Electric Dirt Bike

[ATAG_yotheguy]

I didn't know Joey could rock wheelies.

[SIA_Sp00k]

Silent Trail bikes on public accessible tracks....hmmm bad idea.

[69th_Zeb]

I think in ten years when the kids are older and the tech develops better I'd like to pick up a trials version. My 290 is alright in the yard if I keep it quiet, but the Ossets and Yamahas are coming along.

[=FI=Murph]

Every year here they hold the Pike's Peak Challenge race to the top of the peak. The last part of the race includes hairpin turns on unpaved road with no guard rail and a 14,000 foot drop. For the last several years running this race has been won by an electric bike. The technology has come a long way.

[RAF74_Buzzsaw]

Every year here they hold the Pike's Peak Challenge race to the top of the peak. The last part of the race includes hairpin turns on unpaved road with no guard rail and a 14,000 foot drop. For the last several years running this race has been won by an electric bike. The technology has come a long way.

Electric bikes are ideal for short course races... not for endurance runs.

For those who want to go out on a Saturday and enjoy a little trail riding they are also great... avoid the noise and pollution.

I don't think the fact the engine is electric and therefore 'silent' is an issue... Electric Car manufacturers have added sound generators to their vehicles, Bike manufacturers can too. Or the owner himself can add a little beeper in closed terrain.

Most dirtbike trails are separate from walking and bicycling trails anyway... those using walking trails and mountain biking trails for riding a trail motorcyle are breaking the law.

I ride a mountain bike quite a bit and have never encountered a trail bike on the trails I ride.

[=FI=Murph]

I'd say that the Pike's Peak is more of an endurance run, because of the steep grade and altitude. I think the bikes involved are placed into different classes by engine displacement and overall design ( dirt,sport, touring etc.,) With the electrics competing directly with other engine types. I would think the electrics would have the edge because they would not be affected by fuel mixture problems caused by the altitude.

[ATAG_yotheguy]

I love the Pike's Peak race.

EV's are the future here now.

I'd say that the Pike's Peak is more of an endurance run, because of the steep grade and altitude. I think the bikes involved are placed into different classes by engine displacement and overall design ( dirt,sport, touring etc.,) With the electrics competing directly with other engine types. I would think the electrics would have the edge because they would not be affected by fuel mixture problems caused by the altitude.

[=FI=Murph]

You can see from the glimpses of the curves at the top of the course in the video, that if you lost it up there on a bike, you would actually have time to think it over before you hit the bottom.

[ATAG_yotheguy]

I want one!

[ATAG_Highseas]

Some day i will have to retro fit the Spitfire with an electric motor.

Might put a flux capacitor in there as well.

[ATAG_yotheguy]

"Teslonda"

This is what I want to do with my V8 S-15

[ATAG_yotheguy]

Porsche Taycan Turbo looks and sounds sweet.



Turbo?

[Nightdare]

A few years ago I was treated to watching an electric bike race on Assen

My personal opinion:

[RAF74_Buzzsaw]

I own a vintage Porsche 928 S which I got for a bargain price 7 years ago and which I have updated and improved so that it performs not too far off a modern 911.

If there is one car which might get me to sell that Porsche, it would be the Taycan.

But don't have the money at this point... so the question is moot... more likely will end up in a Leaf.

Porsche Taycan Turbo looks and sounds sweet.



Turbo?

[Nightdare]

I own a vintage Porsche 928 S which I got for a bargain price 7 years ago and which I have updated and improved so that it performs not too far off a modern 911.

Bit offtopic, but I never understood why Porsche hasn't fired their Design department yet
I've got the feeling it's one guy that's 90 years old and whenever someone comes in his office with the question if he can't update the design, the guy grabs his M1 Garand and tells the person to "Get off my lawn!"

That 928 was the last Porsche with it's own identity, nowadays, they just park a 911 in Chernobyl, and let radioactive mutation do its thing

[RAF74_Buzzsaw]

Bit offtopic, but I never understood why Porsche hasn't fired their Design department yet
I've got the feeling it's one guy that's 90 years old and whenever someone comes in his office with the question if he can't update the design, the guy grabs his M1 Garand and tells the person to "Get off my lawn!"

That 928 was the last Porsche with it's own identity, nowadays, they just park a 911 in Chernobyl, and let radioactive mutation do its thing

The front engined 928 is inherently a much better design than the rear engined 911.

928 had basically perfect weight distribution, 51% front wheels/49% rear, and an engine which just begged for development.

Even now, with a 34 year old car with a few improvements like updated chips for the fuel injection, modern injectors/fuel pump and exhaust systems I can easily get 400 hp/350 ft/lbs of torque without turbo charging and run it on 89 octane.

And that is for a engine without variable valve timing. Friends of mine who have turboed their 928s get 550 hp with relatively mild boost pressure and street gas. That in a vehicle 500 lbs lighter than a 911 turbo. With intercooling you can go over 700 hp.

Of course, the 928 does not have electronic traction control... (other than basic mechanical Posi-traction) so when you get up over 500 hp, things can get a little squirrelly. Think that Fast and Furious guy who decided to turn off Traction control in his Porsche Carrera GT with 600 hp. And that was in a mid engined type with good weight distribution. When you get to 600 hp, doesn't matter how good the basic design is, you can't just mash the throttle. That's why if I turbo mine, I'll limit it to 475 hp.

On the subject of the 911:

It was handicapped from the start with a poor weight distribution with the rear engine... only recently have they got that in balance by adding four wheel drive and putting the transaxle in the front.

The 911 is renowned for having great handling... just up to the point of breaking loose, which happens abruptly and which is commonly known as the "...bite your head off moment."

Even now with the latest Turbo, you can see how imbalanced the design is:



They have to put all kinds of tech wizardry in place to compensate for the weight distribution... which always is around 60% rear.

The reason Porsche executives stuck with the 911, is the Porsche fanatics who were a large part of the buyers insisted on a rear engine design... it had to follow the grand tradition from the Speedster on up.

Those purists had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the liquid cooled future in 1997 with the 996... some of them demanded Porsche keep the air cooling even though you can't get as much hp out of an aircooled design.

The Porsche Boxter is a much better design with its mid-engine.

The Taycan of course, with the electric batteries in the floor and electric engines front and rear does not suffer from any weight distribution problems.

[ATAG_Flare]

The Taycan looks pretty cool but I have no idea why they called it the Turbo, turbo has no meaning on an electric powered car!

I think the 911 is one sexy car though, in pretty much all its versions. Not that I'll ever be able to afford one but it would be cool to drive one once.

[Kayo]

I agree that the 928 is a well designed car especially the early model years with the smaller rear lamps and no spoilers. But obviously Porsche does it right, everytime they release a new model of the 911 with whatever design-changes there is a loud complaining from the customers and then they buy it anyhow. I understand why they are carefull.
I was involved in the 996 and oh dear this big design step created a lot of whining, especially of course due to leaving the air-cooled engines. But face it without that Porsche would not have survived, the 928 never really sold so well.
And honestly all that does not matter, if you once got the chance to drive a 911, you never want to drive anything else except another (air-cooled) 911 maybe