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General Discussion / Several questions/concerns wrt Electrics, primarily the lack of noise
« on: July 25, 2017, 09:03:44 PM »
Been riding a BMW R1150 and love it. Considering a second bike for when ever it's down but I've considered this for a while now since it's really never down. Eventually I'd like to go electric but here are my concerns, in order. Any insight is appreciated.
Silence
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I'm aware that alert and competent riding is the majority of safety but being seen and being heard can only be helpful.
That being said, are there mods available that'll make an electric sound like a harley? Again, I know helmets save more lives than loud pipes but why not take take the extra safety measure, and (to me at least) the sound makes for a far more enjoyable ride.
Water exposure
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I park my bikes and cars on the street, I don't believe in garage queens and my life is so busy I don't have time to put on, take off, and store, a tarp. I ride in the rain as well.
Can the battery withstand both being parked in a rainstorm and being ridden through rain or is that going to be iffy?
Charging
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The electric cars need a separate chunky (and rather expensive) charging station. I rarely ride long distances but if I do need to charge, can the electric bike simply plug into an outlet via extension cord or is there anything more elaborate required?
Maintenance
--------------
I'm reading the broadsweeping statement "maintenance is less for electric bikes" but parts/components are parts and parts fail and need to be replaced.
Is there less maintenance required for an electric because there are fewer parts and/or the parts are easier to access or is it something else?
Silence
--------
I'm aware that alert and competent riding is the majority of safety but being seen and being heard can only be helpful.
That being said, are there mods available that'll make an electric sound like a harley? Again, I know helmets save more lives than loud pipes but why not take take the extra safety measure, and (to me at least) the sound makes for a far more enjoyable ride.
Water exposure
------------------
I park my bikes and cars on the street, I don't believe in garage queens and my life is so busy I don't have time to put on, take off, and store, a tarp. I ride in the rain as well.
Can the battery withstand both being parked in a rainstorm and being ridden through rain or is that going to be iffy?
Charging
----------
The electric cars need a separate chunky (and rather expensive) charging station. I rarely ride long distances but if I do need to charge, can the electric bike simply plug into an outlet via extension cord or is there anything more elaborate required?
Maintenance
--------------
I'm reading the broadsweeping statement "maintenance is less for electric bikes" but parts/components are parts and parts fail and need to be replaced.
Is there less maintenance required for an electric because there are fewer parts and/or the parts are easier to access or is it something else?