With all this new technology...do you think?

The P1 is awesome but it's still not really a dedicated track car. Any hybrid system on a bike using current technology is probably going to add 50+ lbs which would be unacceptable to purists, starting with a 400 lb machine

fzr100098 said:

Doesn't race mode also disable rear ABS? Thought I read that - I usually ride in sport mode full power

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No. Just on level 1.

Look at the KERS on the F1 cars before it was taken away... The ultimate hybrid setup, for short bursts of epic speed.

Riding around with the Hindenburg strapped between your balls sounds invigorating!

JDBeretta said:

No. Just on level 1.

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Race mode ABS default is level 1 but you can adjust it to whatever you want

flobrandx said:

Race mode ABS default is level 1 but you can adjust it to whatever you want

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Yes. Personally I like the race mode on level 2 abs, until I am more comfortable with approach speeds based on gear vs rpm based on sound.

Had a couple hot entries into corners on level 1 where my back end started fishing around too much to keep my heart rate at an acceptable level... And that's just on street riding twisties.

JDBeretta said:

Yes. Personally I like the race mode on level 2 abs, until I am more comfortable with approach speeds based on gear vs rpm based on sound.

Had a couple hot entries into corners on level 1 where my back end started fishing around too much to keep my heart rate at an acceptable level... And that's just on street riding twisties.

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Yikes! You been to the track yet?

flobrandx said:

Yikes! You been to the track yet?

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Nah... Actually been a couple of years. I moved to a place where the closest track is 3 hrs away. Hoping to get there late summer though.

fzr100098 said:

Doesn't race mode also disable rear ABS? Thought I read that - I usually ride in sport mode full power

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When I switch to race mode, there's an indicator saying "abs front only"

rza996 said:

When I switch to race mode, there's an indicator saying "abs front only"

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In your race setting menu, switch ABS to level 2 or higher...

fzr100098 said:

Electric motors are useless at the track - a few laps and the batteries are dead. Unless battery technology changes big time, I can't see it going anywhere for sport/track bikes

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Plus the weight.

Indiana Jones said:

They are helping the environment, electric power is far better than burning gas/diesel fuels for the environment. Additionally, electric technology is moving quickly. Its effective now and is only getting better. The initial article is sets forth the fact that electric motors are not merely a niche market catering to curiosity of the rich. Race bikes and cars are using them. And a Stanford student has recently made a huge discovery...don't take my word for it, read the link.

Aluminum battery from Stanford offers safe alternative to conventional batteries

Im not going to act niave and pretend the technology is abundantly available...but its coming.

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Unless the power outlet your using is not supplied by a coal burning plant then its all for not. Until most of what has been mentioned and we get away from burning leftover dinosaurs and using nuclear reactors it doesn't seem to be any better than running gas in the tank.

fzr100098 said:

Electric motors are useless at the track - a few laps and the batteries are dead. Unless battery technology changes big time, I can't see it going anywhere for sport/track bikes

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Everyone needs to stop thinking about obsolete electric cars and 50/50 hybrids like the Prius.

Look up ERS or KERS for F1 racing. With the right technology, your bikes alternator could be an electric boost, and the starter. F1 cars drive the generators under braking to charge up, a bit like engine braking since the gen is somewhere on the engine usually. Then send the power back to the gen and use it as a motor to accelerate.

Acceleration is where gasoline engines are ineffecient, just the slightest boost there from a little electric help is a huge difference in economy. And the cats on a cars exhaust system can also be used to generate electricity. Dissimilar metals and tons of heat etc. etc.


So if a capactitor bank only weighed a hair more than the missing starter, it could be viable. I foresee ERS being huge for cars, especially turbocharged cars and trucks. where the ERS would be on the turbochargers shaft, as well as on the crank drive. Even semi's could benifit.

But I don't see bikes going after this tech yet. Added weight, and the electric power helps best where bikes need the help less. We don't really need more power on corner exit, our tires are already taxed hardcore there.

Large generators already have electric turbos and blowers.

b9009b said:

Unless the power outlet your using is not supplied by a coal burning plant then its all for not. Until most of what has been mentioned and we get away from burning leftover dinosaurs and using nuclear reactors it doesn't seem to be any better than running gas in the tank.

