I just watched a very inspiring video. But I want to start by reminding y'all of My Lectra project. Phase 1 is essentially finished right now, the bike runs and is a dream to ride. It gets up to 45 miles/hr speed and has about a 10 mile range using a 60v 50AH SLA battery pack that weighs 220 lbs.
Phase 2 is to install a full fairing as described on these pages:-
http://www.craigvetter.com/pages/470MPG/470MPG%20Main.html
The guy, Craig Vetter, he's produced a video describing the fairing -- and a fuel efficiency contest which he ran in 1980-1985. The contest challenged people to design a motorcycle with the highest fuel efficiency, and the winner of the final contest achieved over 470 miles per gallon. On the DVD it shows Craig talking about the principles and the contest results.
Miles per gallon? Isn't this an EV site? Well, yeah, it is, but fuel equates to kilowatt hours and one could easily measure high electron efficiency using similar ratings.
Motorcycles clearly have bad aerodynamics. The main factor in the winning designs was streamlining, proper streamlining. One of the factoids he related is a contestant said the bike he used would get 50 miles/hr without the fairing, and 80+ miles/hr with the fairing. Same bike, that's how much difference the fairing makes.
It's called 'do more with less', a principle he says comes from Buckminster Fuller (who he 'followed around' for a long time).
I've been thinking recently - we can achieve better range through better batteries - or we can achieve better range through better streamlining. At least, that's the idea I'll be testing with phase 2 of my Lectra project once the fairing is installed.
I suppose better batteries + better streamlining = fantastic range??
Very Interesting. Reminds me of the approach that Aptera took on their car. They asked what shape could transport 2 people in a side by side configuration most efficiently. The result looks a lot like a plane, and gets around 300 mpg! www.aptera.com
Good luck on your project, and please keep us posted.
-= Alan
ZEV 7100 Alpine
Fort Collins, CO
Is this a teaser for a longer video? It looks like he was just getting to his point when it ran out. I gots ta know. What shape?!!!
"we must be the change we wish to see in the world"
Yes it is a teaser, sorry I thought I made that clear. The presentation is approx an hour.
He pointed out an interesting thing -- that motorcycle racers in Europe had a different development than here in the U.S. They were using full fairings similar to the shape he ended up with. They were achieving such fast speeds that the european racing commission one year mandated drastic changes to the fairings to slow the racers down. The drastic changes were essentially what became the 'Ninja' style bikes. Those bikes look aerodynamic but they aren't.
The details are in the DVD -- link is above.
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki