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I read an article recently that stated The average range of the top 25 most popular cars and trucks is about 450-500 miles. Current electric cars are about half that. It is going to take a 'next level' battery to bridge that gap and be widely accepted.
10+ years is my best guess.
They will help private tracks (if they can keep the dust down)...but not public land...
The Shop
And being that I'm a chemical engineer, I understand many of these processes mentioned above. But in my industry, I don't have the luxury of making up wild ass claims about climate change etc and never being held accountable for the claims. If what we do doesn't work, we don't get paid. Its that simple.
But to your point, you can produce hydrogen very simply and cost effectively from water as an input in basic hydrolysis equipment. No need to get it from natural gas.
As far as the transition, it's already happening. You go to a track and you see all the kids on Stacycs and electric KTMs. Will it take some time yes but it'll be faster than you think. And it will grow this sport big time.
Here's an example of hydrogen coming from water using renewables and water. FCV's are the way of the future. It eliminates the recharge time and gives all the performance benefits of electric (torque and Hp).
Infrastructure will be the delay. The vehicles are coming.
https://nelhydrogen.com/water-electrolysers-hydrogen-generators/
Electrics might take over sooner here.
I also know from experience that some younger riders are scared by the noise of a bike when they start. I personally was terrified of them until I was 10 or so. Had they been electric that may not have been the case.
Could get more kids involved, just a thought
I am just spit balling here as I am not an engineer, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn express last night, I just worked in the oil and gas, refining, petrochemical industry for 26 years dealing with CEMS analyzers and Green House Gas emissions outside of understanding what it means to extract oil and gas from the earth to end product, be it fuels, chemicals or resins that make up 90% of your daily comforts.
I now work in water and wastewater where we are slowly eliminating what we outfall to the ocean and have plans for Ground Water Replenishment as well as bottling drinkable recycled water all produced with power generated from “digester gas”. i.e. Methane, better known as “fart gas”
I think if the manufacturers want buy in from the consumers in our sport, they are better served to focus on performance and not "saving the planet". As stated, if it is better for the environment (cradle to grave), then fine. But lets talk technology and performance is my MO.
For some of us, it's a hobby and proud skills to do a full re-build, I did the last full rebuild 4 months ago... it was an evening time hobby during the winter. It was fun.
For others, they hate it, they would ride more if they had a) more money b) more time and wouldn't need to do as much bike maintenance.
I think in the future with e-mx we will see more of these 'urban sports' who keep their e-mx in the basement, never really do any maintenance, they have no space nor skills for it, but they practice a lot, they are skilled, they have fun and it's moto!
There future will be good, it will be different, but I'm sure we will have great speed, great suspension and fantastic jumps. When this is, I have no idea.. personally I think cost/cost-drivers are the biggest hurdle.
but opinions may vary
btw... Axels latest Slaygroud, did the noice really bring anything to it, or would it have been as 'cool' if it would have been an e-mx that looked exactly the same as his Kawi, rode the same, accelerated the same?
Where I live, 10 yards away I have a lane leading to a vast area of woodland, much of it is coppiced. Ive ridden my nice quiet GasGas trials bike there for years without any issue, despite not officially being allowed to ride there. But Id never get away with an ICE MX/Enduro bike down there- far far too noisy for the housing around the outskirts of it. However, with an electric bike I could ride as much as I want and as regularly as I want because nobody would know I was there!
That suits me and is why my cheque book is waiting for the first of the big five manufacturers to produce something proper, just like the CRF-E we have seen photos of. Ive ridden a KTM Freeride-E and it was mega! But I won't buy one until its a proper 'full size' bike.
Pit Row
Why? Because kids now don’t like outside, you can’t ride a motorcycle from an iPad.
Plus in 15 years all our kids will be pushed toward swimming on the Olympic teams. You know, because of the webbed feet and hands they will have from their parents getting the vaccine.
I've had people with zero motocross experience learn to ride my track over the course of a single weekend. I was able to train them by riding next to them on my Honda EZ90 while giving them instructions they could easily hear. "Stand, sit, use the rear brake only here, move farther up the seat in that corner, squeeze the bikes with your legs more" - etcetera. it's a fantastic bike to learn on, there's nothing else like it. I'm letting a friend of mine borrow it right now. He lives in town and has an enormous backyard. His young son is learning moto on his Stacys, and he rides side-by-side with him around a track they've made there. Not one neighbor even knows they're there- and like I said, they live smack-dab in the middle of town!!!
The guys on this site are so informed and experienced, it's greatly refreshing (and informative) to hear their "real world" viewpoint. I totally agree E-bikes will have a net-zero effect on the environment, but I totally DISagree there aren't other reasons they might take over. And I say that because I have both WITNESSED and actually LIVED those reasons.
Thanks for the insight!
I rode in the woods, trails where I met people on horses, walking, they greeted friendly... I wonder if they even knew I was on a 'dirt bike', well, they saw the riding gear of course but...
I would never ever go to the same location with my 4-stroke... the hate is huge!
I would have kept the bike if it had more 'moto style' geometry and suspension, it was too much geared towards play riding.... AND (big one), an extra battery was silly expensive
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