I believe that the higher powered bikes all use chains as they are more able to handle high torque and power.
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Electric Motorcycles
- Thread starter vfx
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JRP3
Hyperactive Member
I was just thinking that the Brutus looked to be using a similar setup as Harley's, which use a primary belt drive for the motor to transmission and a secondary belt drive for the transmission to rear.
the Zero Street cycles are using a "Poly Chain® GT® Carbon™ belt" ... zooming in it looks definitely like a belt and not a chain ... I don't know which other ones are using a belt as well.
ZERO S Electric Motorcycle - Specs || ZERO MOTORCYCLES
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Yes that's a belt. I'm using a Gates polychain belt on my AMPhibian as well, so much nicer than a chain. No lube flying around, less noise, no stretching and adjusting.
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JRP3
Hyperactive Member
I'd love to replace all the drive chains with belts, but the others operate at lower speeds than the one from the motor, and it gets expensive. There are issues with belts under high loads, especially longer ones on a swing arm. They can jump teeth unless you use a tensioner, so a chain is cheaper and easier.
Just to point this out, the BMW F800 ST is belt driven, and that bike does 0-60 in about 3.6 seconds. So belt driven can work pretty well.
I have one, and it only has 93 Hp and weighs about 360 lbs. If you go to the rr 1000 it is chain driven and heavier. I am told it is because of the extra power and torque.
roblab
Active Member
BMW has used a drive shaft for ages. They may have switched over lately due to cost issues, but the drive shaft was well able to handle the 130 hp on my R1200. Motorcycles usually have the engine sideways so the pistons are out of the way of legs, rocks, etc, and so using a sideways trans and chain to the rear wheel, which is also sideways, works fine. But... Drive shafts are perfectly capable. Used also by Yamaha, Suzuki, Moto Guzzi, Honda, Indian 4, some bicycles, and even Harley, for a brief while.
For DIY and conversion electric motorcycles, it would be easier to source and size a chain/sprockets than it would be a belt and pulleys. Chain length is easily adjustable; belts, not so much.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
I think the ICE looked like he could carry more speed into the corners and probably could have passed, but there were times coming out of them when you could hear the ICE get on the throttle hard but the EV just pulled away.
I have my new sport to watch this year!
I have a feeling that someday soon someone is going to put an EV into the ALMS. It will be a rules nightmare!
I have a feeling that someday soon someone is going to put an EV into the ALMS. It will be a rules nightmare!
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Love it, great ending! :biggrin: Some day I have to do a bike and get back up on two wheels again.
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