Modern Vespa

This thing looks bad ass.

I rode a ZERO electric bike earlier on this year and that's it basically.

Bill X

If you mean they are both electric bikes with 2 wheels, well that is a fact.

But if you mean they are the same, not a fact - totally different classes of bikes.

The Zero advertises 77 mph top speed and 76 mile top range, with 28 hp and 42 torque. Not bad, but not in the Empulse class.

The Empulse advertises 105 mph, 120 miles and 54 hp and 66 torque. A totally different experience.

The exciting thing is where electrics are going, though i think it will still be a while before they are much more than expensive toys. Not unlike the bikes most of us ride, I guess.

No, I'm not saying they are the same , I'm just saying I rode one.

Weird not having any noise to gauge any revs and even weirder not having any gears to engine brake and power out of corners.

Until they cost the same as internal combustion bikes they will always be an expensive novelty and lets face it we're not going to run out of fossil fuels in a long time.

Bill xx

Still hampered by the re-charge time.

From http://www.brammo.com/empulse_specifications/
Range = 56 miles at 70 mph (0.8 hours)
Level II recharge = 3.5 hours.
So to ride 56 miles it would take 0.8hrs + 3.5hrs or approx 4:20 hh:mm
That works out to 13 mph.
(I know. I am mathematically challenged).

It could be OK at a town/commute bike < 60 miles each way, then charge overnight. Maybe.

We saw a electric bike at our "dealer" the other day. 5k and it doesn't even do 40. They have a long way to go IMHO.

Here's one that looks like it might have some potential. The Voxan from France.

"Underneath the shell is a 12.8 kWh battery pack supplying power to a 200hp electric motor. With 147 lb.-ft. of torque delivered to the rear wheel via a toothed belt, Voxan claims a blistering 0-100 mph time just under six seconds. Maximum range is a claimed 180 km, or about 110 miles. More importantly, the battery pack is designed to reach 80 percent of max charge in as little as 30 minutes using the Euro-standard COMBO II charger system."
http://www.dealernews.com/dealernews/article/voxan-launches-premium-electric-motorcycle
Biggest problem I see is that it weighs 770 lbs. That's a heavy bike.
I can only imagine the sensation of riding at 100 mph with no engine noise. That would be downright eerie.