Zero motorcycle: Review by Wired magazine

[Poper]

I noticed the bike is fitted with LiPo (Lithium-Polymer) batteries.  They make really nasty fires when punctured and are recommended to be charged in fire proof containers.

LiPo's are incredibly light for the amount of power they produce, but they are also quite dangerous.  I recon there's nothing quite like having a chemical fire between your legs on the freeway, though.

Poper

Not LiPo, Li:FePO4, which, while containing a flammable electrolyte solvent, don't have a thermal runaway problem that plagues Li:Po, as the internal resistance is low enough (which is why they are used in high peak power applications like this ).  The overall quantity of electrolyte is small, less than a gallon, divided into many cells, and is no more flammable than gasoline.  The fire problem is due more to lithium metal and thermal runaway, and the nano-phosphate cells nearly eliminate the latter, and make the former much safer.

I think there may be a little confusion here.
I was responding to:

As batteries get better these bikes can make sense in urban areas. My neighbor and sometime lawyer went off on a tangent and stayed there. Not satisfied with his Norton museum he built at his farm he then built an electric motorcycle. It got better every year as better batteries became available. Greater problem than batteries, finding controllers that would handle the load and not die in the heat was tough. Put back to its season one streamliner config and de-tuned I'm sure it would greatly better the current claimed 80 mile range.

 Local university got involved, really cool adventure in the end.

http://motoelectra.com/

Posted by French G.

From the Motoelectra.com article: 

The Moto Electra was originally built in Brian Richardson’s sheep barn in Blue Grass, Virginia. It is powered by an electric motor and lithium-polymer batteries, which results in zero emissions. On average, the street range of the bike is 80 miles.

Therefore my comments regarding Li-Po batteries.

I hope this is helpful clearing that apparent misunderstanding up.

Poper

[birdman]

Ah, yeah, that clears it up.  Thanks!  LiPo is BAD for peak load -manned- or expensive apps...yes, they have higher energy density than just about anything else, BUT they are the most fragile/dangerous of the lithium chemistries for secondary batteries.

[Hawkmoon]

Honda sells the cbr 250 here

I didn't know that. Not bad -- 77 MPG with a 3.4 gallon tank, so the range is (realistically) somewhere north of 200 miles. That's not too shabby. How big is the frame? A long time ago I had a CB350 twin. It was a good bike for when I lived in a city, but my 6'-2" frame looked a bit out of proportion when I was riding it.

[MillCreek]

I am still a fan of the Suzuki TU250, which takes me back to the UJM of my youth: http://www.suzukicycles.com/Product%20Lines/Cycles/Products/TU250X/2013/TU250X.aspx

[French G.]

Everybody rags on 250s as being too small, girl's bikes etc. Chances are that 2% of the people that sit on them have a prayer of riding the bike to its limits. Meanwhile they derp along on their 1100s and the tits are still on the side of the tire when it's worn out.

[Fitz]

The older I get the more I appreciate ethe joy of riding a small bike fast

[MillCreek]

Everybody rags on 250s as being too small, girl's bikes etc. Chances are that 2% of the people that sit on them have a prayer of riding the bike to its limits.

The way I see it, a 250 goes more than fast enough to kill me if I am not paying attention.

[White Horseradish]

Everybody rags on 250s as being too small, girl's bikes etc. Chances are that 2% of the people that sit on them have a prayer of riding the bike to its limits. Meanwhile they derp along on their 1100s and the tits are still on the side of the tire when it's worn out.

I'm pretty sure I am not ace enough for my 400, but I still want a bigger bike because of the highway commute. It gets seriously buzzy around 60.

[Gewehr98]

Meanwhile they derp along on their 1100s and the tits are still on the side of the tire when it's worn out.

Not true.  My Shovelhead is a 1200, and the tits are still there because I don't feel like dragging my pegs in the twisties.   

[French G.]

I was referring to the sportbike set. I don't really want to see a Harley going that fast in a turn.  Except when I'm commuting, warm weather I regularly get stuck behind a chrome procession going through the mountains. Exceptions to every rule, kinda like this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nrMQ3QwyPo

[Gewehr98]

I plan to ride The Tail of the Dragon someday, fear not...  

[Hawkmoon]

I was referring to the sportbike set. I don't really want to see a Harley going that fast in a turn.  Except when I'm commuting, warm weather I regularly get stuck behind a chrome procession going through the mountains. Exceptions to every rule, kinda like this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nrMQ3QwyPo

I am absolutely certain I have never seen a Gold Wing thrown around quite like that.

Anybody ever ride the Bear Tooth Highway in Montana/Wyoming? I crossed it in a Jeep Cherokee -- it would be superlative on a nice 2-wheeler.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeLacUYb-DI

The descent from the top down into Cook City is spectacular:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf1tP-haMhg

[French G.]

No thanks Hawk. I've been on that road once, stayed in Cook City some 20 years ago. I wanted a parachute just riding in a car. Look up a ravine and see a 40 year old car wreck because no one can recover it.