• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

Electric Okay or Die Hard ICE?

Will you keep your ICE bike once electric takes over?

  • Yes

    Votes: 81 91.0%
  • No

    Votes: 8 9.0%

  • Total voters
    89
If you want to make it political, there is another forum for that...

That was funny!!

This thread has become a "bash EV" thread with many just posting biased articles and ancedotal heresay without much first hand knowledge or experience.

I'm not bashing EV's, I'm posting articles and information that people aren't thinking about as they go herd mentality for an EV. I praised my neighbors 10 year old BMW next door, it's a blast to drive! And it's only used to commute across town to work. I am bashing proposed mandates, eliminating ICE vehicles, and the insane govt. subsidies. EV would fail instantly without the subsidies, just like Ethanol would have, and I do have first hand knowledge and experience on that, being from Iowa. EV markets are tanking, except Tesla it seems, and of course, the govt. will bail them out of their boondoggle. Ford seems to have created an Edsel in the guise of a truck. It's just facts and reality, and if it wads peoples panties, well too bad.

I love my ancient vehicles, but if I had spare money, I'd dig a used i3 Beemer!
 
The Government has always had their hands in subsidies and tax incentives for the auto industry. Gas or electric doesn't matter in that sense. Chicken Tax any one? Or how about the tariff on import motorcycles to help out Harley?

As for power generation. I've said it before and I'll say it again.

1) our entire power grid needs big time overhaul and maintenance. Regardless of more or less EVs, it needs to happen.

2) we need to get over our squeamishness about Nuclear Power. It's about the greenest power we have RIGHT NOW. You want cheap, available, green power? It's already in our hands we just have to employ it. With the development of SMRs over the past few years cost and space have greatly reduced in the construction of such plants. Rolls Royce has a SMR design that's the size of 2 football fields and can power 1 million homes. There have even been developments in "micro" reactors. These are were first developed for maritime use. Such as submarines, but companies are putting that tech into use on land and can build units that can be trucked in on a couple of trucks and setup to provide power for thousands of homes in remote areas.
 
The Government has always had their hands in subsidies and tax incentives for the auto industry. Gas or electric doesn't matter in that sense. Chicken Tax any one? Or how about the tariff on import motorcycles to help out Harley?

As for power generation. I've said it before and I'll say it again.

1) our entire power grid needs big time overhaul and maintenance. Regardless of more or less EVs, it needs to happen.

2) we need to get over our squeamishness about Nuclear Power. It's about the greenest power we have RIGHT NOW. You want cheap, available, green power? It's already in our hands we just have to employ it. With the development of SMRs over the past few years cost and space have greatly reduced in the construction of such plants. Rolls Royce has a SMR design that's the size of 2 football fields and can power 1 million homes. There have even been developments in "micro" reactors. These are were first developed for maritime use. Such as submarines, but companies are putting that tech into use on land and can build units that can be trucked in on a couple of trucks and setup to provide power for thousands of homes in remote areas.
Unfortunately, politics and agendas drive the decisions, not so much logic and common sense.
France got nuclear right, from what I understand. Not sure if the greenies have scrapped that or not.
 
Unfortunately, politics and agendas drive the decisions, not so much logic and common sense.
France got nuclear right, from what I understand. Not sure if the greenies have scrapped that or not.
France does something we do not. Recycle nuclear material. Our good friend, President Carter decided that recycling nuclear fuel was too risky for potential dirty bomb issues. Really, it's too pricey to someone's bottom line. France recycles nuclear material, and their "high level" waste is less than 1 percent.

As for waste. If you took all the high level nuclear waste humanity, as a whole, has created since we first started messing with the atom, it would cover a football field sized area 30 feet deep.

Go take a look at your local or regional garbage dump. It's way larger and deeper than that.
 
Just unscientific comment. I drive a LOT for work, 3 or 4 days a week. Up to 500 miles a day. I won't see 10 Teslas all day. I've only see 2 or 3 E-Mustangs total since they came out, same thing for Rivian trucks. There might be battery cars out there but I don't see them.
And I'm not against just a thought. And never seen an electric street bike, Livewire or Zero.
Still want me a Varg mx bike if someone wants to donate. Lol.
 
