3DElectrike

Tugar

I've seen work on real vehicles recently that put a bug in my head. Electric motorcycles biggest enemy right now is drag. The standard upright configuration isn't ideal. So I had the notion to try my hand at something at least a bit more streamlined. It's not finished, still need a few suspension parts, battery pack, hand controls, and such. It's far enough along that I wanted to get some feedback and show it off.

The body is hinged so that part of it can slide forward for easy entry and exit.

Dr Lee

Interesting concept...:thumb:

Jenny

Interesting. But I think electric motorcycles' biggest obstacle today is the lack of truly efficient and effective batteries. When I look at this, it's interesting, but it doesn't say "motorcycle" to me.

Tugar

The newer lithium-ion batteries are an improvement. Brammo makes a motorcycle that can do 100mph and has a range in excess of 100 miles.

Jenny

Great... that won't even get you from Tucson to Phoenix. And then you have to recharge for how many hours before you can go on?

colbmista

loooks more like a gokart then a motorbike

Tugar

I could use that for a week without having to recharge it. I don't drive very far. Are you driving from Tuscon to Phoenix often? My last job I traveled about 16 miles round trip home to work to home again. 5 times a week. That's 90 miles. I would image most people don't commute 50 miles one way a day.

colbmista

Still looks like a gokart to me

Jenny

As it happens, one of my old College chums is competing in Roller Derby in Phoenix, so I go up there about once a month to watch her. What I'm really saying, though, is that electric vehicles won't catch on until they offer at least a modicum of the flexibility that internal combustion vehicles offer. And I'm sorry to be so negative about them in your thread. I love the idea of electric vehicles, I just don't think we have the battery tech to make 'em practical, yet.

Which has nothing to do with your design. Your modeling is good, and your surfacing is interesting. I'd be interested in seeing anything else you did with the concept. It still doesn't say "motorcycle" to me, but that's me... and, apparently, Colb, who thinks it looks like a go-kart. :cool:

colbmista

what he has going on is a trike not a bike as a bike is 2 wheels not 3

traq

colbmista wrote: »

what he has going on is a trike not a bike as a bike is 2 wheels not 3

he's said "motorcycle" at every turn. in fact, I didn't see the word "bike" at all until you wrote it.

Tugar: neat concept. looks very retro, though, not really "streamlined."

colbmista

motorcyle and motorbike are pretty much the same thing they both go on 2 wheels his clearly has 3

Capt Dave

Good Golly. Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean you have license to grognard about it.

As for some one that does, I would just like to say the only reason EV's aren't more popular is because all the designers keep putting dinky power packs and worthless motors that can't tote the load in them. But I have Practical EV building exp (yes Tuger, I will give you pointers if you need them when the time comes to add those things to your drawing). I've made more than one EV Dragster that humiliated a Big block so fast it's owner started kicking his car and crying.

As for range, its all a mater storage vs consumption. Last year I started work on a 64 ford econoline van that will be able to go 1500 miles between recharges. Its going to be propelled by a NetGain Warp9 electric motor and power will come from an Lithium Ion battery back made up of 6,800 3.6v 2.4ah cells. The only thing holding this wonderful road trip from Seattle to Los Angeles is the guy building the power controller array.

And I might point out that none of the vans internal space has a single battery in it. They are all contained in protected chambers down below where things like fuel tanks, drive line, and waisted space once existed.

So back onto the topic at hand.

Tuger, first. 2 wheels in front, 1 in back, else wise it will flip over every time it make a corner (see Top Gear - Reliant Robin video). Once you got that fixed I'll help you place the motor, power pack, controllers, and electrical brakes along with anything else ya want to know where it goes.

KazukiFennec

It is definitely an interesting design, reminiscent of the post-war Messerschmitt Kabinenroller, but I have to echo Capt. Dave's recommendation for a reverse-tricycle configuration. When a vehicle brakes, the vehicle's center of gravity will shift forward, which makes a conventional trike both more likely to tip to one side or the other under hard braking such as in an emergency avoidance maneuver. Additionally, because of the same weight-shift, the majority of braking load a car undergoes is on the front wheels, and twice the wheels means twice the tyre contact patch, and twice the room in said wheels for brakes assuming you're not going for inboard braking, which is better for unsprung weight but a pain in the behind to work on.

Guerrilla

colbmista wrote: »

motorcyle and motorbike are pretty much the same thing they both go on 2 wheels his clearly has 3

It's actually the 'bi' bit in bike and bicycle that designates two wheels. Motor unicycle, bicycle, tricycle and even quadricycle could all technically be shortened to motorcycle (something with motor and a number of wheels), while bike is a short for bicycle (so, two wheels). Dictionary definition is often a powered two wheel vehicle, but many include three-wheelers in some capacity.

Semantics is not the issue here though. The issue is you trolling again and everyone being sick of it.

Tugar

Yeah, I got that now. Just had it in my head and had to see what it looked like. Started on the Mark II with the front having two. It looks more stable. Being a two seat the body is a bit more tedious.

Capt Dave

So are you planing to just model this up, or are you planing to actually build it?

Dr Lee

most trike layout vehicles atm have the solo wheel at the rear... better for stability i believe...

Tugar

Capt Dave wrote: »

So are you planing to just model this up, or are you planing to actually build it?

Probably just model. If I can scrape up the cash, a decent motorcycle minus fork, and a VW front suspension, who knows?