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[oobflyer]

First of all, Yes 

Secondly, I had a hub-wheel-motor EV bike for nearly 20 years (‘07 Vectrix VX-1), and yes it didn’t do that well over bumps with the unsprung weight, but otherwise it ran fine.
Other manufacturers besides Verge are working on hub-motor designs - because there is the huge advantage of the leaving extra space in the body of the vehicle for batteries (more range!)

With the use of lighter materials in the wheels and hub-motors, unsprung weight is becoming less of an issue it seems.

I test-rode the Verge bike last month for 1/2 an hour or so in San Jose - I was impressed with the technology.
Oh - and the ride modes can be switched on the fly from the hand controls, you don’t have to look down at the display on the ‘tank’. It has a ‘dash’ in the typical location with all of the relevant data.

As far as changing the tire - that does seem to be a challenge. I took my Vectrix rear wheel to a local shop once and they looked at it like I had just pulled it off of a UFO. They couldn’t use their machine to remove the tire from the hubless rim. They ended up doing it by hand with other tools. But it wasn’t impossible - and they did balance it somehow (not the spinning type of balance - but the level-bubble thing).

I wouldn’t rule out the Verge completely. Hopefully they’ll address the other issues, like the safety of the wiring, etc.

[Stonewolf]

The Verge with some suspension tuning would probably be ok in the highly controlled conditions of a track but I wouldn't wanna hit a pothole on one ...

Hub motors are a neat idea especially because the inefficiency of a final drive is completely removed but the unsprung weight is such a killer for real world applications. They do have a place for much lighter bikes, like they're perfect if you're designing a strictly rightsized motor for an A1 bike where the weight is kept low and the general low speeds they're used at means mass matters more so the efficiency can compound better. As you move up to more powerful, heavier motors though it becomes more and more of a problem which is why frame mounted motors are more common. Even Can-Am's swingarm mounted motor is actually on or very close the pivot axis which keeps the moment down.

[flynnstig82r]

I always wondered if you could use a front hub motor on a drag bike to keep the front wheel down and get off the line quicker. Maybe one of those fancy axial flux ones to keep the unsprung weight down.

[DonTom]

My new toy was picked up today from Livermore Cal-Moto and I rode it back here to Auburn.


Here it is in my garage:


Any my other toys in this garage:



-Don-  Auburn, CA

[Grauteufel]

Quite envious of your problems.... however may I ask the rationale for three functionally identical bikes? (2 x experia and the drsx, arguably 4 with the versys).

[DonTom]

Quite envious of your problems.... however may I ask the rationale for three functionally identical bikes? (2 x experia and the drsx, arguably 4 with the versys).

Me be Rational with motorcycles? Are you kidding?


But two different houses, 100 miles/160 KM apart. CCS with only 3 KW AC charging and other bikes with only AC input charging but at a higher rate such as 8KW or 6.6 KW.


I decide what bike to take from either house by the type of charge stations on the way. If none at all at needed locations, then I take an ICE bike.


-Don-  Auburn, CA