micm Posted June 27, 2019 Report Share Posted June 27, 2019 Entries are down in the World E bike category in the Holland World GP. Congratulatios are due to Albert Cabestaney who rode an excellent event. Anyway, there were bikes entered from three manufacturers. However none of those machine/makes are currently available to buy, even though two of them have been advertised with invitations to place an order for over a year. So the missing make is Electric Motion, which sell the only electric bikes on the trials market. Indeed EM has just announced their new 2020 range topped by the E Pure Race model which features both a full blown hydraulic clutch and a flywheel to match. The reluctance of EM to enter might, I suggest, be at least partly down to battery performance/bike weight. EM batteries are 'full size' and last for quite long periods ie a whole club trial. I am told the entered makes of E Bikes were having to swop batteries to complete the event. One make described this week in the press as 'light' had, it is claimed, to change batteries frequently. Caveat: I wasn't there so this information is second hand, so I stand to be corrected. However if true and I was a manufacturer whose bike sported a full blown, bigger and heavier battery, would I be comfortable entering against machines with much smaller and lighter batteries. Batteries that perhaps would not allow a bike to complete a club trial? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxs Posted June 27, 2019 Report Share Posted June 27, 2019 How difficult could it really be for EM to size the powertrain incl. battery correctly for such racing? I cannot see how this decision be based on technical reasoning. Otherwise, what would be exactly the technical reasons in regards to the powertrain? .... if anything, perhaps it's the lack of reliable mechanical clutch which is often mentioned as necessity to perform on highest level? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastbelly Posted June 27, 2019 Report Share Posted June 27, 2019 I just don't get the e bike thing. I'm riding a 19 Beta 4T and to me it's all about that lovely motor doing it's thing. Lovely to listen to and feel and lovely to ride. E bikes? Nowt there for me. Just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breagh Posted June 27, 2019 Report Share Posted June 27, 2019 Don't know why they even bother to make them ,maybe noise considerations but as for the environment it's like taking a dustpan and brush to a tsunami. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lineaway Posted June 28, 2019 Report Share Posted June 28, 2019 You need to watch the Dad`s chasing the youngsters with a full backpack loaded with spare batteries. What a joke, then they want to run generators all night to charge them for Sunday!? 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breagh Posted June 28, 2019 Report Share Posted June 28, 2019 Double standards carried out to the letter. Absolutely crazy yet we'll be the cranks for mentioning the reality of the situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b40rt Posted June 28, 2019 Report Share Posted June 28, 2019 11 hours ago, breagh said: Don't know why they even bother to make them ,maybe noise considerations but as for the environment it's like taking a dustpan and brush to a tsunami. Confusing metaphor ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faussy Posted June 28, 2019 Report Share Posted June 28, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, b40rt said: Confusing metaphor ! I thought it was a great metaphor! As for the E world champs, its a bit embarrassing. Kinda the same as the TT zero. That Yamaha is sickening. In a bad way. Surely there has to be some sort of homologation or production rules. Having cabestany there totally ruins it too IMO, how are smaller manufacturers supposed to compete against that. You have to gain interest at the start, make it a level playing field, keep budgets low, keep away riders that are capable of a top 5 in the WTC series. Kuroyama and Gubian are the maximum level of rider you want, not better, preferably lower. Realistically their entries will be coming from the lesser level rider, a total privateer on a standard EM or something similar. Putting them in the same class as that yamaha and albert is a joke. The TT zero went the same way, mugen killed the class! Biggest budget by a long way, and then they go and put mcguinness on it. Keep it simple, low level. Then when the numbers have grown, then you can make it ultra competitive. They are killing the class before it even has a chance to live. I could go on a whole other rant about Bous honda and production rules, but that's for another day Edited June 28, 2019 by faussy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micm Posted June 28, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2019 I suggest that an E bike should be capable of at least one lap per battery in a GP event. That could be altered/extended as the technology improves. If it runs out then add say 20 marks to the score. Everybody knows the super top riders could win on any bike but it would be a bit miserable to ban the superstar riders. I personally like to see a great rider like Cabestaney having a go on one and what he can make it do. I am also pleased to see him back in the sport. OK some respondents to TC get the grumpy about E bikes ('What about all them coal fired power stations eh?') but haha, they are fun, and they are allowed in my our local area anyway, to be ridden on some excellent ground where petrol bikes, even those super quiet 4T Betas are not allowed. Ironically including ground lost to petrol bikes due to noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted June 28, 2019 Report Share Posted June 28, 2019 It could just be a small company living within their means and not splashing cash they don't have. We've all seen where that leads. Media coverage/exposure is down compared to the last couple of years and Belgium is hardly a hotbed of Trials so why go to all the expense of attending when 1) Cabestany is bound to win it regardless and 2) It's a World Cup, not a World Championship so actually pretty meaningless. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micm Posted June 28, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2019 1 hour ago, Andy said: It could just be a small company living within their means and not splashing cash they don't have. We've all seen where that leads. Media coverage/exposure is down compared to the last couple of years and Belgium is hardly a hotbed of Trials so why go to all the expense of attending when 1) Cabestany is bound to win it regardless and 2) It's a World Cup, not a World Championship so actually pretty meaningless. OK, there were rules in place and then there was enforcement. Rather like the EU rules that say No Smoking in any public access buildings, except of course, Spanish bars. I don't think distance, cost of entry or even results were the deal breakers. I also hear what you say about Cabestaney but surely the same argument obtains regarding the utterly brilliant Toni Bou and his super bike made of unobtainiaum. The other makes and riders still go for it, luckily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbofurball Posted June 29, 2019 Report Share Posted June 29, 2019 On 6/28/2019 at 9:23 PM, micm said: OK, there were rules in place and then there was enforcement. Rather like the EU rules that say No Smoking in any public access buildings, except of course, Spanish bars. I'm struggling to see where this came from, in relation to what you were replying to ...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micm Posted June 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2019 20 hours ago, turbofurball said: I'm struggling to see where this came from, in relation to what you were replying to ...? The E bikes were alledged to be required to complete a whole loop on one battery for the 2019 events. This would show that the bikes were a reasonably practical option for any prospective private buyers. This agreement was not adhered to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted June 30, 2019 Report Share Posted June 30, 2019 25 minutes ago, micm said: The E bikes were alledged to be required to complete a whole loop on one battery for the 2019 events. This would show that the bikes were a reasonably practical option for any prospective private buyers. This agreement was not adhered to. Really? According to the FIM Supplementary Regs the lap length for Netherlands was 1KM and for Belgium it was 5KM. Source of this requirement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canario Posted June 30, 2019 Report Share Posted June 30, 2019 (edited) Is it just a rumour, or have they actually loaded the e-bikes into small transporters (good old Diesel) on longer intermediate routes between sections in Belgium? Edited June 30, 2019 by Canario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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