As you would expect, with only one month to go before the TTXGP Clean Emission Grand Prix race on June 12th, we’re starting to see video teasers of one sort or another with bikes flying by at race speeds or rounding a turn.
None of these videos shows us a lot but every one is interesting, especially for the whoosh of air and whine of the motor as the bike passes by, quieter than a conventional engine but not silent by any means. All of those concerned about silent electric bikes causing a safety issue for pedestrians can relax.
This race has the potential to change some minds about electric bikes, the videos show fairly conventional appearing motorcycles powered by electric motors running on a track, the performance part of the equation looks to be well in hand. The other two factors, range and recharge time, are improving constantly.
Videos below:
The TTX01 in the first video was down about 30 percent on power due to some battery damage but it still seemed to run pretty well. The music hides the sound a bit but you get a good sense of how different it is from an internal combustion engine
Here’s the Brammo Enertia TTR, very short video but the silent approach followed by the whine and whoosh as it speeds by is interesting.
Here’s another Brammo Enertia TTR video with the bike rounding a turn. Again, a short video but interesting for the sound produced.
Link: TTXGP
james sweeny says
Electric motorcycle racing has potential for big city street racing competitions considering there is less noise pollution to worry about.
Todd Vierling says
Yes, the sound is quite interesting, and quite reminiscent of the dubbed noise “produced” by a car with artificial intelligence, featured in a certain 1980s television show. By coincidence, during the same time period, the short-lived “Street Hawk” featured a souped up motorcycle — with much more conventional noises.
We now conclude this crash course (no pun intended) on cheesy action television series. (Though I wonder how well modern helmets filter a whine that is so high pitched, or if the sound disperses enough to the rear that the rider isn’t assaulted by it.)
Kevin Schugar says
Working next door to a Toyota dealer, and having all the bluehairs doing 17 point turn arounds in my parking lot all day, I can tell you without a doubt that the missing engine noise will result in pedestrian deaths. I am not a “loud pipes save lives” guy, but you literally cant hear anything from the battery powered rigs at under 20mph. On a small bike, you will be invisible, sight and sound.
hoyt says
that warmed-over background music is awful (“yeah, dub that in…”)
rafe03 says
Maybe a clothes pin & a card in the spokes would help! As a pedestrian, I’ve already been “surprised” by an electric bicycle. Scary!
Mike says
Very intresting. It will be intriging too see how the battery and technology changes will affect our everyday bikes.
Pete P. says
I almost walked into a moving Prius the other day. You don’t realise how much you depend on audible cues until they are gone.
coho says
Of the children growing up now, the ones who both look AND listen for potentially dangerous things in their environment will survive long enough to reproduce. The ones who only listen will not.
Electric motors, improving the human species since 2009.
Hawk says
As a short distance racer or commuter, I can see the potential in electrics. Yes, the lack of noise is going to present problems, even on a track, because you can’t judge where the other bike is. With the IOM staggered starting system, this will be greatly reduced, however.
As a commuter bike, primarily ridden in traffic, our problems will switch from the “blind cagers” to the “blind pedestrians.” Perhaps a small noisemaker, similar to a “reverse alarm” will be needed ….. or perhaps a 136Db Stebel horn to promote business at the corner laundromat.
Until we can figure out how to give an electric bike a 300 mile charge in 5 minutes, it will never take the place of a weekend cruiser, however. Nor can we forget (“Greenies” take note) where the electric power comes from. If it is from anything other than solar, wind, hydro or nuclear – we’ve dumped pollution somewhere to generate it. A few E-vehicles plugged in before dinner is no big deal …. but a few million will require a massive upgrade to the whole power grid.
I only hope that Speed Channel get the rights to showing the TTXGP. For the past few years, the coverage of the IOMTT has been sadly lacking … at least in Canada, eh?
FREEMAN says
FYI that first video “has been removed by the user.”
FREEMAN says
I always love hearing the same negative comments/monologues on electrics everytime they’re posted (I-can’t-hear-it-so-I’ll-run-into-or-get-hit-by-it; I’m-impatient-and-can’t-wait-for-it-to-recharge; it’s-still-dirty-power-landfills-hug-trees-and-get-my-crystals-I’m-a-wiccan!).
Jeezus.
kneeslider says
FREEMAN, updated video now posted. They cut the music during the ride by, much better. Thanks for the heads up.
Bluvida says
The lack of noise of electric vehicles is an easy fix .Get enough electrics on the road,(and a couple of influential folks run over),and a certain volume will be required by law.There might even develop a market for downloadable run tones.
james sweeny says
They’ve already figured out how to recharge the batteries in 5 minutes, swop out the entire battery pack. Of course it would mean conformity from all the manufacturers and the scope of recharge (gas) stations is enormous but the potential is there if money can be made.
Glad to see no “explosions on impact- deathtrap” comments.
As far as the pedestrians getting hit comments, it boils down to personal responsibility that the human race can’t seem to get over. If pedestrians are crossing a road they need to check that it is safe to do so. Saying they didn’t hear the electric motorcycle is like a cager saying they didn’t see the gas motorcycle. Until stupidity and failure to pay attention becomes a criminal act motorcyclists will always be at risk.
Matt Fisher says
For the street, just tape some playing cards to the fork legs- there’s the sound so many of us enjoyed as kids.
For dirtbikes, the lack of noise will be nothing short of a Godsend, drastically decreasing the number of riding areas shut down.
