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http://searchchicago.suntimes.com/autos/news/2379576,green-x-rider-motorcycle-scooter-061110.article ‘Xtremely green: Electric motorcycle can really scoot June 10, 2010 BY REX ROY SearchChicago-Autos Correspondent It is a reality that is impossible to escape: If you want to conserve energy regarding transportation, it helps to reduce the mass one must transport. This reality is why motor scooters and motorcycles are so popular in Third World countries. Little, lightweight vehicles require less fuel to move than bigger, heavier ones.
While it is unknown how much fuel Americans would save if everybody just quit eating Big Macs and didn’t super size their meals, the practical reality of making viable electric vehicles has manufacturers starting small.
While bigger and more practical than your neighbor’s kid’s electric skateboard, the X Rider from Xtreme Green Products is a fully street-legal motorcycle/big scooter.
The X Rider I tested showed a high level of fit and finish.
The rear wheel is actually an in-hub motor that puts out 4.5 kW. Twenty-four lithium ion phosphate battery cells put out 72 volts and provide about 100 miles of range.
The bike has a built-in 110/220-volt charger located under the two-person seat. Charge times are less than three hours,
and the company expects the batteries to endure at least 2,000 charge cycles – that comes to one charge per day for about seven years. The bike’s overall length is 6 feet 6 inches and the wheelbase is 56 inches. Weight with batteries is 266 pounds.
Designed to accommodate up to 300 pounds, the X Rider’s seating position is like that of a modestly sized gasoline scooter, with knees forward and the rider’s back upright. A rear seat pad and folding passenger foot pegs make riding two up possible. Passengers will appreciate the fact that there is no exhaust pipe on which to they can burn their legs. Beyond the obvious green benefit of being electric, the X Rider includes some other clever features such as the kick-stand safety. The bike’s twist throttle won’t activate the motor unless the kickstand is raised.
Novice riders should easily acclimate to the X Rider. The handlebar-mounted controls include levers for the front and rear disc brakes, high and low headlight beams, and horn. Since there is no transmission, there is no clutch lever or gearshift, further simplifying the riding experience.
The X Rider’s shapely bodywork is contemporary. Our only complaint was the externally mounted power train controller (mounted below the saddle on the left side of the bike). The positioning allows for air cooling of the device, but the weatherproofed wiring leading to the exposed component seems out of character for a vehicle with an otherwise well-integrated design.
On the road, the short wheelbase doesn’t deliver the ride of a Harley-Davidson Road King, but it is more than acceptable. Power off the line is adequate and similar to what one would expect from a midsize gasoline-powered scooter.
My test model had the optional windshield ($100), which channeled air around the pilot at modest neighborhood speeds.
City environs and suburban neighborhoods are the most comfortable areas to ride the X Rider. While it is capable of highway speeds, the X Rider isn’t in its element dicing it up with 18-wheelers. Saddlebags are optional ($150) and would make sense for office commutes because they’re large enough for a laptop and the other items you’d need to take back and forth.
Sanford “Sandy” Leavitt, CEO of Xtreme Green Products, builds the all-electric X Rider, which is certified by the Environmental Protection Agency. The X Rider uses a hub motor and batteries to achieve a top speed of more than 60 mph. The X Rider is Xtreme Green’s first consumer product and is currently on sale at some auto dealerships (none yet in Chicago) and online at www.xgpshop.com.
Neil Roth, X-Rider’s president, said the company is in negations with dealers in the Chicago area, but that no formal contracts have been inked as of press time.
The reality of no dealers in Chicago brought up the meaningful question: “So if I want one, how do I get one?”
For the $7,999 retail price (less a 10 percent federal tax credit), Xtreme Green Products will ship one to your door. Shipping is included in the price.
The motorcycle will arrive in a metal-framed crate. All the happy recipient need do is remove seven bolts and unfasten a couple of support wires. This frees the machine from its shipping container (all of which can be recycled). The next step is to charge the batteries. For safety reasons, the batteries are shipped without any charge in them. After a couple hours at the outlet, the X Rider is ready to go.
Roth noted that service isn’t much of a concern with electric vehicles because their drive train is so simple. He did note that the company has relationships with automotive dealers in Chicago who could handle service if anything did require attention.
The motorcycle comes with a full two-year, 12,000-mile warranty. The battery is fully covered for one year and then prorated for four more years.
The X Rider is just what Leavitt and his small group of partners intended to produce.
“We’re ultimately looking to be a company that makes practical and affordable green products that can be used in every day life,” he said.
The company is on its way toward selling the X Rider worldwide and expects to produce them at a rate of 15,000 to 20,000 units a year.
“We’re not sure what to expect in terms of sales here in the U.S., but there are plenty of cities in Europe where only electric or non-polluting vehicles are allowed in their city centers,” Leavitt said. “Sales could well exceed our expectations, but with our manufacturing capabilities, building more won’t be a problem.”
Leavitt’s logic seems valid since scooters are already a part of life in many Asian cities as well as in Europe. The transition to an electric scooter doesn’t seem to be a theoretical reach. Other high-volume markets for scooters include Israel, the Caribbean and metropolitan areas in South America.
Will they catch on in Chicago? We’ll see.
Rex Roy is a freelance automotive journalist and author based in Detroit. He can be reached at www.RexRoy.net
XTREME GREEN X RIDER
ENGINE: 4.5 kW hub
RANGE: 100 miles
SPEED: up to 65 mph
BASE PRICE: $7,999
XGPShop.com
