With electric cars now in the mainstream, many feel that electric motorcycles can also make a breakthrough in the 2020s. Major brands like Kawasaki and Harley-Davidson are joining start-up electric companies like Energica and Zero in offering battery powered motorbikes, but the concept is not new. Almost 50 years ago, American engineer Mike Corbin developed his own production electric motorcycle. This is its story…

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These days, Mike Corbin’s company is better known as one of America’s biggest maker of custom motorcycle seats, but in the early 1970s he was one of the pioneers of production electric motorcycles.

“There was a terrible gasoline shortage in the early 1970s,” he said. “My company, Corbin-Gentry, was making motorcycle seats and frames. I had previously been a navy electrician, so I thought that it would make a nice offering from our company.”

Corbin’s first bike was an electric commuter bike. Called the XLP-1 ‘City Bike’, the company made and sold around 100 units between 1972 and 1974.

The fixed gear model cost $1395 (around $8000 in today’s money) with a two speed version costing an additional $1000. The three lead acid batteries held 4.7kWh of energy (less than half that of most modern electric bikes) and the machine weighed around 145kg. The bikes claimed a range of around 30-40 miles at speeds of around 30mph, with a battery life of around 6000 miles.

Corbin would also ride an electric-powered streamliner to a world record average of 165.367mph at the 1974 Bonneville Nationals. In 1973 he had become the first electric powered rider to go over 100mph on the famous salt, riding his home built ‘Magnificent Electrical Machine’ but the following year he went back with a proper streamliner built in association with battery supplier Yardney Electric, to showcase their cutting edge ‘Silvercel’ battery technology, which were more commonly found in nuclear powered submarines.

Quick Silver, as it was known, was the first electric motorcycle with the expensive high tech silver zinc batteries. It went through the speed trap at a staggering 171mph, recording a 165.387mph average for a record which stood until 2012, when new electric motorcycle manufacturer Lightning topped 218mph.

Meanwhile the XLP-1 became the first electric motorcycle to be registered on American roads, with another publicity stunt taking place in 1975 when an updated machine rode up Mount Washington twice on a single charge, as part of an ‘alternative transportation’ regatta. Charged up by a windmill and ridden by environmentalist Charles MacArthur, the Corbin-Gentry machine took 26 minutes to tackle the eight mile course, which consisted of 99 hairpin turns and an average gradient of 12%. This updated bike had a 55mph top speed and a 40 mile range, using a nickel zinc battery.

Despite the improvements, the Corbin-Gentry bikes never made it into the mainstream – largely due to the end of the oil crisis. Mike would continue to contribute to the evolution of electric vehicles. The three wheeled Corbin Sparrow bubble car appeared in the 1990s and his patented swing drive system, which places the electric motor as a structural part of the swingarm, remains in use on various electric motorcycles today.

Mike remains a fan of electric motorcycles to this day. Having owned a Zero in the past, he recently purchased an Italian Energica. “Lithium Ion batteries make electric vehicles the future,” he concludes. “Modern day electric motorcycles are wonderful. Now developing the economies of scale, and competition (from different manufacturers) will drastically improve them.”

Whether Mike’s vision turns out to be true or not, there’s no doubt that his pioneering work in the 1970s has contributed to the electric motorcycles emerging some five decades later.

Electric Motorcycles and Scooters

Electric motorcycles and scooters are vehicles with two or three wheels that use electric motors to attain locomotion.

Electric motorcycle of Zero Motorcycles
Detail: Electric motor and Lithium-Ion battery Z-Force

History

• Late 1860s: Earliest references to electric motorcycles can be found in patents.
• 1911: Electric motorcycle available according to early Popular Mechanics article.
• 1920s: Ransomes, current makers of forklifts, explored the use of an electric powered motorcycle. This and other developments helped pave the way for the company to use electric mining cars and lorreys.
• Early 1940s: Fuel rationing in United States caused Earle Williams to convert a motorcycle to electric power. This became the basis for the formation of the ParCar from the Marketeer Company.
• 1941: Fuel rationing in Occupied Europe encouraged an Austrian company by the name of Socovel to create a small electric motorcycle. Approximately 400 were manufactured.
• 1967: First Fuel Cell powered electric motorcycle created by Karl Kordesch at Union Carbide debuts. Demonstrated the feasibility of fuel cells as a power source. This particular fuel cell was an alkili fuel cell that operated with hydrazine, a rocket fuel propellant.
• 1967: "Papoose" moped sized electric motorcycle prototype is created by Indian Motocycle Company under the direction of Floyd Clymer.
• Early 1970s: Aurenthetic Charger moped sized mini bike (small motorcycle) sold.
• 1973: Mike Corbin sets first electric motorcycle land speed record of 101 mph.
• 1974: Corbin-Gentry Inc. begins sale of street legal electric motorcycles.
• Professor Charles E. MacArthur makes first electric vehicle ascent on Mt. Washington, NH using a Corbin Electric motorcycle. The event evolved into an annual rally called the "Mt Washington Alternative Vehicle Regatta".
• 1978: Electric Harley Davidson MK2 created by Transitron manufactured in Honolulu, Hawaii.
• 1988: Eyeball Engineering creates KawaSHOCKi electric dragbike and is featured in a major magazine.
• 1996: Peugeot Scoot'Elec released, first mass production of an electric motorbike.
• Late 1990s: EMB Lectra VR24 electric motorbike created by Scott Cronk and EMB. Pioneered the use of variable reluctance motors (hence the VR) and marketed as street legal.
• 2000: Killacycle makes record run of 152 mph (245 km/h) at 9.4 s quarter mile (400-metre) time at Woodburn Drags 2000, OR.
• 2007: A123 Li-Ion cell-powered Killacycle makes new quarter mile (400-metre) record of 7.824 seconds and 168 mph (270 km/h) in Phoenix, AZ at AHDRA 2007.