This article by a level minded guy talking about Toyotas decision to back off on EV makes a lot of sence. In fa
ct it makes total sence and solves a lot of the problems of EV's.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/aut...2JDPJNHHhVIW1UoPFFVYkZ4rFSv9lUe3KKHtxuq6cmfeg
That article does make a lot of sense. I have a PHEV car, and since I mostly commute in it, for the last 3 years I have managed to put gas in it only annually. My car has a 35 mile range on the battery and an unlimited range on gas. I have no range anxiety, and I drive about 30 miles on a dollar when I commute. I also have a Zero motorcycle, which is a super fun commuter, but the hybrid that Kawasaki is working on looks really cool. That technology is probably not the long term solution to burning fossil fuels, but it sure seems that something like that is a way to maximize the technology we have now.
 
Stark Varq won the Europe Arenacross championship!
Screen Shot 2024-02-26 at 5.31.55 AM.png
 
That article does make a lot of sense. I have a PHEV car, and since I mostly commute in it, for the last 3 years I have managed to put gas in it only annually. My car has a 35 mile range on the battery and an unlimited range on gas. I have no range anxiety, and I drive about 30 miles on a dollar when I commute. I also have a Zero motorcycle, which is a super fun commuter, but the hybrid that Kawasaki is working on looks really cool. That technology is probably not the long term solution to burning fossil fuels, but it sure seems that something like that is a way to maximize the technology we have now.
I agree that the hybrid is the way to go right now. Although its not a plug my rav 4 hybrid is supposed to roll about 35 miles on the battery of I choose to but why id want to do that then recharge it with the ICE is beyond me.
They claim 40 town and 38 highway. We average 36.5 here in the mountains and my wife recently drove back to TX. Mosty flat and 75-80 mph and she got 37.2 average thats pretty amazing for a all wheel drive suv, im impressed and it flat out scoots when you cram the pedal to the metal.
If i was still in the work mode and still living paycheck to paycheck and driving my cars till they were ready for the scrap heap id never have bought it. Battery replacement and the cost of cvt transmissions would make owning an older one of these a bad choice.
 
The auto industry have proven they can respond to regulation changes a lot faster than the power industry can update its infrastructure. Until the infrastructure can catch up to the EVs already on the road (it's already behind IMO), I'll keep on driving ICE. EV would meet my daily needs as my long trips are few and far between, but it just doesn't tickle me in the pants like ICE.

That was funny!!



I'm not bashing EV's, I'm posting articles and information that people aren't thinking about as they go herd mentality for an EV. I praised my neighbors 10 year old BMW next door, it's a blast to drive! And it's only used to commute across town to work. I am bashing proposed mandates, eliminating ICE vehicles, and the insane govt. subsidies. EV would fail instantly without the subsidies, just like Ethanol would have, and I do have first hand knowledge and experience on that, being from Iowa. EV markets are tanking, except Tesla it seems, and of course, the govt. will bail them out of their boondoggle. Ford seems to have created an Edsel in the guise of a truck. It's just facts and reality, and if it wads peoples panties, well too bad.

I love my ancient vehicles, but if I had spare money, I'd dig a used i3 Beemer!

"Ford Cuts EV Investment After Losing $36,000 On Every EV Sold In Q3​

After posting a $1.3 billion loss in Q3, Ford's Model e EV unit said it would cut Mustang Mach-E production and delay a battery plant." - https://insideevs.com

Only in government would these kind of results be considered a step forward.
 
Let's hear it for the capitalists! I'm with you, if the people want to buy pet rocks, sell them rocks, even if you think it is complete lunacy.

As it turns out, I have an EV bike, a PHEV car, and ICE bikes. I just put gas in my car for the first time in over a year. For me, that's a big win. I just drove down to the Mexico border and back on my ICE bike, and my Zero would have been an awful choice, but tomorrow I am going to check in with the MGTT and do a couple of hundred miles and the Zero is going to be awesome. It is true that I would find it hard to live in a state like TX with only one vehicle that is an EV, but since I have more than one, I find that there are applications where the EVs kick butt. I imagine that as time goes on, the need for an ICE will diminish, even if we aren't quite there yet.
When someone makes an EV truck, that can tow 10,000#, cover 500 miles at a time, and recharge in 7-10 minutes while being affordable... I'll take a look.
 
An ICE truck that met all those requirements would be nice also.
My 03 super duty could do that highway - 16mpg 38 gal tank if I kept it under 75mph - trailer would have to be flat bed. Enclosed killed the mileage

I'm sure the early Cummins trucks could as well if nobody tweaked the pump
 
Last edited:
My 03 super duty could do that highway - 16mpg 38 gal tank if I kept it under 75mph - trailer would have to be flat bed. Enclosed killed the mileage

I'm sure the early Cummins trucks could as well if nobody tweaked the pump

A 10,000 lb flatbed trailer with nothing loaded on it? Put most anything on it and wind resistance comes into play.

