Any love for electric motorcycles | GTAMotorcycle.com

Any love for electric motorcycles

T

thearchiteck

Member
Howdy GTA riding community!

I grew up riding dirt bikes at the cottage and on trails but never had a motorcycle licence up until a month ago! I live in the city and currently ride an electric bike on my daily commute.


Last year I started a small side project customizing electric bikes to model them after 70s era Honda CBs. Here's a link to the website we made to show off the bike. http://ampedelectricbikes.com/ These bikes are great for inner city riding but since the base model is based off of an "ebike" I'm not really sure what the process would be like to get it registered/legal or if it's even possible. I know there are plenty of ebike haters out there (I get it and agree on most points) but get with the times, electric powered vehicles are really fun to ride and work on.


Since getting my license I have been obsessed with trying to develop a road worthy, highway speed capable electric motorcycle. I have since come to the solution of using a donor motorcycle frame or rolling chassis and to build from the frame out. I'm in the process of gather parts for this build now.


My knowledge is rooted in the electric motors, battery technology and design. I'm am currently looking for someone to help me develop the rolling chassis and to assist with the process of getting the bike safety inspected and registered.


Please feel free to contact me with any questions, suggestions or to talk more about the project. If you know anyone who might be interested, please feel free to pass this message on.

Thanks! See you in the threads or on the road!
 
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I tried sending a PM through your website, but it didn't work.
Where can I see one and talk more about this ?
 
I hope you know theres already road worthy highway speed capable electric motorcycles already on the market...right?

Google Zero Motorcycles.
 
PrivatePilot said:
I hope you know theres already road worthy highway speed capable electric motorcycles...
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Of course, Zero Motorcycles and some other brands are doing some really amazing work, I hope the bikes I build can achieve similar performance and styling to some of their latest models. Unfortunately to get a production electric bike in Canada you're looking at $15K+ for any bike with a range worth the investment. Yes, there are used electric bikes out there too but the range on the older builds is a deal breaker.

I know I can build a bike with the same capabilities and potentially even better range, sourcing parts and doing the work myself. I also enjoy the process of the build, if I understand each and every component that goes into the bike, then I can do my own maintenance and improvements. With the electric motor and battery performance improving in leaps each year it will be easier to adapt with the technology.

Thanks for the heads-up, I'm sure more big players will come to market with electric solutions in the near future but for now they are just a little too pricey for me.
 
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There's a seperate classification for e-bikes and electric motorcycles, and you seem to be straddling the two.

E-bikes are intended to be used as bicycles that happen to have some power assist (though the regulations miss the mark, by letting them be operated without pedaling). They're restricted to 500W, 32km/h on motor alone, and 120kg but no license, helmet, or permit is required.

Further, the city of Toronto distinguishes e-bikes between pedal-assist, or pedelec, and regular e-bikes in terms of who is allowed to use bike lanes. This makes up somewhat for the shortcoming in the e-bike regulation I mentioned above.

The other category is electric motorcycles, which can be as fast and powerful as the market will bear, but require a license, helmet, and permit.

The website you linked to vaunts the benefits of e-bikes, and you talk about using existing e-bikes as a platform, but then talk about making them highway capable, where bicycles aren't allowed.

Seems to me you need to figure out which legislative framework you want to work in.
 
fastar1 said:
There's a seperate classification for e-bikes and electric motorcycles, and you seem to be straddling the two. ...Seems to me you need to figure out which legislative framework you want to work in.
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You are absolutely right, the electric bike was a fun project that inspired and lead me to wanting to build the electric motorcycle. The motorcycle will be built using an existing motorcycle frame and motorcycle parts, for the purpose of being registered as a motorcycle.
 
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thearchiteck said:
You are absolutely right, the electric bike was a fun project that inspired and lead me to wanting to build the electric motorcycle. The motorcycle will be built using an existing motorcycle frame and mostly motorcycle parts, for the purpose of being registered as a motorcycle.
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Ah, I get it. Your website still says "no insurance, no license", is that for your first project then? Can't tell from the photos but it looks like a full motorcycle.
 
fastar1 said:
Ah, I get it. Your website still says "no insurance, no license", is that for your first project then? Can't tell from the photos but it looks like a full motorcycle.
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Yes, that website is a showcase of the first "electric bike" we worked on that complies with ebike laws.

I'm hoping to get a hold of a Honda CB frame or project bike to use as the base for the electric motorcycle and probably keep the styling similar.
 
thearchiteck said:
Yes, that website is a showcase of the first "electric bike" we worked on that complies with ebike laws.
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Can't tell from the photos flashing on the website, but does it have pedals?

If not, it's not going to be no-insurance/no-licence legal here in Ontario.

And it looks very fit and finished, nice..but does it use an existing motorcycle retrofitted with an electric drivetrain?
 
e-bikes have removed many of the things that make riding pleasurable and skillfull

and being pretty much invisible to motorists is a safety concern, add silent to that and you're got a real problem

but as an engineering project I wish you luck OP
 
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Roadghost said:
Sure, I love 'em. Just not enough to spend $20,000 on a bike that barely goes 100miles at a time.
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I guess it depends on what you're using it for. I'm certainly a proponent for all things electric (look at my EV thread here), but for MY type of riding, it's not going to be realistic as I sometimes ride 500-800+KM in a day.