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We use dams that chop up fish here so we're all good with the environment

flobrandx said:

We use dams that chop up fish here so we're all good with the environment

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This should be posted on so many sites. Lol.. thx flo i needed a good laugh.

b9009b said:

Unless the power outlet your using is not supplied by a coal burning plant then its all for not. Until most of what has been mentioned and we get away from burning leftover dinosaurs and using nuclear reactors it doesn't seem to be any better than running gas in the tank.

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I beg to differ...especially living here in Miami where's there's non stop sunlight. Solar panels can charge cars and motorcycles alike, is it easy...no. The footprint of producing gasoline vs electric, coupled with emissions issues leaves electric the clear winner.

This also comes from a guy that owns two hybrids... :/ tree huggin hippie that I am.

Advantage number 10,426 of owning a 1299...when your friends call you a sissy for owning a hybrid, you can always open the garage and show them the beast. The same guys that are quick to call me a sissy for owning a hybrid, are the same ones that run the other way at the thought of jumping on a 1299.

Indiana Jones said:

I beg to differ...especially living here in Miami where's there's non stop sunlight. Solar panels can charge cars and motorcycles alike, is it easy...no. The footprint of producing gasoline vs electric, coupled with emissions issues leaves electric the clear winner.

This also comes from a guy that owns two hybrids... :/ tree huggin hippie that I am.

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Don't get me wrong. I'm a firm believer in alternative energy sources. But battery based electric energy has it's own downsides - primarily in the sourcing/refinement/manufacturing of rare metals and materials (as well as their disposal at end of service life). The advantage of one over the other is not as pronounced as proponents proclaim.

But the real obstacle to adoption is time. Until that technology is as time efficient as fossil fuels it isn't going to be anything more than niche.

When I can pull in to an electric stations, fill up my electric vehicle with "juice" and be out of there in 5 mins or so with another 4 hours worth of drive time "in the tank" then (and only then) will electric vehicles supplant internal combustion engines.

Why the electric vehicle companies don't see this is beyond me. Instead of concentrating efforts on more efficient batteries (a worthy effort), why are they not working on an industry standard spec and physical standardization so that I or you or anyone can (after noticing their battery indicator is low) pull in to a corner charge station, swap out the depleted battery packs with some fully charged ones, and be on their way in 5 mins.

Farm machinery (for years) was steam powered until an efficient internal combustion engine was developed - at which point steam was instantly obsolete. Because farmers don't like sitting around for an hour waiting to build pressure in a boiler. Inefficient.

Railroads switched to diesel electric from steam once large traction motors were developed because of efficiency (and maintenance). It took to long to build pressure.

These electric vehicle guys are missing the single biggest element as to why the technology is being slow to being adopted. It's time. No one wants to wait for an hour at a charging station. Produce swappable battery packs and the internal combustion engine (at least for personal transportation) will be killed overnight.

(sorry for length).

Hybrid I'm all for that, to make the combustion engine better like the new supercars, but full electric and I'm out, no thanks.

Don't want anything to do with electric superbikes. The new KTM electric supermoto freeride would be a lot of fun to run around the city, wheelie and do stunts on for fun on cold wet days in parking lots when you can't ride a serious big bike (like when I used to BMX) but other than that I would never consider one.

if any of you have ridden the Harley Livewire, or fortunate enough to have ridden some of the true sportbike electrics...you know that electric motors can perform in ways that truly make combustion motors obsolete. charging speed, infrastructure, and battery weight are current obstacles but humans have a tendency to overcome such things when motivated.

It's a question I do ponder - 50 years from now, sitting on my deathbed, will ICE vehicles still even exist, outside of retro collections? Technology moves fast; the 999 was a championship-winning platform. Imagine if you saw a 1299S next to a 999 in a showroom back in 2006. You would barely be able to wrap your head around the technology...and that was less than a decade ago.

re: rear wheel lift control - Ducati uses the same Bosch ABS unit that BMW does, so it is at least capable of it. I'd have to check but I'm pretty certain my '14 Multistrada has rear wheel lift control.