Plus EV truck is brand new so of course ICE truck would need to be new also. None of them are affordable.
 
Last edited:
A 10,000 lb flatbed trailer with nothing loaded on it? Put most anything on it and wind resistance comes into play.

Plus EV truck is brand new so of course ICE truck would need to be new also. None of them are affordable.

Never said the trailer was empty - load near level with cab. An enclosed trailer is a big brick but i could still get 400-440 miles out of a tank. But hey - if you got to be right - no problem - you are right - it never happened

Truck is 2wd F350 single-wheel, long-bed, extended-cab. I also know in the late 90's and early 2000's the Cummins gotta LOT better mileage, the truck just fell apart around the drive-train.

Affordable is a relative term

It's always amazing what old tech can do compared to new tech created with the govts thumb on the business plan. Contrary to popular belief, new is not always better
 
Never said the trailer was empty - load near level with cab. An enclosed trailer is a big brick but i could still get 400-440 miles out of a tank. But hey - if you got to be right - no problem - you are right - it never happened

And I never said it wasn't. I was asking a question.
 
For the price, lack of range and time to charge the E-bike doesn’t make sense for me at this time.
They are just too expensive for what equates to an around town bike.
Same with the Trucks and cars. Yep they have a 300 mile range, unloaded and going slow.
I am excited about the performance of the EVs, just need more energy storage and quicker charge times. Maybe the price will drop a little as the tech improves. I was thinking that the high capacity capacitors would take off but it’s been crickets.

As far as trucks go, there is NO EV that will compete with a 3/4 or 1 ton truck even a properly specced 1/2 ton for capacity, range.
 
Never said the trailer was empty - load near level with cab. An enclosed trailer is a big brick but i could still get 400-440 miles out of a tank. But hey - if you got to be right - no problem - you are right - it never happened

Truck is 2wd F350 single-wheel, long-bed, extended-cab. I also know in the late 90's and early 2000's the Cummins gotta LOT better mileage, the truck just fell apart around the drive-train.

Affordable is a relative term

It's always amazing what old tech can do compared to new tech created with the govts thumb on the business plan. Contrary to popular belief, new is not always better
I would trust my 02 7.3 PS Excursion over my new 23 Grand Wagoneer 6.4 Hemi any day of the week/month/year. With proper maintenance, it will outlive the tech-laden Jeep.
 
My 03 dodge consistently runs over 500 miles per tank pulling the cargo trailer grossing near 20,000 , the best part is with my extra tank in the truck i have 2,000 mile range before needing fuel and have a wholesale supplier at both ends of the trip . Picked it up 10% a couple years ago when I swapped the 4.10 gear for a 3.73 . With no loss of power . The 7.3 F 350 beater doesnt have the power or range but sure works good for around town . 415,000 miles that I know of and keeps on going strong .
 
Last edited:
I was able to take a Zero SR/F for a short demo ride at the last Harvest Rally held in Luckenbach TX. The acceleration was amazing, they claim 110 horsepower and I have no reason to doubt it. The claimed range is 176 miles city riding; however, high speed highway riding reduces its range to just a little over 100 miles. My current Kawasaki Ninja 300 can go over 200 miles on a tank even at highway speeds and the tank can be refilled in a matter of minutes in nearly every two-horse town along the route. On that Zero, a road trip would have to be planned around the availability of charging stations. Could you ride one from Clovis, NM to Santa Rosa, NM or from Lubbock to Amarillo without riding on the shoulder at 50 mph in order to milk it for its city range? Also, I didn't like that Zero enough to give up $25,000 for one.
Until the prices for highway capable e-motorcycles come down to earth and every convenience store has a charging station along with the gas pumps, I'm going to stay with gas power.
 
That would certainly put an end to the big MC adventures. Every year, I plan a 5000+ mile MC trip somewhere to "unplug." The first and last days are usually the longest at 800-1500 miles each. No point messing about just to get out of Texas and the surrounding states that I've seen dozens of times.

That aside, the family trips to see the grandparents out of state will be a thing of the past. And those are some fond memories growing up, listening to the radio the whole way and the diverse catalog they played that influenced my tastes.
During my recent road trip from Fredericksburg TX to Gunnison CO, there were long stretches of middle-of-nowhere where there were no good radio stations to listen to.
 
Back
Top