Throughout their history, motorcycles have seen an array of changes in design, purpose and performance. One of these designs that has made its way through the years is that of a sidecar motorcycle. Right from the time of World War 1 to being the mode of travel for ¡®Jai¡¯ and ¡®Veeru¡¯ in Sholay, sidecar motorcycles have had an appeal to them that not many can ignore. And just in case there is a perception that the design is no more prevalent in this era of electric vehicles, here is the contradiction.
Ural Motorcycles, a Russian sidecar motorcycle maker, has embedded an electric powertrain in its existing cT model to come up with a concept all-electric sidecar motorcycle. For this, Ural tied up with Zero Motorcycles, already a well renowned name in the world of electric vehicles. So, the new electric concept borrows Zero Motorcycles¡¯ proprietary powertrain package (motor, batteries, controller and other components).
Ural Motorcycles
As of now, the first development phase of the concept bike has been finalised. Ural Motorcycle lists a range of benefits of the all-electric version over its IC engine counterpart. As can be understood, the all-electric version is way more silent. It does away with clutch and gear, essentially requiring just a twist of the throttle to move, at an enhanced acceleration of course.
As per the company, the bike has already been tested in real world conditions including rain and snow, on cold and hot days and on the highway and city streets. Though it has not specified a launch date as of now, the company¡¯s website mentions a 24 months time period to ¡®ramp up serial production upon final design approval.¡¯
Ural Motorcycles
As for its performance, the bike is able to churn out 60 horsepower with 110 Nm of torque. That results in a max speed of 140 kmph and a max cruising speed of 105 kmph as tested by the company.
The sidecar motorcycle might have compromised on range, given the batteries as a power source and the added weight of the sidecar. But keep in mind that along with the additional weight, the sidecar comes with added real estate to add more battery cells. And Ural Motorcycles has taken advantage of that, placing battery cells under the gas tank and the sidecar seat. The combined output delivers 19.5kWh, enough for a range of 165 kms as per the company, which is expected to increase by the time the company comes up with its production unit.
Ural Motorcycles
As much as the all-electric sidecar motorcycle by Ural brings back nostalgia, it comes off more as a statement for the future of electric automobiles. As long as there is even a little space to add a battery and an associated controller, the electric drivetrain can be employed for any existing vehicle, not to mention, to all the new concepts.