• SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
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    7 days ago

    Kawasaki isn’t really a company known for fucking around

    Hybrid electric motorcycle. No one bought them.

      • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
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        7 days ago

        Both. Heavy, needlessly complex, trying to solve a problem no one had, expensive. They had an EV bike that also sold poorly.

        This is more about compliance for Japanese grants than sales.

        30 years from now, people will buy them for YouTube channels but Kawasaki had to clear these below cost.

        • _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.worksOPM
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          7 days ago

          I suppose the added cost of a hybrid motorcycle might put some off when motorcycles are already really fuel efficient in comparison to a car, maybe that’s why it wasn’t more popular?

          • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
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            7 days ago

            Motorcycles are not more fuel efficient than an efficient car. It all falls apart when a car can carry 4 people.

            • _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.worksOPM
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              7 days ago

              Thing is, the car is usually only carrying one or two people. Also, most cars aren’t efficient, especially in countries where most vehicles are ridiculously huge.

          • Widdershins@lemmy.world
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            7 days ago

            I would imagine an electric bike would be too quiet. Don’t some people put loud pipes on a motorcycle to increase road presence in the name of safety?

            • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
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              7 days ago

              That’s what they tell you, but it’s just to make noise.

              Electric bikes like Zero have actually lower collision rates than ICE bikes, and motorcyclist love to whine about cars, but 1/3 of crashes are all alone, 1/3 are their fault. The anti car bullshit is just tribalism.

            • LowtierComputer@lemmy.world
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              7 days ago

              A lot of people say that they do, but it’s just an old wives tale/excuse to have loud pipes. There’s no good data to back it up.

              As a single data source, I’ve been riding electric bikes for 3-4 years now and have noticed no difference. Drivers did seem to get worse during/after COVID-19 and after the boom of texting and driving.

              • Widdershins@lemmy.world
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                7 days ago

                I drive a car that could be called a microcar. I’ve thought about putting a loud muffler on it to make it louder and more present on the road. I’m not really much of a car guy so it’s been a pipe dream for over a decade.

                It’s just that the blind spots on most vans and trucks are the size of a garage I could comfortably park my car in. Factor in people being less attentive and the only blind spot I’m comfortable being in is right in front of everyone. I could tape my horn down and call it a day but I feel that would be too aggressive.

                • LowtierComputer@lemmy.world
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                  7 days ago

                  I drive an NA Miata, so I understand completely. People see me less in the Miata than on my motorcycle.

                  The Miata actually has loud pipes (that I didn’t want) and it does not seem to make a difference. People try to merge into me all the freaking time!

            • _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.worksOPM
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              7 days ago

              Yeah, that’s true too. Even cars with electric usually have some sort of simulated sound to replace the motor noise (again for safety reasons).