Electric Super Motard
The Electric Motard from Electric Motorsport is a 48v, 4 battery system. Mine has the 750 Amp controller and lead acid batteries.
The conversion of the frame was done very well. Two batteries are under the seat and two sitting crosswise above the Etec motor.
I have been riding the bike for a few months now and I have learned a few things. This is my first real electric vehicle. I, like many people, didn’t quite know what to expect when the bike was delivered.
According to the website, the bike has a range of 20 miles and a top speed of 45 MPH.
I am not sure how they do their range calculations. I do know that under real world conditions I get about half that. So I weigh just under 200 pounds, and during my testing, about have the distance was averaging 40MPH. Top speed is truly 45 for me. I have never really timed the charging time, I just let it charge over night.
I would imagine if I weighed less or if my riding was a little more conservative, I could squeek a few more miles out of the batteries. But my normal commute does not push my range limit.
One random thing I noticed with the lead acid batteries is they like to work. The charger is always plugged into the bike when it is in the garage. But over the winter, during the rainy season, the bike sat for a few weeks. The first time I took it out, my range was below normal. After I rode it and recharged it everything was back to normal.
Having no clutch or gears takes a little getting used to. Plus the rapid throttle response can surprise you every once in a while.
I have never tried a vehicle with the lithium batteries. So i can’t speak to their performance. My next electric vehicle will most likely have that technology though.
So if you are looking to electric vehicles for your needs, be careful of the real ratings compared to the published ones. At this point in time I am assuming all listed ranges are really about half that under real use. The last thing I want to do is get a mile from home and run out of juice.
