Have you been to an airshow that included a glider aerial demonstration? The gliders were the highlights of the shows I attended due to the sound of silent flight. Think about bending into and out of curves in silence on a motorcycle.
Mission Motors unveiled Mission One, an electric performance motorcycle last week as most of you know by now. These are exciting & historic times in terms of energy (could be called the "transitional" generation in more ways than one).
The "silent glider" affect and smooth torque of an electric motorcycle offer dramatically different and very intriguing riding sensations; but the electric bike package prompts questions about the future styling. How far will electric motors and batteries need to evolve, aesthetically, before they have sales successes in the cruiser and naked/cafe bike segments? Does the change to electric power also change the entire vehicle package such that motorcyclists will have to accept more body panels than current construction? What will the various styles of electric motorcycles look like and how will the electric motor's aesthetics and batteries dictate the former? Many motorcycle consumers will want more out of their motorcycle ownership if the allure of mechanical bits on display no longer exists. The Motorcycle "parts display" is etched into everyone's mind.
There is an undeniable "vanity" factor to owning a streetbike. If every bike eventually is concealed behind body panels, electrics could usher in an era of blandness equivalent to the demise of the common automobile that occurred in the early 80's. Cars for the common budget haven't been the same since on the outside.
Riding the bike above on a remote mountain road (with earplugs to amplify the silence) 'sounds' like it would be a very cool escape, especially with that smooth torque; but I fear a big part of the motorcycle experience after the ride will be lost.
Suggested song (from the 80's no less):
Eddy Grant
(nothing against Eddy's song. Cool video with bikes &.... you get the idea. However, the 80s were not particularly kind to automotive design or music)
UPDATE:
Dan Anderson's design is great. It provides a glimpse into refuting my thoughts above.
Source: The Kneeslider
No comments:
Post a Comment