle. My BMW K1200LT gets 50 MPG and can go 300 miles between fuel stops. If I want to hear engine noises, I have to turn down the volume on the stereo. I think I'll keep it for a while.
