Funny enough, when I Google electric motorcycles, I get mostly e-bikes anyway... But that's probably a cookie problem.
They seem to have disappeared a while ago. They were big then no one really talked about them. My buddy has the dirt Bike zero and absolutely loves it. Only thing is they are fast like an electric car make no noise like one and are as visible as a motorcycle
I hear about them more than I see them. People like to come and chat me up about the bike. A lot of people ride them, just not as a daily driver, more for recreation. I have actually seen more boomer/retirees who travel with e-bikes as part of their recreating. I've seen them riding in pairs at campsites and parks, and I see them pegged up behind campers. I think they get used a good bit and have become more mainstream.
Oh sorry. I've really only heard anything in the last 6mo about electric motorcycles, and Zero is the main brand. Existing companies may have a model or 3 but it seems like a pretty separate market. Personally, I see electric motorcycles as way more of an obvious leap than full e vehicles since you don't have to haul that huge weight every trip. But the safety issue of being silent that you mentioned is actually kind of a big deal and not one I had considered.
Yeah, the old Harley phrase "loud pipes save lives" has truth. When I ride my motorcycle, I always assume I'm invisible. With an electric one? Very much so.
My buddies Zero is black, and i just about smoked him one day, he was coming past my place, it was darker, i pulled out of my driveway and he was right there.
https://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2022/2022-01-05/html/sor-dors268-eng.html Reading through it, it might not be too far of a stretch. Considering what they've done with herbicides and pesticides, I would not put it past them. Looks like I'll be buying a few bulk containers of WD and BK, regardless.
I don't know if it's legit or not, but it sure seems like something the Canadian government would do.
This is a question for @dixiebandit69 mostly, and anyone else that might have seen this happen. It's not on a car or truck, it's a golf cart engine. The butterfly plate came loose and likely got sucked all the way into the cylinder, beat to smithereens and sent out the exhaust valve. Or, it's brass, melted to the top of the piston. I can't see it inside the head, between the intake and intake valve. The cart still runs, only wide open, and seems to still have decent compression. I know the people just drove it around like that for quite a while before parking it. Have you seen this happen before? And how fucked up was the cylinder wall? I'm wonder if it likely scratched the cylinder more than a .5 millimeter oversized piston could cover? Do you think I should just put a carb on it and see how long it runs, as is?
I just thought about the one screw that went in there, too. Which is not a soft brass. Guess I should pull the head off.
If it's still running, it's probably okay. Take the intake manifold off, and you'll probably find the throttle plate stuck in the intake port of the cylinder head. After that, I'd replace it, then see how the engine runs/ sounds. If it sounds okay, then I'd just keep running it. If it doesn't, then the next step is to take the cylinder head off and assess the damage. EDIT: That screw probably blew out the exhaust. I've seen larger objects get sucked into engines and pass through.
I think it's a good time to get a boroscope and see if I can find the plate and check the cylinder wall. I can't see it without one, even with the intake manifold off. If you can even call it a manifold, it's just a plate between the head and the carb. I found a shop selling remanned engines starting at $800, depending on the condition of the core. They add to the price for for things like cracked heads or scarred up cylinders, etc... If there is any damage, I guess I'll go that route. The time, money and hassle of getting a single cylinder engine bored and machined seems dumb.
I never did find the plate. I did see a few metal shavings in the head that looked like the same brass as the plate. I put on a new carb, fuel pump, fuel lines and filter. After adjusting the governor and throttle cable, undoing the previous mechanic's attempts to get it to run right, it runs great. Looks like the piston might have a dimple or two in the top of it. Nothing too concerning for a 9hp golf cart engine, though. The cylinder looked fine, no obvious damage.
Once you jack up the suspension, paint flames on the side, and add a turbo charger, please post an update! Did you get this free? That might compete with Blue Dog's free boat.