My original plan in getting an old motorcycle was to just make sure i liked ridding before getting a decent (range) electric scooter, but i'm afraid i've fallen into the bike world faster then i expected. Where i used to curse the CBR's and R1's ripping down the highway by my house, now i see if i can figure out which model exhaust they're running. However, sync'ing my carbs the other day, or at least my attempt at doing so, has given me a firm push back towards the operating simplicity of an electric motorcycle. Electric super bikes like the R-Motion, and Lightning are the dream, but the reality is they're an order of magnitude beyond my price range. BUT for a couple thousand i can ditch the entire engine, and drive train and drop in an electric hub motor right in the back wheel, lithium ion/iron/polymer batteries, and a controller. I've seen a couple VF & VFR's that were converted and 25 mile commute seems easily within reach. With good planning, and room for additional batteries 80-120 miles has also been done by others. Plus i need to take the bike apart anyways to do something with that rear shock
Dan of RB Batteries is building an electric motorcycle right now (seems logical when you think about it). Luckily there are many people who have done this already so info is pretty easy to find. It takes some fabrication but most of the time that is covered up so it can be crude and still do the job. Keep us updated on your progress!
