At AIMExpo, I walked over to the Zero Motorcycle pavilion in hope of learning more about electric motorcycles. There was Abe Askenazi, Zero’s chief technology officer, whom I knew from his time as an engineer at the Buell Motorcycle Company.
Askenazi told me that much of the range improvement that Zero has achieved for its vehicles has come, not from passively waiting for improved cell technology to arrive, but from accurately tailoring the battery to the specific application. Zero’s battery packs integrate cells and battery management equipment into 37-pound “boxes.” He noted that as better management and use optimization increase the capability of each box, a time comes when three boxes can do the job formerly done by four, and that means that the bike becomes 37 pounds lighter.
The second surprise was Askenazi’s account of how his attitude has changed in his four years of engineering electric power trains. “Just think of a prime mover that has just one moving part,” he said. “And then compare that with the valves and springs, connecting rods, gears, and spark plugs we grew up with. Just riding electric vehicles during this time has changed my expectations. No clutch, no gears, no shifting.”
I asked about charging systems. For the moment, until the question of DC charging points and their plug standards is resolved, an electric motorcycle must carry its own charging system, which can be plugged into AC house current. That requires a transformer for voltage conversion, and a rectifier to convert AC into the DC required for battery charging, extra weight that will no longer have to be carried when DC charging points are standardized.
I tried to move myself out of my conventional outlook and consider a different electric future. One moving part. What this suggests is close to unlimited life, modified only by battery durability. An electric motor’s torque does not depend upon having a fresh top end with a three percent leak down. An electric motor does not require a tune up or an oil- or air-filter change. All the powerplant needs that have been as accepted as death and taxes for 100 years just disappear.
Later in the afternoon my imagination took another hit, closer to my experience. This was the Alta “Red Shift” electric motocrosser presentation. This four-year development has come to a point at which it is claimed to be competitive with a combustion-powered bike and capable of completing a 30-minute moto. At $15,000, the machine is priced much higher than a conventional model, but because its powertrain requires zero maintenance, the cost difference is said to disappear at 100 hours or operation.
I thought of former AMA Supercross manager Steve Whitelock telling me about all the calls he was getting from embattled motocross dads. “Isn’t there some way we can bring back the two-strokes? You seize up and a half hour later, you’re running again. Parts cost you under a hundred bucks—good as new. But these new four-strokes? Something goes wrong, you got a tangle that’s gonna cost $3,500, maybe five grand to fix. I just don’t know how many more of them blow ups I can afford!”
How about an electric alternative? Zero blow ups. And there’s more. What is the one thing that most limits the use of off-road motorcycles? Noise. The electric lacks the exciting bark of a $7,500 custom air-flowed cylinder head, and traditionalists will certainly miss that sound. I will miss it. But without that sound, the process of land closure loses its main driving force.
How can an electric possibly compete with combustion power? An electric motor actually achieves the smooth, controllable power that engineers and tuners strive to obtain from combustion engines but can never fully achieve. With such heightened control of power delivery, the electric rider can hook up in conditions that are difficult for less-controllable combustion power.
Batteries remain expensive and range limited. Only a few riders have the wherewithal to sample this alternative right now. But just think about it. Think about what the motorcycle will become in 10 years or in 20. I’m thinking about it.
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