Wait… This Electric Motorcycle Has a Hole in It! And It’s A Good Thing?
Image Credit: WMC.
I've got something truly wild to share with you today. It's an electric motorcycle… but with a giant hole right through the middle of it. No, seriously, I'm not pulling your leg. Who knew that taking a giant donut cutter to a perfectly good bike would actually be a brilliant idea!
Before you reach for the number for the nearest psychiatric hospital, let me explain. This whole "hole-in-a-bike" concept comes from a UK company called White Motorcycle Concepts (WMC). These folks are obsessed with aerodynamics, and they've discovered that by channeling air through a tunnel in the bike, they can reduce drag significantly. Less drag means less resistance, which translates to more speed and better range.
WMC has already experimented with this technology on a few other projects, including a super-fast land speed record bike and a hybrid police scooter. But their latest creation takes things to a whole new level. They've teamed up with Zero Motorcycles, an American company known for its sleek and stylish electric bikes, to create the WMCSRS concept.
This futuristic-looking machine is based on the Zero SR/S, a sporty electric motorcycle that can hit a top speed of 124 mph and travel up to 171 miles on a single charge. Not too shabby, right? But WMC figured they could squeeze even more performance out of this already impressive bike.
Image Credit: WMC.
So, they took a deep breath, grabbed their tools, and carved a gaping hole right through the center of the SR/S. Okay, maybe it wasn't that dramatic, but they did install a custom-designed duct that runs from behind the front wheel to above the rear wheel. This duct, along with some fancy modifications to the front fender and fork, helps to channel air through the bike and reduce drag by a whopping 10%.
You might be thinking, "Big deal, 10% isn't that much." But trust me, in the world of aerodynamics, it's a pretty big deal. Think of it this way: if you're cruising down the highway and you can reduce the amount of air resistance by 10%, you're essentially getting a free boost in efficiency. That means you can go farther on the same amount of battery power, or you can go faster without draining your battery as quickly.
Image Credit: WMC.
Of course, there's no such thing as free ice cream. Adding a giant hole to a motorcycle does come with some pretty big downsides. Let's just stick to the most obvious one - it might not be the most aesthetically pleasing design. No question, it does look a little bit odd. But you know the one about beauty and the eye of the beholder, right?
Another potential downside is that the duct might take up some space that could otherwise be used for battery cells. More battery cells mean more range, so it's a bit of a balancing act. But WMC seems to think that the benefits of reduced drag outweigh the potential loss of battery capacity.
The big question is, will we see more motorcycles with giant holes in them in the future? WMC is hoping to license its technology to other motorcycle manufacturers, so it's definitely a possibility. I wouldn't be surprised if we see more and more bikes adopting this design, if the numbers add up,
Personally, I'm all for it. I think it's a clever way to improve the efficiency of electric motorcycles. And it's just plain cool. An electric motorcycle with a big hole in it. It might look a little strange, but maybe one day, we'll all be cruising around on bikes that look like giant donuts.