 Here is a terrific video by Steve Ciciora at Bandimere in Phoenix, AZ.

(You can go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbi1RhgRrxk if the above link doesn’t load)

• 2008: Electra Green made by Orlando Tony Parker in Omaha,Nebraska. The first electric motorcycle made in the state of Nebraska.
• 2009: History is made in San Jose, California, when Zero Motorcycles hosts "The 24 Hours of Electricross", an all electric dirtbike race.
• The first TTXGP (Time Trial Xtreme Grand Prix) all electric street motorcycle race takes place on the Isle of Man.

The development of lithium-ion batteries and powerful electric motors (originally for military applications) made mainstream electric motorcycles more feasible in the 2000s.

Power source

Generally, the source of power for the electric motor has been batteries, but development in fuel cell technology has created several prototypes. Some examples are: the ENV from Intelligent Energy, Honda's scooter using the Honda FC Stack, and the Yamaha FC-AQEL. Also, petroleum hybrid-electric motorcycles are under development. Some examples are the Ecycle, and Yamaha's Gen-RYU.

Advantages and disadvantages

Electric motorcycles and scooters are rising in popularity because of higher gasoline prices. Battery technology is gradually improving making this form of transportation more practical.

Advantages of electric over gasoline power:

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1. The fuel costs for electric power are approximately 25% the cost of gasoline power (US, mid-2008)
2. Nearly silent
3. The Libert-E Xero has removable lithium ion batteries that can be charged using any 120v outlet
4. Environmental friendly (no exhausted gases at point of use)
5. Carbon tax and vehicle registration tax exemption in some countries
6. No parking/congestion charges in some countries
7. No road tax in some countries
8. Using grid power to charge batteries causes less pollution than gasoline scooters; the amount of emissions and residues caused depends on the sources of the electricity used.
9. No trips needed to a gas station—can be recharged at home or in charging stations. But charging or battery swapping in service stations, when needed, are faster.
10. It can be used in a V2G system.
11. Lower maintenance costs and fewer maintenance activities.
12. Can be ridden indoors.
13. More affordable than electric cars.
14. Many models dispense with a transmission or the need to shift gears, simplifying operation

Disadvantages:

1. Up front costs are higher than for a comparable gasoline powered motorcycle or scooter.
2. Shorter range before recharging.
3. Longer "fill up" or recharge time.
4. Lower maximum speed at similar price points.
5. Electric power outlets are often not conveniently located near streets or driveways. It is often difficult or impossible to bring the battery into an apartment, for example, for recharging.
6. Battery capacity can be as low as 20% on a cold winter day with -20 °C (lead battery)
7. As it is already difficult for motorcycles to be "noticed" by drivers of cars and trucks, the loss of characteristic engine noise might make riding these even more dangerous than their internal combustion engine powered counterparts.

 

T

ypes of scooters

A scooter is a type of motorcycle with a step-through frame and usually with smaller wheels designed for urban transportation.

Scooters are divided into categories as per the particular niche that they are designed to operate in and speed requirements:

• Two-wheeled Vespa-styled scooters 0-60 mph (0–100 km/h)
• Two-wheeled Stand-up scooters (like a kick scooter) 0-25 mph (0–40 km/h)
• Two-wheeled, side-by-side stand-up scooters like manufactured by Segway PT 0-12 mph (0–20 km/h)
• Two-wheeled Seated scooters 0-25 mph (0–40 km/h)
• Three-wheeled standup scooters like manufactured by Zap 0-15 mph (0–25 km/h)
• Three- and four-wheeled Mobility scooter (disability riders) 0-10 mph (0–15 km/h)
• Three- and four-wheeled Seated scooters/golf carts 0-25 mph (0–40 km/h)

E-max electric scooter
Stylish Eped City, Epeds Uk Ltd

Electric motorcycle or electric bicycle

Two-wheeled motorcycles are generally differentiated from electric bicycles and mopeds (motorized pedal cycles) by speed, with motorcycles having greater speeds—usually greater than 30 mph (about 50 km/h). Although, this line for what constitutes a 2 wheeled motorcycle has blurred due to marketing, styling, and public opinion.

Electric motorcycle "Electrocat"

Certain models of electric bicycle take the form of scooters or small motorcycles, comprising of the standard features of common e-bikes, but with plastic or metal cladding, lighting systems; such as indicators and brake lights, and speedometers. They are however, classed as electric bicycles in most areas.

3-wheeled motorcycles

Due to vagueness in motor vehicle laws, any three-wheeled vehicle that can travel over 31 mph (50 km/h) may be classified as a motorcycle. This classification does not depend on whether the operator is fully enclosed by a "cage" or exposed to the elements. Several automotive startup companies made their initial designs three wheeled vehicles, because the motorcycle classification does not require the same costly battery of crash safety testing as a four wheeled vehicle.

For design purposes, three wheeled vehicles are divided into 2 categories:

• 1 wheel in front and 2 in back, known as a delta design or the traditional trike (tricycle) design
• 2 wheels in front and 1 in back, known as a tadpole design.

Some three wheeled motorcycles enclose the rider in a "cabin" or cockpit. These include the Twike, Myers Motors NmG.

Some three wheeled motorcycles have independent suspension allowing the vehicle to tilt or lean, such as the Carver one.

 

Some information extracted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of Use for details.
 

 

 

 

 

 

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