Don says
IMO, the concern over “too quite” is simply a case of “it ain’t what we’re used to.” Given enough quiet vehicles on the track or road, adjustments will be made.
Case in point, bicycle racers race in close packs, in circuits, down hills at fast speeds, etc… without any engine noise. They have for years. No cards in the spokes required.
Electric/hybrid cars have had the same “concern” which has proved to be a non-issue. In the end, it’s the driver of the vehicle that must watch for pedestrians and other vehicles, and pedestrians and other drivers must watch, also. Gosh, with all the concern over bikes (and cars) being too quiet you’d think it’d be illegal for a deaf person to drive on city streets (which it ain’t.) I wonder how many of you motorcyclists ride with ear plugs. (I do.)
No “easy fix” is needed. Let ’em be quiet. We have way too much noise already.
brian te koeti says
in another few years the electric bike will be at the forefront of new transport technology.Specs are low and unimpressive at the moment but check out the first combustion engine bikes we”re already ahead of that game
hoyt says
Freeman – if electrics are going to rule the road to the tune of millions of vehicles (2 & 4 wheel), then great. Asking questions about the grid and infrastructure to support this radical switch is not necessarily against this progress.
What is the current life span of these batteries? what is the manufacturer’s goal for the batteries’ life span now, 5 yrs, 10 yrs, etc. from now? How much of the batteries content is recyclable? If we’re gonna go electric, those are valid questions to ask now & it does not mean the person is against the progress.
on a side note (but somewhat related)…I checked out a cordless, electric lawn mower the other day from Workx brand. It has a slick design in which you move one lever to remove the battery so you can bring it in out of the cold shed and keep it charged. The simplicity in the design is fantastic.
Long lasting batteries that have approximate uniform size for a given application would be interesting (i.e. swap out motorcycle batteries from various brands with the same level of ease would be something else)
FREEMAN says
@ hoyt: All I’m saying is this constant barrage of negative comments that almost always surface from the mere mention of anything that is electric/hybrid/alternative fuel/”green” are all superficial in reality. I mean, come on. What kind of power is your house running on right now? More than likely: from the power plant. And suddenly it’s the burden of those that choose to think outside ICE and convention means to suddenly erect wind farms or construct hydroelectric dams just to prove the point that their product is “greener”? When in reality it’s YOU sucking down the sweet juice of fossil fuel generated power and driving ICE vehicles and sitting in line at the gas station like everybody else. So all I’m saying is this to the general public: get over yourself and do something about it rather than make it the burden of those who try.
JimmyR says
Most of the sound you hear from moving cars is not the engine but the tyres. I imagine that tyre noise would be an issue with street bikes as well, although obviously when I ride my Evo-powered Harley you don’t hear too much tyre-noise! I would guess that slicks don’t make as much sound as road tyres so maybe when electric bikes come around the tyre noise will be enough? At low speeds it might be an issue, but at road speeds I’m sure you will hear them (us?).
Bizarre that people are worried about not enough noise coming from a bike! Who would have thought?? You can’t please some people!
Kenny says
The reason that electric or whatever alternative are starting to come main stream is not simply because of green camapigners and hippies sceaming about the dirty ICE, they’ve been ranting the same arguements for the last 30 odd years, it’s really just simple economics. The bottom line is we’re reaching a point where petrol will become just too expensive for public consumption. Its not a matter of running out, it’s just a cost of extraction and distribution versus potential profit ratio.
For example, the price of petrol here in Ireland recently spiked to about 1.30 euros a litre, about 6.75 dollars a gallon. I think that it really scared people cause i’m seeing less big SUV’s on the road and only about six 2009 model cars. Electrics are one of the potential ways forward and personnally i’m all for it.
Gildas says
I ride a bike, with pedals, from 1000 to 2000km per month at an average speed of 35km/h… That is about of the average speed you commute on a motorbike in urban settings in Europe. I have only hit a pedestrian once, but he was competing for the Darwin award running in traffic… And I make far far less noise than any of these bikes, present a smaller frontal visible area. I usually overtake motorbikes on my commute, without breaking any road rules.
How do I avoid pedestrian?
Assume that every last one of them is A)deaf B)blind C)drunk. I just open my eyes, and only go fast when I can go fast (yeah the limit here in town is 50 or 30, I can hit 70). No need for a the sound of a free exhaust GT40 to be able to drive safe. Dumb idea.
mxs says
The whiners about these bikes being too quiet on the road, don’t you have bicycles around on the road. They are slower, but so what. Do you run them over too, because they are quiet.
I just wish the race was televised somewhere ….
Lewellyn says
In the near future, there will be download-portals for motor-sounds.
Today the KTM-Supermoto with Akrapovic, tomorrow the Moto-GP Yamaha. $ 2,99 only. 😉
Peter says
Considering the sound of the bike on the track I don’t think lack of noise is going to be a problem at speed. If anything they are going to have to do something about it. Those high pitched frequency’s are nasty. Can you imagine driving next to that on the highway?
A pack of those bikes on the track is going to make a hell of a lot of noise. It reminds me of a jet, which makes sense as a lot of the noise from a jet is the turbine which spins at nutty RPM as well. If anything there is going to be a real effort to eliminate aerodynamic noise and drive train noise. This effort could really change the way bikes are designed. The whole noise topic is probably going to be one of the most interesting topics.
Peter says
I also think the fact that they were able to use a GSXR rolling chassis and retrofit the electric bits in is possibly the most significant thing they’ve achieved. Got a bike in good shape but the engine is tired? Swap in an electric kit…