http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/09/honda-developin.html

Does this seem like a good idea? Motorcycles already get good mileage... It seems like adding a battery and electric motor would make the bike heavy. What do you think?

they have these already.  they're called mopeds.

actually, bikes get HORRIBLE mileage. For their size/weight/capacity, in comparison to cars, motorcycles should get at least twice what they get now. Hybrid is still a bad idea, more efficient engine management is needed though

Quote from: arbakken on October 06, 2008, 01:01:08 PM
actually, bikes get HORRIBLE mileage. For their size/weight/capacity, in comparison to cars, motorcycles should get at least twice what they get now. Hybrid is still a bad idea, more efficient engine management is needed though

It isn't that bad... My car (a VW Turbo New Beetle) gets 19 miles to the gallon and weighs 3150 pounds where as my GS gets 50 miles to the gallon and weighs 400 pounds. The car carries a bit more, but the back seat is still an uncomfortable place where I wouldn't put anyone for more than a half hour or so... If you want to make up some measure, like miles per gallon per pound, the car is around 0.006 where the bike is 0.125. Even a Prius scores lower than the bike in this (admittedly quite random) measure coming in at 0.017...

Quote from: fred on October 06, 2008, 02:15:47 PM

It isn't that bad... My car (a VW Turbo New Beetle) gets 19 miles to the gallon and weighs 3150 pounds where as my GS gets 50 miles to the gallon and weighs 400 pounds. The car carries a bit more, but the back seat is still an uncomfortable place where I wouldn't put anyone for more than a half hour or so... If you want to make up some measure, like miles per gallon per pound, the car is around 0.006 where the bike is 0.125. Even a Prius scores lower than the bike in this (admittedly quite random) measure coming in at 0.017...

you're thinking about it wrong, think of it this way:

your bike gets 2.5 times better mileage than Your car, but weighs 8 times less. How's that for a ratio?

My bike gets 35 (FZ) or 50 (WR) miles per gallon, and is way, way, way more freaking fun than any car.

Plus, you can't laneshare in a car.  You get to your destination faster - less gas used, less congestion, no idling while sitting.

I'd totally go for an electric motorcycle.  However, that piece of crap Zero motorcycle that they put mountain bike forks on is not going to cut it.

Now this, I would take.
http://www.davidpitlyuk.com/2007/06/08/an-electric-yamaha-r1-motorcycle/

But it'd have to be an FZ1.  Commuting, man!

Quote from: arbakken on October 06, 2008, 02:39:14 PM

Quote from: fred on October 06, 2008, 02:15:47 PM

It isn't that bad... My car (a VW Turbo New Beetle) gets 19 miles to the gallon and weighs 3150 pounds where as my GS gets 50 miles to the gallon and weighs 400 pounds. The car carries a bit more, but the back seat is still an uncomfortable place where I wouldn't put anyone for more than a half hour or so... If you want to make up some measure, like miles per gallon per pound, the car is around 0.006 where the bike is 0.125. Even a Prius scores lower than the bike in this (admittedly quite random) measure coming in at 0.017...

you're thinking about it wrong, think of it this way:

your bike gets 2.5 times better mileage than Your car, but weighs 8 times less. How's that for a ratio?

Well, the bug has a 150 horsepower motor, so about 95 horsepower per ton where the bike has a 47 horsepower motor, so 235 horsepower per ton. The bike is hugely more powerful than the bug is. If I went with an equivalent power to weight ratio, the mileage would way way better. I am getting only 2.5 times the mileage out of the bike, but I'm also getting 2.5 times the power output.

When it all comes down to it, the bike is way more fun and despite a huge power to weight ration increase, I still get better gas mileage than my car. Could I do better? Sure, I could even ride my bicycle to work and burn no gas at all...

I have a 10 minute 'commute'. Ya ya, i suck for living so close to work. Whatever.

If there were a rechargable motorcycle that got 40 miles to a charge, it would be very tempting to use it 4 days a week, and the truck one day a week.

Think about it- 40 miles on the bike costs $4. 40 miles on an electric bike would cost around $0.10.

easy decision.

Quote from: ohgood on October 06, 2008, 05:10:59 PM
I have a 10 minute 'commute'. Ya ya, i suck for living so close to work. Whatever.

If there were a rechargable motorcycle that got 40 miles to a charge, it would be very tempting to use it 4 days a week, and the truck one day a week.

Think about it- 40 miles on the bike costs $4. 40 miles on an electric bike would cost around $0.10.

easy decision.

How much would it cost to Bicycle the 5-10 miles?

Quote from: Jared on October 06, 2008, 07:05:17 PM

Quote from: ohgood on October 06, 2008, 05:10:59 PM
I have a 10 minute 'commute'. Ya ya, i suck for living so close to work. Whatever.

If there were a rechargable motorcycle that got 40 miles to a charge, it would be very tempting to use it 4 days a week, and the truck one day a week.

Think about it- 40 miles on the bike costs $4. 40 miles on an electric bike would cost around $0.10.

easy decision.

How much would it cost to Bicycle the 5-10 miles?

Depends on the pace, terrain, and weather, and how good your metabolic rate is.  In other words.  Everythign requires fuel. You included.  While I was a bike courier my calorie consumtion skyrocketed.  I biked 12 hours a day almost everyday. Thats subtracing lunch and depot times.  With the increased calorie consumption, more fuel was needed(fuel), and the food budget went up a tad.  Best part, I was able to claim the cost of the food on my taxes as food because it was my proffesion.
so bikeing 5-10 miles each way 5 days a week, you would prolly eat something right after you rode.  So depending on what you ate, it could be anywhere from 99 cents for a power/protien/carb bar or $5 for a meal of somesort. Then multiply that by 2 a day for 5 days.  figure 10-50 extra a week in fuel cost. 
hehehe. 
Now if you go slow as shaZam!, you prolly wont burn anythign worth replacing, so you prolly wont spend extra on shaZam!.