Not actually official yet and still some way off but it's coming as we all expected. https://www.visordown.com/news/indu...tm_edition=202405141000&utm_source=newsletter The sales figures for electric bikes speak for themselves, a big uptake in small commuter, Fast Food type models but very little in the larger, "real bike" class. For nipping into town or to local work and back, electric may be a good option for some. For an evening/weekend/anytime pleasure run out into the sticks, not so good, pretty crap in fact. Replacing the noise, the vibes, the powerband, the gearbox etc with silent, twist and go smoothness with built in range anxiety just doesn't push my buttons. Let's not even mention touring holidays.
If, and it’s a big if. These battery bikes become the only option I will be giving up motorbikes. I will be 80 in 2040 which is the proposed date for this and I suspect there will be many, many second hand real bikes still available for a long time after that date. If battery cars become the only option I will buy the cheapest one around as the differences in battery cars are the same as the differences in which fridge, washing machine to buy. Driving/ riding will have nothing to interest me in either of these future means of transport.
Said it before, it's a knee jerk reaction with no real thoughts behind it. Two wheelers are responsible for half a percent of the carbon emissions of transport so a negligible difference to the numbers. More development required into biofuels. I have ridden an electric one, briefly, and there's no sense of 'connection' if you know what I mean.
My I.C.E gives me the best chance of being heard by Birds, animals and humans. It’s bad enough on a pedal cycle when all of the above dont hear u coming. Electric motorcycles on all roads outside of a wilderness and a track will = a much lower life expectancy than what is already considered lower than not riding a bike. I couldn’t give 2 hoots about electric bikes until this issue is taken seriously. I reckon I could list at least 20+ disadvantages to electric motorbikes without having to think very hard.
I will also be 80 in 2040 and intend to carry on riding as long as I'm physically capable. Once the target date has come and gone and the sale of ICE (real) engined bikes is banned, the next target will no doubt be the price and availability of petrol/diesel to put a nail in the coffin of existing machines. Bio fuels do work but are not a viable/affordable option in the quantities required IMO.
I have done approx 8,000 miles on an electric bike around London and I love it. Twist and go is great in a 20 mph city, no clutch use or gear changes from 1st to 2nd and back every 30 secs to keep within the speed limit. Go out into the country and you hear the sounds of nature when you stop at crossroads. In this time I've had 1 pedestrian step off a kerb and a couple of cyclists change lane in front of me that I didn't foresee, a denali sound bomb gave them the hint to have a look next time. I've had more on my ICE's. and 1 of them is fairly noisy. Each to their own, I had the same opinion as some of you before I rode one but it changed. I love my petrol bikes and love doing long distances on them, a challenge on EV's, although 200 miles round town ain't bad. This is not a wether they are green or not post, I know it's questionable, but a post about the ride and experience. It handles really well, low centre of gravity, goes like sh*t off a shovel if you want it to. It's definitely not a long distance tourer, around 90-100 miles on the motorway and a long top up time, not sure about A road use. I wouldn't buy one, too expensive, if I had the money as a second bike maybe and who knows what's being developed round the corner. But don't knock it til you've tried it.
I've only ridden small electric bikes, hence my agreement that they more are suited to town use but for everything else they just don't interest me. I don't care how fast, silent or easy/quick-to-charge they are, I just like the whole ICE experience of riding a motorcycle and the fact I can jump on my ZZR, ride to Scotland and back just for the hell of it (as I've done numerous times) without any worry or hassle. Not sure about the "sounds of nature when you stop at crossroads bit" wearing a helmet and especially earplugs? You can always stop for a coffee/beer/fag if you crave that. In much the same way I also like driving my 26yr old, diesel, manual SUV with various "performance tweaks" even though it gets used very little these days and really couldn't give a Tesla about swapping it for an EV.
We have a Clean Air Zone here in Sheffield but it doesn't apply to private cars or motorcycles.....yet but I'm in no doubt it will come. Taxis, vans, buses, trucks and curiously, motor homes not meeting the required Euro X emission standard (not sure what it is) all have to pay a charge or suffer a fine of £60 or £120 if not paid within 14 days.
I seem to recall the M1 near sheffield uses the variable speed limit to 50mph and the matrix boards suggest it is to reduce emissions.
So thats 0.5% of the 0.04% already present in the atmosphere... and an electric bike would emit more anyway, just not from the actual bike. For the sale of the environment? Yeah right
And just to make this electric facade really believable, then it should be enforced that all electric vehicles can ONLY be recharged from renewable energy. No wind = no go. No sun = no go. How can you use coal/gas/nuclear to charge your GREEN choice of transport and truly believe you're saving the planet? It's all a con!
And then we get into the planet's minerals devastation in order to create the impression we are sorting the atmosphere. Everything comes at a price remember! Cobalt, lithium etc are mined, quite often using DIESEL plant. Products are shipped, quite often using DIESEL powered ships or KEROSENE powered planes. All kiddology!! I do wonder what started the end of the last ICE AGE - domestic log burners I'm pretty sure they might have been a few of those, petrol cars possibly unlikely or ???? Maybe, just maybe, it could have been a natural life cycle thing
There’s a school of thought that claims we’re still coming out of the last age. Also that there were trees, grass and animal life in Antarctica at one time. We’ve a way to go yet in the global warming stakes to get back to where we were.
Electric cars and motorcycles are not for me, I have mentioned before that I fail to comprehend peoples rational behind electric vehicles, plant and machinery, as being the way forward, the extraction of the raw materials is devastating for environment of the countries that produce it, have a look at pre extraction landscapes and the position now via google maps, it is criminal, but a large amount of governments turn a "blind eye" to the devastation caused by the mining, it is on a far worse scale than the Amazon rainforest destruction. In the meantime I will personally carry on riding ICE vehicles until either they or me end up the proverbial dinosaur consigned to history.
Theres also a theory that the UK could turn arctic as there is a chance that the gulf stream could cool down.
All through the 70s, we were told that we were facing an ice age unless we changed the way we lived. Then the hole in the ozone was gonna x-ray everone. Now green is the only way. Follow the money Go buy a classic. But before you do, you may want to look at this https://www.gov.uk/government/calls...icles-converted-to-electric-call-for-evidence Again, it's the money. If you fancy a classic anything, it may be worth filling in the evidence. People with money have very expensive classics - just have a look round Goodwood. They wont have to bin theirs and they'll always be fuel available. This'll be about raising money so expect tax on the historic stuff. What fun.....
@Iron I have a Armstrong mt500 that will be 40 years old so tax and mot free from 2025, I can see it now, rules change just as I'm about to benefit. It won't be the first time though, I had a J registered (1971 ish) Range Rover for years and sold it the year before the tax free status was announced The whole green, electric, whatever, thing is a con and purely about money!