On the flip side, for someone using it just in the city to get to/from work as a local commuting type thing, it would be very practical.

Unfortunately the high cost vs traditional gas powered motorcycles makes any money savings moot in short order. The same is not said for an EV, but for the drastically lower usage motorcycle market, it's not there.

It is still interesting, but not suited for my needs. I can see how lots of others would be into it though - look at the eBike market, as mentioned.
 
The general distaste for the ebike community has little to nothing to do with the machines themselves. It's the careless, uneducated, uninsured operators that mess it up, and the government which enables them. Riding wherever, however they want. Hitting people, damaging property, riding on sidewalks etc, with zero accountability. The ebike is the go-to for repeat convicted drunk drivers, for people who can't pass license exams, and for people who've previously had enough accidents that they can't get insurance anymore.

They desperately need to be moved into the low-speed motorcycle category, so that a minimum ML license is required, as well as plates and insurance.
 
JTR said:
The general distaste for the ebike community has little to nothing to do with the machines themselves. It's the careless, uneducated, uninsured operators that mess it up, and the government which enables them. Riding wherever, however they want. Hitting people, damaging property, riding on sidewalks etc, with zero accountability. The ebike is the go-to for repeat convicted drunk drivers, for people who can't pass license exams, and for people who've previously had enough accidents that they can't get insurance anymore.

They desperately need to be moved into the low-speed motorcycle category, so that a minimum ML license is required, as well as plates and insurance.
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Agree 110% on all the above.
 
JTR said:
The general distaste for the ebike community has little to nothing to do with the machines themselves. It's the careless, uneducated, uninsured operators that mess it up, and the government which enables them. Riding wherever, however they want. Hitting people, damaging property, riding on sidewalks etc, with zero accountability. The ebike is the go-to for repeat convicted drunk drivers, for people who can't pass license exams, and for people who've previously had enough accidents that they can't get insurance anymore.

They desperately need to be moved into the low-speed motorcycle category, so that a minimum ML license is required, as well as plates and insurance.
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It's easier than that, the definition of e-bikes just has to require that they can only be propelled by pedal movement. Once you make the lazy, clueless, alcoholic crowd pedal their vehicles, they'll stop and use their welfare cheque to hop in a cab instead. And then people who would legitimately benefit from an e-bike for commuting or whatever could do so without the e-bike stigma attached.
 
Hamilton E-bikes.... sigh

[video=youtube;5lGB2GUZlF0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lGB2GUZlF0&t=71s[/video]
 
thearchiteck said:
Of course, Zero Motorcycles and some other brands are doing some really amazing work, I hope the bikes I build can achieve similar performance and styling to some of their latest models. Unfortunately to get a production electric bike in Canada you're looking at $15K+ for any bike with a range worth the investment. Yes, there are used electric bikes out there too but the range on the older builds is a deal breaker.

I know I can build a bike with the same capabilities and potentially even better range, sourcing parts and doing the work myself. I also enjoy the process of the build, if I understand each and every component that goes into the bike, then I can do my own maintenance and improvements. With the electric motor and battery performance improving in leaps each year it will be easier to adapt with the technology.

Thanks for the heads-up, I'm sure more big players will come to market with electric solutions in the near future but for now they are just a little too pricey for me.
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Is this a business or a hobby project?

If it's a business, to be successful, you have to be better than what's out there and that means a team of engineers and huge start up costs.

If it's a hobby consider that people in general don't build stuff anymore. It interferes with their Facebook time.

If you do pull together a team of volunteers I hope one is a lawyer.
 
Neil_V said:
Hamilton E-bikes.... sigh

IMO the driver had every right to leave as he was being threatened. However he should have reported the incident.

The bigger problem is the belligerent attitude of the rider. I would love to know if he had a suspended licence and though an ebike was OK.
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Neil_V said:
Hamilton E-bikes.... sigh

[video=youtube;5lGB2GUZlF0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lGB2GUZlF0&t=71s[/video]
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omg to quote the biker "Get in your car before you become a retarded"

Hit and run lol. Guy was trying to talk. Biker had his own head to far up his own *** on that one. That made my day


This guy be like vvvvv. ANd the car did signal and was in front. Hope that dude got himself a ticket.

giphy.gif
 
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thearchiteck said:
Yes, that website is a showcase of the first "electric bike" we worked on that complies with ebike laws.

I'm hoping to get a hold of a Honda CB frame or project bike to use as the base for the electric motorcycle and probably keep the styling similar.
Click to expand...

If you are just repowering an existing bike, the MTO shouldn't give you trouble. Insurance on the other hand will probably be impossible to get and you won't be able to ride in on the street. Before I spent any time on this, I would try to find an insurance company that would insure the finished product, if you can't find anyone, I would change the project entirely(dirt bike/track bike/school bike etc).

Ebikes are nice to manufacture as they have clearly defined regulations as to what they are and riders don't need to deal with insurance companies. As so as you start making something that doesn't fit the narrow definition of what an ebike is, you are now a motorcycle manufacturer. Obviously there is some grey area around modifying existing vehicles, I'm not sure what standards you have to comply with if you are creating a quantity of a vehicle that (presumably) doesn't comply with all of the CMVSS (and other applicable) standards.
 
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